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"...since I was chatting instead of paying attention to seasoning the results were not up to snuff."

I feel your pain. For a while back there, I couldn't seem to make a group meal without all four burners and the oven going, trying to have everything finish at about the same time (I learned to cook in a short order environment, so it was what I knew, I suppose). Works fine for 3 or 4, but any more people than that and I would inevitably screw up something, even if I'd made it a dozen times before, even if I made a point of not leaving the kitchen until the food was done. Frustrating and stressful experience to know it could have been better.

I guess I don't have a "go to dish" per se, but I do have a new unofficial rule: only have one or two things to focus on, and rely on dishes where a) the bulk of the work is done the day/morning before that b) are almost impossible to screw up and c) can be flavored in many different directions, depending on crowd and mood. Some things that come to mind - braising meat the day before, so all you have to do that day is turn the braising liquid into a sauce and toss the meat on the grill/broiler for a few minutes before serving. Works with ribs, chicken, most pig parts. No worries about when it's going to be done ("sorry guys, maybe one more hour on the roast while the pilaf dries into a brick..."), plus the resulting sauce can really power the other side dishes.

Cold salads - slaws, grains in vinaigrette, shredded beets or carrots - stuff like that works wonders. My new personal favorite - thanks to Bittman - twice-baked potatoes. Make them ahead, twenty minutes of reheating that day, and you can put almost anything you want in there. My last two have been leftover lentil dal with yogurt and cilantro, topped with vinegar pickled onions, and miso, ginger, and walnuts with a bit of milk. Really versatile, worry free.

I actually cook for friends every Sunday night (well, I did, up until the last few months as I was finishing my Master's Thesis...but we're in the process of resuming "Sunday Night.") The crowd can range from just five of us up to twelve, and often I won't know until that morning how many are coming (which is frustrating, to say the least.)

Although I try new things often, I have a few standby recipes, things which are flexible in how many they'll feed (aka make good leftovers):

Chili - which I like because it can be just on its own in a bowl, or can be done up with fixin's (like cheese/onions/jalapenos/tortilla chips which other people can be assigned to bring.) Occasionally I'll do a Cincinati Chili and serve it with hot dogs, spaghetti noodles, and baked potatoes buffet style.

Bolognese sauce over pasta - if last minute folks decide to come I have them bring salad fixins to eke out the meal

chicken noodle soup (sometimes I'll switch out the noodles for rice)

Meatloaf (a turkey version from Ina Garten) with whatever veggies I'm in the mood for, sometimes mashed potatoes and glazed carrots, sometimes roasted roasted root veggies...

All of these are nice because most of the work is done way before anyone arrives, so my kitchen time is minimal and I can visit with my friends.

I've also been known to throw the Foreman grill on the table (okay, if you have a Panini press that might be classier...) with nice bread, cold-cuts, cheeses, and spreads like pesto or chipotle mayo then let my friends make their own panini. But we're a pretty informal bunch (we've been doing this for about a decade now) so playing with our food is entirely expected.

i'm pretty sure migas are tex-mex, and not true mexican food. i've never seen them made with chips. we've always made them with sliced, fried corn tortillas. i've also had migas at a tapas bar in spain where they use croutons/old bread crumbs. yum!!!!

I can always count on the Chicken Marbella from the Silver Palate Cookbook to please the most varied of crowds. Despite its odd ingredients (prunes and green olives), it appeals to a broad range of palates. Add to that the fact that it can be made well ahead of time (even improves with time, according to the recipe), it makes a great company meal. Some rice to soak up the juices, maybe some crusty bread and a good green salad make for a great dinner that doesn't have the host bouncing off the walls in those moments before it's served.

Do you brush both sides or only one side of the tortillas with oil before the oven?

I usually just fry up stale corn tortillas, though baking them would be healthier. Our goal with migas has always been to replicate the migas at the Tamale House in Austin. The trick to that has been adding some milk with the scrambled eggs (something I pretty much never do otherwise) and include chopped fresh tomatoes when cooking the onions/jalapenos. so good, with a slightly pink tint to the eggs, served wet as you noted in your recipe. And as someone else noted, I believe it is Tex-Mex - but who cares, it's good!

As for group dinners that are more hit than miss, beercan chicken is always good bet. Baba ghannouj is also a pretty consistent crowd pleaser, though remembering to roast garlic ahead of time is usually the only thing that holds me back there (I can't stand baba ghannouj or hummus with *just* raw garlic). I also do up a big salad ripped off from salad I had in a Scottsdale restaurant that turned me into a salad eater (cold pearl couscous, chopped baby spring mix, peptias, raisins, corn, tomatoes, & light, slightly sweet vinagerette). That way I get to feel like I'm feeding people healthy food and don't have to take up burner/oven space. Now that it's summer, I'll also just chop up a bunch of veggies, toss with balsamic vin & olive oil, then grill.