24 Quick And Easy Recipes To Make When Company Is Coming

These recipes come together quickly to impress even last-minute guests.

By

Patricia S York

Updated on August 28, 2024

Southern Living Beef Stew Pot Pies baked and ready to serve — Photo:
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

It can be stressful to cook for company. You always want to impress, but you also want to serve something you know won't have you tied up in the kitchen the entire night. Well, these are the recipes for you.

From steaks smothered in a rich mushroom sauce to fancy grilled cheese (yes, you can make a grilled cheese fancy), these recipes deliver on flavor as well as ease and can be doubled or tripled to fit any number of guests. Thanks to a few clever store-bought shortcuts (like jarred enchilada sauce or frozen puff pastry), you'll be able to whip up something impressive in no time with these easy and quick recipes when company is coming.

01 of 24

Christmas Enchiladas

Southern Living Christmas Style Enchiladas in the baking dish ready to serve — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

It doesn't have to be Christmas to serve these two-tone enchiladas. And don't worry, two sauces doesn't mean twice the work because we use store-bought.

02 of 24

Sausage And Black-Eyed Pea Soup With Greens

Southern Living Sausage And Black-Eyed Pea Soup With Greens — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Loaded with greens, black-eyed peas, and Italian sausage, you couldn't pack any more flavor into this simple but stunning soup if you tried.

03 of 24

Ultimate Tomato Soup And Big Batch Fancy Grilled Cheese

Southern Living Ultimate Tomato Soup And Big Batch Fancy Grilled Cheese ready to serve — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Tomato soup and grilled cheese might sound slightly too plain for hosting company, but think of this recipe as the dressed-up version of the classic. We've upgraded the grilled cheese with smoked Gouda and pepper jelly, while the tomato soup gets added depth from fresh ginger, cayenne pepper, and fresh thyme.

04 of 24

Easy Pastitsio

Southern Living Easy Pastitsio in the baking dish ready to serve — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Traditionally made with béchamel, we've simplified this Greek comfort food using a ricotta topping. For added richness, try using ground lamb instead of beef.

05 of 24

Our Best Lasagna

Our Best Lasagna — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

A good lasagna will always impress company. This is our best version of the baked pasta yet, and it can be made ahead and frozen, so you'll always be ready to host guests at the drop of a hat.

06 of 24

Pepper-Stuffed Grilled Flank Steak

Southern Living Pepper-Stuffed Grilled Flank Steak on a cutting board to serve — James Ransom, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Get ready to roll, because while this impressive rolled steak might look complicated, it isn't any harder than filling and rolling up cinnamon roll dough.

07 of 24

Lemon Roast Chicken With Rainbow Carrots

Southern Living Lemon Roast Chicken With Rainbow Carrots in roasting pan — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Something about a roast chicken always feels cozy and comforting. This version, dressed up with rainbow carrots, feels worthy of company but is still super simple to throw together (and is pretty hands-off, once you get the bird in the oven.)

08 of 24

Grilled Flank Steak

Southern Living Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri served on two plates with tomato salad beside — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

The chimichurri acts as a marinade and an herby dipping sauce for this grilled steak. As it cooks, it creates a delicious crust. Let the steak come to room temperature while you heat up the grill.

09 of 24

Pimiento Cheese Chicken-Broccoli Casserole

Chicken Cheese-Broccoli Casserole — Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Cheddar cheese and diced pimiento peppers add classic pimiento cheese flavor to this comforting chicken-broccoli casserole. A crushed Ritz cracker topping takes it over the top.

10 of 24

Marry Me Chicken

Southern Living Marry Me Chicken garnished with fresh basil and ready to serve — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Some say the name of this popular dish comes from how well the ingredients marry. It's worthy of a dinner with friends since it takes just over 30 minutes to make. Pair with a salad and break out the wine—dinner is served.

11 of 24

Creamy Kale And Pasta Bake

Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake — Hector Manuel Sanchez

Lasagnas are far from the only baked pasta dishes we think are company worthy. This hearty kale pasta bake has the same cheesy goodness, but is ready in only 30 minutes. Bulk it up with rotisserie chicken or bacon crumbles.

12 of 24

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin "Filets"

Southern Living Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin "Filets" on a plate to serve — Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Steak can be an expensive main dish option, especially when trying to feed quite a few guests, which is why this pork "filet" recipe is so genius. The medallions sear up beautifully and get tons of added flavor from the bacon they're wrapped in.

13 of 24

Mississippi Pork Chops

Southern Living Mississippi Style Pork Chops with mashed sweet potatoes and garlicky green beans — Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

If you're a fan of Mississippi pot roast, then let us introduce you to Mississippi Pork Chops. The recipe uses all the same flavors to transform regular pork chops into a super flavorful dish, packed with the punch of pepperoncini peppers.

14 of 24

Crispy Chicken Thighs With Roasted Radishes

Southern Living Crispy Chicken Thighs With Roasted Radishes — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

The key to a delicious chicken thigh is super crispy skin. This recipe not only delivers the crispy skin, but pairs the thighs with zingy roasted radishes for a fresh take on a chicken dinner that is bound to impress company.

15 of 24

Baked Lemon-Thyme Salmon

Baked lemon thyme salmon on a platter with roasted potatoes and green beans on a table with a small bowl of thyme, serving fork, and a napkin. — Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Lydia Pursell

Make this elegant meal for guests any night of the week. The main dish and sides cook at once, giving you more time to enjoy your company.

16 of 24

Sheet Pan Meatloaf

Sheet Pan Meatloaf — Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Loren Wood; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Serve a crowd quickly and easily with this sheet pan version of the dinner classic. We like to use a blend of ground beef and pork for flavor, but feel free to use just beef if you or your guests don't eat pork.

17 of 24

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

Southern Living Chicken Spaghetti Casserole in the dish to serve — Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

Please everyone at the table with chicken spaghetti, a no-fuss casserole that everyone (even picky little ones) will love.

18 of 24

Pork Tenderloin With Apples

Southern LIving Pork Tenderloin With Apples in the pan ready to serve — Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Both apple cider and sliced fresh apples lend a sweetness to the pork tenderloin in this skillet recipe. Serve with your favorite veggie sides, and you'll have a festive fall meal ready in under an hour.

19 of 24

Honey-Garlic Chicken

honey garlic chicken and mashed potatoes with brussels sprouts — Victor Protashio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Elevate your average chicken thighs with a flavor-packed sauce, like the one you'll find in this recipe. Soy sauce, ginger, Asian chili-garlic sauce, and honey create a perfectly sweet, spicy, and salty sauce for brightening up chicken and any sides served along with it.

20 of 24

Smothered Steaks With Mushroom Sauce

Southern Living Smothered Steaks With Mushroom Sauce served over mashed potatoes with roasted cheddar broccoli — Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Wild mushrooms form the base of a rich sauce flavored with Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, and beef stock in this recipe. When served over a perfectly cooked steak, you have a stunning meal that any guest is bound to enjoy.

21 of 24

Pork Tenderloin Schnitzel With Fennel Slaw

Southern Living Pork Tenderloin Schnitzel With Fennel Slaw — Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Fried chicken is always a winning dinner option, whether you have company or not, but we suggest changing things up with this fried pork recipe. It cooks up just as crispy and goes wonderfully with the fresh flavors of our Cranberry-Fennel Slaw.

22 of 24

Mini Meatloaves

Southern Living Mini Meatloaves served over mashed sweet potatoes and buttery peas. — Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

For a quicker meatloaf, go mini. Not only are these loaves adorable, but this recipe is easy to double for when you need to serve a small crowd.

23 of 24

Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Cutlets With Haricots Verts

Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Cutlets With Haricots Verts on a plate with a glass of water — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Chicken cutlets on their own might not feel very special or company-worthy, but when beautifully wrapped in prosciutto, they are not only more flavorful, but impressive looking, too.

24 of 24

Beef Stew Pot Pies

Southern Living Beef Stew Pot Pies baked and ready to serve — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Thanks to frozen puff pastry, these individual pies are super easy to make. If you prefer a larger skillet version, we provide instructions on how to turn this recipe into a single show-stopping centerpiece, too.

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