“Love people, cook them tasty food.”
That’s actually the slogan for my favorite spices brand, Penzey’s (haha), but it’s something I’ve been thinking about lately.
I think entertaining and cooking for people will look different through different stages of life, but it’s something I really enjoy. I love the idea of hosting a monthly dinner party club when I’m older!
But for now as a college student in a dorm, casual dinner hangouts work really well since friends live close by and are always down for dinner. For example, last week was pretty low-key for me, so I cooked for friends quite a few times:
• I made butternut squash mac ‘n’ cheese for my former roommate who came over to study…and then we talked late into the night until she fell asleep on my futon. Hooray for accidental sleepovers.
• On one other night, I brought leftover sweet potato & chickpea stew (from my freezer) in mason jars to eat with a friend at his dorm since he’d had a rough day.
• On another night, after a friend had been studying with me in my dorm, I quickly boiled some Trader Joe’s ravioli I had in my fridge and we had a delicious, super easy dinner. I like to add chopped broccoli florets to the boiling water right along with the ravioli for an extra veggie with dinner!
• And on one other night, I cooked dinner with a group of girlfriends as a team effort in their dorm kitchen, which was such a blast. We made this butternut squash chicken salad (their idea!).
• Then, the next night, I brought the salad leftovers to a healthy-eating friend who’d been too busy to cook that week (I grabbed an empty to-go container from the Whole Foods salad bar and delivered it in that!)
That may sound like a lot of dinner plans and a lot of cooking. But I actually only cooked twice (three times if you count boiling ravioli as cooking!). And casual dinner dates are a pretty time-efficient way to hang out since everyone has to take time to eat at some point.
During extra busy weeks, I’m usually surviving on quick dinners like smoothies, frozen leftovers, omelets, and baked sweet potatoes. But on weeks with some breathing room, I love to cook for other people.
(Also, I feel like I should give the disclaimer that I’m not some super-friend. I regularly give people birthday presents weeks or even months late, yikes. Gifts are not my strong suit. But I try to show love in other ways!)
Meals to Make
One thing I’ve figured out when cooking for other people (or honestly, even myself!) is that it should taste good, of course, but it doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or time-consuming. I cook a ton of meatless meals because I love them and they happen to be super cost-effective. I also rarely make single-serving meals since leftovers can always find a good home.
Some of my favorite easy meals to cook for other people:
Sweet potato chickpea stew
Omelets and roasted sweet potatoes wedges
Lentil, sweet potato, & black bean vegetarian chili
One-pot Mexican quinoa with all of the toppings (salsa, avocado, cheese, plain Greek yogurt/sour cream)
One-Pan chicken Sausage w/ roasted veggies
Keep it Simple
Making a three-course (or usually, even two-course!) meal as a college student isn’t realistic for me at all, but it honestly doesn’t matter. And paper plates are 100% acceptable, as are homemade leftovers.
I do always keep fresh fruit in my fridge, plus things like carrots and hummus, that I can offer for snacks or to supplement a meal. Another thing I do is keep a pint of ice cream or dark chocolate that I mostly try to save for when I have people over so I can offer them dessert.
I also like to keep at least a bowl of chocolates in my room for the girls in the weekly Bible study that I lead. Last week, one of my girls walked in and immediately goes, “Do you have any brownies?!” I had to laugh because it was a random question, but I love that she basically expected me to have some kind of delicious chocolate waiting for them 🙂
I’m also a huge fan of swinging by a friend’s dorm or house with a pint of good ice cream or a fancy chocolate bar + a handwritten note because 1) who doesn’t love surprise ice cream?! 2) it’s a pretty inexpensive, delicious way to show someone that you love them!
I learned this from my mama, who would surprise me with ice cream in the freezer or dark chocolate peanut butter cups on my pillow in high school when I got home from school (and she sometimes still does this when I come home from college!)
Finally, I always keep a couple of Larabars or apples in my purse or backpack when I’m out and about or having a study date with a friend so 1) I don’t get too hungry and 2) I can easily offer to share!
Cost
If you’re budget-conscious like I am, you may be thinking that sharing lots of food sounds kind of expensive. But I’ve found that since I generally don’t buy super pricy food, it’s no big deal!
For example, I got a bag of 9 organic mini apples from Trader Joe’s for $3 yesterday, which makes them just $0.33 each. I get my Larabars on sale at the store or from Amazon, and they end up being less than $1.
And for the above meals I mentioned, I did the math out of curiosity and they’re $1-$2.50 per serving even with a lot of organic ingredients, so not too bad at all!
Love Languages
I think “acts of service” is one of my top love languages! I love cooking for people and feel really loved when people do that for me. I think part of it is that this shows that they’ve thought of me, noticed foods I like/don’t like, and then taken the time to make or pick something up for me!
For example, a few weeks ago, my dad came to campus to go to a football game with me. He brought a care-package from my mom with two of my favorite blog recipes she’d cooked for me! She made this sweet potato chickpea stew, plus banana berry baked oatmeal. It was incredibly thoughtful and meant so much to me!
To sum it all up…I really like sharing food with people to prioritize friendships, while also doing something I enjoy and am normally doing, anyway!
A few random notes:
• Some people are super picky or just not into this kind of thing. But for the majority of people I know and am close to, it’s an easy way to show some love.
• Obvious statement: if you hate cooking, this may not be the best way to serve other people. But you can totally implement the ice cream pint + handwritten note surprise if that’s more up your alley!
So tell me…
Do you like hosting/cooking for people? What are your favorite things to cook for other people? Recipe links encouraged!!
I love this! I love cooking for others and sharing a meal together, it really is my favorite way to enjoy time together. Once I get more settled in an area for the long-term I want to start a dinner party club too! It sounds like a great way to try out new recipes and enjoy time together with friends!
Yes!!! Sharing a meal just brings people together in such a close way. I love it!
Love this! You do such a great job of this — as mom has been a great role model for so many years. So proud of you.
Thanks, Rissa! And you’re so right. As I was writing this post, I was thinking about how much of this I’ve learned from our mom!!
You are really talented. I love your blogs because this seems to be the way you like to communicate with me.
The girl pictured with the other single girl looks like your Aunt Robyn.
You mean the girl beside me? That’s one of the girls in my Bible study 🙂
I love this and wholeheartedly agree. Food is 100% social and so much more enjoyable in the company of those we love and care for. All of these gestures are so nice, your friends are lucky to have a friend like you!
I agree that food is so social and personal! I love food because of the people I share it with, the nostalgia and good memories associated with certain foods, and the way I can invite people into my life by sharing meals!
cooking meals for others and sharing them together is such a fun social thing to do! love all the butternut squash recipes too- squash season is finally here!!
Haha! And the ravioli I made was butternut squash ravioli, too…I just left that out because it sounded like SO much butternut squash all in one week!
I LOVE cooking for people, and I love how much of Jesus’ heart you have for service and loving on your college friends Liv. It’s so true that simple pint of icecream, a plate of veggies, a pot of stew, a plate of sandwiches can set the stage for good conversation, encouraging someone, making someone’s night so much more joyful and full of hope. I’m so thankful God gave us food as such a vessel for friendship, love, and enjoyment. I love that you wrote this, because it made me think about how much of a gift food is from God.
I always appreciate your thoughtful comments, Emily! I agree that food is a gift 🙂
One of my favorite go-tos is seasoned ground turkey, frozen peas, and Korean short grain rice. 🙂 awesome post! I’d take a home cooked dinner date over a Panera lunch salad date any day.
Mm, that sounds great! Thanks for sharing that go-to meal idea, Nicole!!
You are the sweetest, girl! I love that you use food to love others!!
love love love this post! you really are the sweetest, liv! i never eat on campus, but a lot of my friends that still live off campus do end up eating there, so i feel like i miss out on meals with them for that reason. we’re all so busy but i do love having meals or any time together, so i’m going to try and do this more often 🙂
🙂 I hope it works out to have more meals together with friends! I agree, coordinating schedules can definitely be tricky, especially when some people live on campus and other people live off campus. But it’s so fun when it can happen!
I also love giving food as gifts especially this season. I love giving kids and families a pack of home-made foods. It makes it personal and for social gatherings, I most of the time prepare fresh veggies and since not everybody is into vegetables, I always prepare a little of different meals and snacks (for different age groups!) and it’s definitely a lot of work but very fulfilling!
I always LOVE when someone thinks to bring fresh fruits and veggies to social gatherings since there tends to usually be a ton of chips, cookies, etc. and it’s nice to have both types of options 🙂
yummy! good work..
Amazingly useful. Thank you for your efforts.
Sharing is caring! I also love cooking and baking for others! I intentionally cook a lot so that I can bring some for my friends at school when I was in college. Thanks for sharing this!!!
My officemate always cook food for us, she said that it makes her happy whenever someone is enjoying that she cooked. Cheers!
Sharing is caring! I also love cooking and baking for others! I intentionally cook a lot so that I can bring some for my friends at school when I was in college. Thanks for sharing this!!!
Cooking for loved ones truly brings people closer and creates unforgettable memories. Having fresh ingredients on hand is key to making those meals special, and sometimes managing grocery shopping can be a challenge. That’s where instacart customer support really shines — they’re quick to help with any issues, making grocery delivery smooth and stress-free. If you want to focus more on the joy of cooking and less on the logistics, their reliable support can make all the difference!