That's something I hadn't thought about - a one-dish meal makes it impossible for a guest to pick and choose. Cooking is so much easier when protein, vegetables and carbs are all part of the same big lump in my dish and that's how I almost always do it when it's just DH and myself.

We don't entertain often, but when we do, it's usually a casual meal same sort of thing. Spanakopita and falafel are two of my favorite "company" meals. I guess with falafel, they could at least assemble their own sandwich, or have the patty and toppings on a plate if they don't want any pita. (Had the neighbors over for falafel last night, nom nom. )

It's much easier to have two to four completely separate dishes when you're serving meat, I think. But something to think about.