Cooking is a lot of fun, and when you cook with friends, or invite friends round to cook for them, it can be even more fun! At our Straits Village student accommodation there is a huge dining and kitchen area for you to use. Instead of cooking for yourself or going out for a meal with friends, why not invite everyone round or to the dining area if you all live at Straits Village, and cook up a storm? Think of it like a ‘Come Dine with Me’ night where you can all chip in, or each of you cooks a different dish for the group on different days of the week. We’ve put together some of the best group recipes, the type of cooking that is simple and fun to cook for big groups of your friends. Let's get cookin'...

Lasagne

Very easy to make, absolutely delicious, and freezes well to eat at a later date, there are few things better than a lasagne. This recipe is a beef lasagne, but you can swap out for Quorn or other meat-free alternatives easily. Remember to bag yourself one of the crispy edges! Here’s everything you’ll need and how to make a cheesy lasagne… Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil
250g of chopped mushrooms
2 x tins of chopped tomatoes
1 celery, thinly sliced
1 grated carrot
Crushed garlic clove
Medium red onion thinly sliced
Dried lasagne sheets
Bechamel sauce
500g beef mince
Cheddar cheese grated (quantity to your taste)

Cooking method: Begin by making the Bolognese sauce by cooking all the vegetables first in the oil, frying until soft or golden brown. In a separate pan, begin to brown the minced beef. Combine the cooked vegetable and mince in one pan, adding in the chopped tomatoes and the grated carrot, stirring and then leaving to simmer for as long as you want. This part is just like cooking a Bolognese, the longer you leave it, the nicer it will be. You can buy a jar of prepared Bolognese sauce if you wish. Once cooked, spoon a third of the Bolognese into a large ovenproof dish, top with lasagne sheets, then spoon on some of the white sauce and sprinkle some cheese. Repeat this until you have three complete layers. Cook in the oven for 40-45 minutes, adding the grated cheese on the top for the final 20 minutes. The lasagne should be crispy and golden, piping hot when you bring it out of the oven to serve. There you have it, you can then serve with a side salad and some garlic bread! group recipes lasagne

Bean & Halloumi Stew

Stews are great to have in your pocket for group recipes as generally, the longer you leave them cooking the nicer they are. This bean and halloumi stew is the perfect veggie stew to cook up a storm for your friends, and it is easy to do with just a can of mixed beans and some halloumi. If you want to cook it quickly, it can be done in just 25 minutes too. It's a winner if you’re heading out after your cooking session, right? Check out the ingredients and cooking method below! Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 thinly sliced onion
1 thinly sliced red pepper
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 heaped teaspoon of ground coriander
3 tablespoons of red chilli pesto, sundried tomato pesto, or any vegan alternative
400g of chopped tomatoes
400g of mixed beans
Half a block of halloumi, sliced
Optional garlic bread on the side

Cooking method: First, fry the onion and pepper in a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Now, throw in the pesto and garlic and cook for a further minute. At this point, add the mixed beans, tomatoes, and ½ can of water, simmering uncovered for 10 minutes. In a separate pan, fry the halloumi for 2 minutes on each side or until golden, in the remaining olive oil. Taste the beans and add seasoning if necessary, and spoon into large bowls adding the halloumi to the top. That's your stew all sorted, how easy was that?! bean and halloumi stew group recipes

Pulled Chicken Tacos

Get the slow cooker out for a cheap way to cook delicious chicken. Tacos are a lot of fun as group recipes go, adding colour to the meal and a smile to everyone’s face. After all, who doesn’t love gathering with mates and eating some delicious Mexican food? It’s one of our favourite cuisines for sure! We’ve put together this absolutely yum pulled chicken taco recipe for you to cook up and show off your skills. Everything you need to make your own is listed below. Ingredients:

100g tomato ketchup
3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons of honey
75ml orange juice
2 thinly sliced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
8 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
Warmed mini four tortillas
Soured cream
Coriander
Lime wedges

Cooking method: The first step is to set up your slow cooker and put it on the ‘low’ setting. Now, place the honey, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, orange juice, garlic, and paprika in the slow cooker, mix together well and add a pinch of salt and black pepper. Next you need to add the chicken thighs and make sure they are covered by the sauce and not touching the sides of the pot, as they will stick as the sauce reduces otherwise. Then cover the slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours, or until the chicken is tender enough to shred. If you do not have this amount of time, you can switch the slow cooker setting to ‘high’ and this will cook the chicken in half the time. The sauce won’t be quite as thick cooking for this length of time so you can reduce it in a saucepan if you wish. Use two forks to break up and shred the chicken, mixing together with the sweet sauce that has thickened during the cooking time. Warm the tortillas ready and then spoon on the chicken, adding soured cream, coriander and a squeeze of lime to serve. Have some fun with this part of the meal, and let your guests create their own tacos with the ingredients you’ve prepared. pulled chicken tacos recipe

That’s it from us on group recipes to cook up in your private dining room, we hope this post hasn’t made you too hungry. What are your favourite group recipes that you’ve become good at cooking over the years? We’re always interested to find out new and exciting dishes to set our taste buds alight @straitsvillage_psl. May the best cook win in your Come Dine With Us week in your student apartments! Read next: 8 Great Films On Netflix For Your Cinema Night With Friends.

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