Grill hot dogs and burgers one night. Chili is also super easy. Chicken with olives and preserved lemons is shockingly easy (but not fast--it cooks on the stove for two hours, but maybe you can fudge and use a crockpot?). To make life even easier, use skinned and boneless chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken. You can buy preserved lemons at Whole Foods.

Start a thread in the other forum about the friends inviting themselves!

PP here.. when I said "tahini" above, I meant the tahini they make in-house, which is in a refrigerated case right next to the garlic paste they make in-house. Seriously - it would be the easiest and most mind-blowing dinner.

If you do The NY Times Shawerma recipe (which I agree would be super easy, incredibly delicious, and a huge hit, to say the least), then go to the Lebanese Taverna Market in Arlington off Lee Highway and pick up a tub of their house made garlic paste dip, tahini, and a pack of their flatbread (in the freezer section), and you would have yourself a masterpiece.

Anonymous wrote:NY Times Shwarma recipe with pita, cucumber/tomato salad, and feta. amazing and super simple. add a bunch of extra peppers into the meat mixture to stretch it further.

It's my go-to for guests.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017161-oven-roasted-chicken-shawarma

I haven't been to the NYTimes recipe site for awhile. Is it now a requirement that you have an account?

Anonymous wrote:NY Times Shwarma recipe with pita, cucumber/tomato salad, and feta. amazing and super simple. add a bunch of extra peppers into the meat mixture to stretch it further.

It's my go-to for guests.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017161-oven-roasted-chicken-shawarma

I always do this for guests and people always ask for the recipe.

Yes, also try smitten kitchen recipe for tandoori sheet pan chicken.

https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/03/sizzling-chicken-fajitas/

in my book, deb can do no wrong!

Anonymous wrote:Chicken Marbella

Stop

Chicken Marbella

I mean no reason for ME to stress out!

Op here.
Thanks for all the great ideas. No need to stress out!

NY Times Shwarma recipe with pita, cucumber/tomato salad, and feta. amazing and super simple. add a bunch of extra peppers into the meat mixture to stretch it further.

It's my go-to for guests.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017161-oven-roasted-chicken-shawarma

Do chicken and rice and green veg one night.
Do lasagna or baked ziti with a salad and garlic bread another.
Grill steaks one night, with baked potato and asparagus another.
Then the other two nights you're ordering in pizza and chinese food/sushi.

Lasagna is a quick and easy go-to. You can make it in advance and just heat it up whichever night you want. Pair it with a seasonal salad and you've got a great meal.

I also love doing taco and / or fajita bars because people love DIY meals and they are great for picky eaters.

If you live in the DMV, do something with an ingredient local to us - like a delicious crab mac and cheese, crab cakes, or something crab related, provided there are no seafood allergies or seafood dislikes.

The weather is getting nicer so you can also grill one evening. Burgers, hot dogs, steaks, chicken, whatever.

Hope this helps!

I have guests coming to visit for nearly a week. Friends, but not super close friends. And they sort of invited themselves (but that's a whole other topic- haha). I'm looking for ideas for fast and easy meals to cook/serve. I plan to order in at least two nights but would like to have a few home cooked meals. I appreciate your ideas. Thanks.