When the whole gang is at the table, you need food that feeds everyone at once and doesn't chain you to the stove. Reach for goulash, baked pasta, chili, big trays, and one-pot meals you scale up and dish out. Pick what'll fill the whole crowd without the stress.
Quick answer
Dishes that scale easily and serve from one pot or tray: goulash, chili con carne, baked pasta, risotto, curry, or a big tray of meat and veg. Add a simple side and some bread and you'll feed ten without trouble.
For a main course, figure 150 to 200 g of meat and about 200 g of sides per person; for goulash or chili, a portion runs around 400 ml. Cook two extra portions to be safe — one-pot dishes freeze beautifully, and a hungry crowd rarely leaves them anyway.
Scale the ingredients to your headcount, but add spices, salt, and liquid gradually and season at the end — flavors behave differently in bulk. Plan for a bigger pot and longer time for everything to heat through.
For goulash, chili, and curry it's actually a win — the flavors knit together overnight and taste even better the next day. Assemble baked pasta in advance and slide it into the oven as the crowd starts arriving.
