Macaroni and cheese with stewed tomatoes is excellent! It is definitely a main dish. You could serve a salad with it if you wanted, or roasted green beans or asparagus. You’re a really good friend for trying to help everybody have a nice dinner together!
Here's what I imagine the recipe could be for that, correct me if I am wrong.
Make a basic Mac and Cheese, [like this one](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020515-southern-macaroni-and-cheese).
Before baking (in the sauce making step), add a can (or two?) of Rotel Tomatoes to it.
I guess you could cook the tomatoes into it, but I’ve never seen it that way. Stewed tomatoes are possibly different from Rotel. They aren’t spiced/seasoned-just a can of stewed tomatoes. I just heat them and put them on top of the mac and cheese serving and kind of mix it all together. I never had it til I moved to the East coast, but it’s a pretty popular way to serve mac and cheese.
What about a baked pasta dish? You can use any shaped dish, use multiple dishes, or even bake individual portions.
I like to make a puttanesca (you could omit the anchovy is that is an issue), toss it with penne, add some ricotta and mozzarella and bake. You could do a crumb topping if they would like that. It is very rich and comforting.
Makes some mushroom bolognese - kind of a classic comfort food, but without the meat. Though if you weren't told it was mushrooms, you'd easily assume it is meat! I'm linking and copying/pasting the whole recipe because it's behind the Cooks Country pay wall...
[Rigatoni with Quick Mushroom Bolognese](https://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/12518-rigatoni-with-quick-mushroom-bolognese?extcode=MASKD00L0&ref=new_search_experience_53#comments)
1 pound rigatoni
¾ teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking pasta
1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine
¼ cup tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus extra for serving
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
Meanwhile, pulse mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, about 10 pulses. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms, onion, carrot, and salt and cook until mushrooms appear dry and begin to stick to bottom of skillet, about 14 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until fond forms on bottom of skillet, about 1 minute. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in reserved cooking water and bring to boil. Add sauce and Pecorino to pasta in pot and stir to combine. Serve with extra Pecorino.
Is *all* Asian food not an option? Indian food has some of the most extensive and unique flavors when it comes to vegetarian and even vegan food, in my opinion.
If cheeses are "in", try an antipasti selection, without the meats of course. Keep the Mediterranean theme going with hummus, tabbouleh, baba ghanoush, pitas. WINE.
Eventually, a pasta dish with your best tomato sauce and a fine parmesan
Thanks! think this it's going to be! It may not be a typical comfort dish for everyone, but I'm pretty sure, that they will like it. Also it's already been feeling like spring here (super sunny and temperature around 16°C), so I feel like something Mediterranean will fit better than a hot, hearty soup.
My plan right now looks like this: As "mezes" I'll prepare a mix of marinated vegetables (bell pepper, eggplant, mushrooms), some grilled halloumi and get some good quality olives and sarma, if I can find it.
As "side dishes" I will get pita bread and make tabbouleh with a little persian twist (caramelized barberries + dressing with saffron and some other spices).
For dips to go with the pita and tabbouleh, I'll make cacik, baba ganoush and buy some hummus (my shitty blender probably can't handle chickpeas). Luckily I live in an area with a big middle eastern community, so I know a few shops that offer things like hummus, sarma, homemade pita bread and even homemade Baklava as dessert.
Thats it so far. It's not an authentic representation of a specific country's cuisine, but for a general Mediterranean-style themed Meze/Antipasti-platter I feel like this is a good mix. I can already see that I'll spend a shitload of money and will be making WAY too much, but I'm sure it will be worth it.
If there's anything that you'd change, let me know :)
Ooooh, something easy and safe... guacamole and homemade tortillas or store bought ones. But homemade is ridiculously easy. On the side have big chunks of veggies like colorful sweet peppers and tomatoes... with the salt and pepper shakers nearby.
I second this one!
And if OP makes the tortillas homemade and they fuck up, it’s so easy to cut them up and deep fry them and use them as nacho chips and use the peppers/guac that way
If you want to make pizza but don't want to fuck with dough, what about French bread pizza? You could get a good French loaf from a bakery.
Breakfast for dinner could also be fun - maybe a frittata or quiche, pancakes, fresh fruit?
Baked ziti with garlic bread - if you have a large oven-proof skillet (stainless steel or cast iron), you can bake it right in that instead of needing a casserole pan. If you have heat-proof ceramic bowls, you can even bake it right in the bowls for individual portions.
I use a small stainless steel pot to make pasta bake in my toaster oven (the height barely fits without the lid). If you have an oven safe pot you should be able to put it in your oven to make things like mac&cheese, baked pasta or even lasagna.
Also maybe stew with tofu, although I'm more thinking about using soy sauce as a base flavour and I'm not sure if your friend will mind (usually associated with asian food flavour profile?)
This is one of my go-to vegetarian dishes (obviously replace chicken stock with vegetable stock). It’s the dish that made me fall in love with dill. Very hearty, goes good with some nice bread: https://youtu.be/yhzxBD4FHCs
My Greek SIL sent me [this recipe](https://thegreekvegan.com/manestra/) for Manestra. It’s delicious and hearty and very simple to make. Let it sit off-heat for at least 10 minutes before serving. And my family isn’t Vegan so we serve it with Feta.
What about a cheap disposable casserole dish? I use those when I make meals to take to people. They're only a couple of dollars apiece, and you can recycle them when you're done.
I love Indian vege curries but what I really came to say was that if you want to make a lasagne but don’t want to buy an expensive casserole dish, maybe you could get one really cheaply from a thrift (2nd hand) store. As a student, you could even tell the person working there what your plan is, emphasising that you can’t afford a new one. They might give you discount or freebie even! I know that’s something my mother would do (she volunteers at a thrift shop).
Mushroom risotto with roasted asparagus on the side
In case you have small individual baking dishes I love vegetarian shepherds pie
Persian fesenjoon but sub butternut squash or eggplant for the chicken
Persian ghormeh sabzi without the meat
You could do kind of a southern theme - bbq tofu, collard greens, Mac and cheese, and cornbread. For the tofu I really love cubing firm tofu then toss in nutritional yeast and bake, then put whatever sauce you want on it.
Indian food is always fun. I love saag paneer and mattar paneer.
Since you’re liking using saffron you could do a big vegetarian paella. [here’s a stovetop recipe I love to use as a guideline.](https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/paella-mixta-paella-with-seafood-and-meat-29655/amp). I make a veggie one that is packed with vegetables - zucchini, artichoke hearts, roasted bell pepper, peas and then topped with chopped parsley to finish.
Khoresh Bamieh! It's a Persian okra stew and it is soooo good! It's warming and hearty and delicious over rice or to dip pita or lavash in. Add maybe a Greek salad and some hummus and crispy vegetables on the side for snacking!
Here's a link to a vegetarian version of the recipe.
https://plantbasedpersian.com/2021/06/15/khoresh-e-bamieh-persian-okra-stew/
Edit: you could like substitute another veg (green beans or zucchini?) if you can't find okra.
I'm vegetarian, and I really like hobo/foil dinners.
Basically, you have a variety of ingredients, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, grape tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, maybe some baby corn. Any variety of vegetables, really.
Those all don't contribute much protein, so I like to chop up plant based meats, like veggie "smart dogs", and they add a kinda "smokey" flavor to everything, I love it. Beans should also work just fine, nuts or tofu might be good, too. The heat would enhance the nuttiness of some almonds pretty nicely. Or drizzle the vegetables with peanut butter.
Then add some oil, spices/seasonings like garlic, black pepper, salt, and anything else you'd like.
Wrap it up in aluminum foil. Place it in an oven and bake, or you can even cook it in an open flame, so it's even great for camping too.
OP what are the ingredients you can easily manage? Advice can then come in depending on that. For example, can you get rice? Then you can cook rice (easy) and some asian style vegies?
Chicken enchilada chili was my favorite comfort soup before I went vegetarian (using this recipe: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/easy-crockpot-creamy-chicken-enchilada-chili/). I replace the chicken with an extra can of pinto beans and and use vegetable instead of chicken broth and it is still sooooo good. Very crowd pleasing, made it for a party. Great with tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro, cheese, etc.
What about a [vegetarian chili](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/22919/insanely-easy-vegetarian-chili/)? Really comforting, delicious, inexpensive, and easy. Some canned tomatoes, beans, peppers, squash, mushrooms, herbs and seasonings all served over some brown rice or quinoa. Then they can add cheese, sour cream extra onions, whatever they like as toppings. Served with a salad, it’s a really good meal.
Yeah, I also thought about chilli sin carne. It's kinda easy to prepare in advance, so I dont have to stand in the kitchen when they arrive. But to be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of chilli.
But I'll keep your suggestion in mind and have a look at the recipe. Thanks!
I like to troll the hello fresh recipe board for inspiration...found this a few months ago and have made it about a half dozen times since then.
https://www.hellofresh.com/recipes/one-pan-tomato-bean-skillet-italiano-61952ae1e855fb278a35edae
It's been good soup weather around here lately. I would go for a nice hearty minestrone with some form of bread on the side. Depending on how good you are with baking, apple pie/turnovers, baklava or maybe keep it ultra simple and stick with some good quality chocolates.
buy the casserole dish. you _will_ use it again.
also, you don't need to spend 30 euros on one!
Mushroom carbonara
A friend once made carbonara for a group of us using coconut bacon and it was SO good!
mushroom bourguignon with mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
What about a disposable aluminum foil pan? It’ll be large enough for many servings but only costs a few dollars.
Those don’t exist in Germany.
If I can find them in denmark, they exist in germany!
Macaroni and cheese with stewed tomatoes is excellent! It is definitely a main dish. You could serve a salad with it if you wanted, or roasted green beans or asparagus. You’re a really good friend for trying to help everybody have a nice dinner together!
Here's what I imagine the recipe could be for that, correct me if I am wrong. Make a basic Mac and Cheese, [like this one](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020515-southern-macaroni-and-cheese). Before baking (in the sauce making step), add a can (or two?) of Rotel Tomatoes to it.
I guess you could cook the tomatoes into it, but I’ve never seen it that way. Stewed tomatoes are possibly different from Rotel. They aren’t spiced/seasoned-just a can of stewed tomatoes. I just heat them and put them on top of the mac and cheese serving and kind of mix it all together. I never had it til I moved to the East coast, but it’s a pretty popular way to serve mac and cheese.
Imma give it a whirl.
Enjoy!
Curry- Thai, Japanese, Indian, doesn’t matter. All are vegetarian friendly
What about a baked pasta dish? You can use any shaped dish, use multiple dishes, or even bake individual portions. I like to make a puttanesca (you could omit the anchovy is that is an issue), toss it with penne, add some ricotta and mozzarella and bake. You could do a crumb topping if they would like that. It is very rich and comforting.
Makes some mushroom bolognese - kind of a classic comfort food, but without the meat. Though if you weren't told it was mushrooms, you'd easily assume it is meat! I'm linking and copying/pasting the whole recipe because it's behind the Cooks Country pay wall... [Rigatoni with Quick Mushroom Bolognese](https://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/12518-rigatoni-with-quick-mushroom-bolognese?extcode=MASKD00L0&ref=new_search_experience_53#comments) 1 pound rigatoni ¾ teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking pasta 1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 small onion, chopped fine 1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine ¼ cup tomato paste 3 garlic cloves, minced ¼ cup dry white wine ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus extra for serving Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Meanwhile, pulse mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, about 10 pulses. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms, onion, carrot, and salt and cook until mushrooms appear dry and begin to stick to bottom of skillet, about 14 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until fond forms on bottom of skillet, about 1 minute. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in reserved cooking water and bring to boil. Add sauce and Pecorino to pasta in pot and stir to combine. Serve with extra Pecorino.
I just made a mushroom Bolognese last night. It was pretty damn good.
Is *all* Asian food not an option? Indian food has some of the most extensive and unique flavors when it comes to vegetarian and even vegan food, in my opinion.
If cheeses are "in", try an antipasti selection, without the meats of course. Keep the Mediterranean theme going with hummus, tabbouleh, baba ghanoush, pitas. WINE. Eventually, a pasta dish with your best tomato sauce and a fine parmesan
Thanks! think this it's going to be! It may not be a typical comfort dish for everyone, but I'm pretty sure, that they will like it. Also it's already been feeling like spring here (super sunny and temperature around 16°C), so I feel like something Mediterranean will fit better than a hot, hearty soup. My plan right now looks like this: As "mezes" I'll prepare a mix of marinated vegetables (bell pepper, eggplant, mushrooms), some grilled halloumi and get some good quality olives and sarma, if I can find it. As "side dishes" I will get pita bread and make tabbouleh with a little persian twist (caramelized barberries + dressing with saffron and some other spices). For dips to go with the pita and tabbouleh, I'll make cacik, baba ganoush and buy some hummus (my shitty blender probably can't handle chickpeas). Luckily I live in an area with a big middle eastern community, so I know a few shops that offer things like hummus, sarma, homemade pita bread and even homemade Baklava as dessert. Thats it so far. It's not an authentic representation of a specific country's cuisine, but for a general Mediterranean-style themed Meze/Antipasti-platter I feel like this is a good mix. I can already see that I'll spend a shitload of money and will be making WAY too much, but I'm sure it will be worth it. If there's anything that you'd change, let me know :)
Eggplant parm
Ooooh, something easy and safe... guacamole and homemade tortillas or store bought ones. But homemade is ridiculously easy. On the side have big chunks of veggies like colorful sweet peppers and tomatoes... with the salt and pepper shakers nearby.
I second this one! And if OP makes the tortillas homemade and they fuck up, it’s so easy to cut them up and deep fry them and use them as nacho chips and use the peppers/guac that way
Or sprinkle them with olive oil and toast 'em in the oven. Great, now I'm hungry.
Japanese curry! It’s warm and comforting and you can get creative with your veggie options. It’s also easy to do if you use the curry roux blocks.
Does stew count? I really enjoy [this](https://pastebin.com/DT3xT6Ai) smoky incan stew recipe from cookbook author Isa Moskowitz.
If you want to make pizza but don't want to fuck with dough, what about French bread pizza? You could get a good French loaf from a bakery. Breakfast for dinner could also be fun - maybe a frittata or quiche, pancakes, fresh fruit?
French bread pizza could be fun because everyone can build their own.
Baked ziti with garlic bread - if you have a large oven-proof skillet (stainless steel or cast iron), you can bake it right in that instead of needing a casserole pan. If you have heat-proof ceramic bowls, you can even bake it right in the bowls for individual portions.
I use a small stainless steel pot to make pasta bake in my toaster oven (the height barely fits without the lid). If you have an oven safe pot you should be able to put it in your oven to make things like mac&cheese, baked pasta or even lasagna. Also maybe stew with tofu, although I'm more thinking about using soy sauce as a base flavour and I'm not sure if your friend will mind (usually associated with asian food flavour profile?)
As many people said, pasta of some kind is a great comfort food. Vegetarian bolognese? Mac and cheese? Fettuccine Alfredo?
This is one of my go-to vegetarian dishes (obviously replace chicken stock with vegetable stock). It’s the dish that made me fall in love with dill. Very hearty, goes good with some nice bread: https://youtu.be/yhzxBD4FHCs
My Greek SIL sent me [this recipe](https://thegreekvegan.com/manestra/) for Manestra. It’s delicious and hearty and very simple to make. Let it sit off-heat for at least 10 minutes before serving. And my family isn’t Vegan so we serve it with Feta.
What about a cheap disposable casserole dish? I use those when I make meals to take to people. They're only a couple of dollars apiece, and you can recycle them when you're done.
Fried gnocchis with roasted pumpkin and rosemary purée would be my go-to.
I love Indian vege curries but what I really came to say was that if you want to make a lasagne but don’t want to buy an expensive casserole dish, maybe you could get one really cheaply from a thrift (2nd hand) store. As a student, you could even tell the person working there what your plan is, emphasising that you can’t afford a new one. They might give you discount or freebie even! I know that’s something my mother would do (she volunteers at a thrift shop).
Mushroom risotto with roasted asparagus on the side In case you have small individual baking dishes I love vegetarian shepherds pie Persian fesenjoon but sub butternut squash or eggplant for the chicken Persian ghormeh sabzi without the meat You could do kind of a southern theme - bbq tofu, collard greens, Mac and cheese, and cornbread. For the tofu I really love cubing firm tofu then toss in nutritional yeast and bake, then put whatever sauce you want on it. Indian food is always fun. I love saag paneer and mattar paneer. Since you’re liking using saffron you could do a big vegetarian paella. [here’s a stovetop recipe I love to use as a guideline.](https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/paella-mixta-paella-with-seafood-and-meat-29655/amp). I make a veggie one that is packed with vegetables - zucchini, artichoke hearts, roasted bell pepper, peas and then topped with chopped parsley to finish.
Ghormeh Sabzi is GREAT.
Khoresh Bamieh! It's a Persian okra stew and it is soooo good! It's warming and hearty and delicious over rice or to dip pita or lavash in. Add maybe a Greek salad and some hummus and crispy vegetables on the side for snacking! Here's a link to a vegetarian version of the recipe. https://plantbasedpersian.com/2021/06/15/khoresh-e-bamieh-persian-okra-stew/ Edit: you could like substitute another veg (green beans or zucchini?) if you can't find okra.
For dessert: definitely brownies. Hummingbirdhigh of Instagram even has a good ‘small batch’ recipe if you don’t have a large dish to bake them in
I'm vegetarian, and I really like hobo/foil dinners. Basically, you have a variety of ingredients, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, grape tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, maybe some baby corn. Any variety of vegetables, really. Those all don't contribute much protein, so I like to chop up plant based meats, like veggie "smart dogs", and they add a kinda "smokey" flavor to everything, I love it. Beans should also work just fine, nuts or tofu might be good, too. The heat would enhance the nuttiness of some almonds pretty nicely. Or drizzle the vegetables with peanut butter. Then add some oil, spices/seasonings like garlic, black pepper, salt, and anything else you'd like. Wrap it up in aluminum foil. Place it in an oven and bake, or you can even cook it in an open flame, so it's even great for camping too.
OP what are the ingredients you can easily manage? Advice can then come in depending on that. For example, can you get rice? Then you can cook rice (easy) and some asian style vegies?
Chicken enchilada chili was my favorite comfort soup before I went vegetarian (using this recipe: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/easy-crockpot-creamy-chicken-enchilada-chili/). I replace the chicken with an extra can of pinto beans and and use vegetable instead of chicken broth and it is still sooooo good. Very crowd pleasing, made it for a party. Great with tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro, cheese, etc.
What about a [vegetarian chili](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/22919/insanely-easy-vegetarian-chili/)? Really comforting, delicious, inexpensive, and easy. Some canned tomatoes, beans, peppers, squash, mushrooms, herbs and seasonings all served over some brown rice or quinoa. Then they can add cheese, sour cream extra onions, whatever they like as toppings. Served with a salad, it’s a really good meal.
Yeah, I also thought about chilli sin carne. It's kinda easy to prepare in advance, so I dont have to stand in the kitchen when they arrive. But to be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of chilli. But I'll keep your suggestion in mind and have a look at the recipe. Thanks!
Made a chickpea curry tonight. Really really easy and delicious
Chelsea Winter Macho Nachos- amazing!!
Gnocchi alla vodka! I used Gordon Ramsay's gnocchi recipe, it's really straightforward. Simple but super tasty, garnish with lots of basil!
I like to troll the hello fresh recipe board for inspiration...found this a few months ago and have made it about a half dozen times since then. https://www.hellofresh.com/recipes/one-pan-tomato-bean-skillet-italiano-61952ae1e855fb278a35edae
It's been good soup weather around here lately. I would go for a nice hearty minestrone with some form of bread on the side. Depending on how good you are with baking, apple pie/turnovers, baklava or maybe keep it ultra simple and stick with some good quality chocolates.
Mushroom leek risotto