I came to college to focus on becoming a chef—no distractions, no parties, no friends. But thanks to a dorm mix-up, I ended up in a frat house with seven loud, messy football players.

There’s Alex, the cocky team captain;Luca, the sweet one with a love for cookies; Kamil, the prankster; Mason, the shy cooking-show fan; Theo, the know-it-all; Elliot, the flirt; and Ryan, the serious one who pretends not to like my food.

At first, I wanted out. But between late-night taste tests and their chaotic attempts to pull me into their world, I started to see them as more than housemates. Now, as I’m catering for their team’s gala, I’m learning that the best recipes come with a little chaos—and maybe even a few friends.