Cooking for a crowd ... help me to be a better hostess

[aggieamy]

DH and I regularly have people over for dinner and games.  Normally it's 10 adults and a handful of kids.  We have huge dining room and kitchen tables so room isn't the problem.  The problem is that I'm a horrible meal planner.  I'm always planning things that end up requiring more time at the end of cooking or are awkward to cook for a crowd.    

 

Please help with meal suggestions that are:

Can feed 20 ish people

Don't require much time at the end of cooking (I tried a stir fry last night ... dinner was delayed 40 minutes while I cooked in the kitchen away from my company ... ugh)

 

I'm happy to cook the day before.  I don't mind buying a few prepacked things.  Most of my friends will eat anything but we do have a few vegetarians and I'm always struggle with meal ideas for them.

 

 

[MelanieM]

Grilled or cold meats with a few cold sides (green salads, pasta salad, potato salad, etc.) can be lovely, especially for summer entertaining. Make your own taco/fajita bar is always fun, and you can chop most of the toppings well in advance. Baked potatoes with lots of serve your own toppings can pair well with lots of different meat dishes, and also make a filling veggie side. Lasagna can be made well in advance, and goes very well with a side salad and a nice baguette. Stew, soup or chili is easy to make ahead. 

[idnib]

Melanie got most of my suggestions but I'll add enchiladas. Fill them, roll them, pour the sauce over the top, and then just bake when you're an hour before dinner.

 

Also in the summer outdoor grilling can be fun. You're still cooking with guests there, but it's more social.

[Upennmama]

Chili! Can be made ahead, and serve with cornbread and/or fritos, sour cream, cheddar, even goldfish crackers for kids. Salad on the side.

 

Lasagna- plain or veggie, with garlic bread and salad. 

 

Grilled chicken over a salad, either regular or Caesar. 

 

Taco bar is fun but messy. 

 

BBQ pork in crockpot- throw in a pork shoulder/butt with 1 can of coke and 1 onion, chopped, cook all day, then shred, pull out bones/fat cap, stir in a bottle of BBQ sauce.  Serve on buns or rolls with slaw, salad, corn, etc. 

[Myeightkiddies]

I started having people over for dinner each week.  The first few times I always had dinner delayed by half an hour to an hour.  Finally I decided to focus on having it ready exactly on time (the visitors usually have other appointments later that evening so time is important).  We are almost a crowd, so it does take extra time.

 

One thing that I do now is to prepare anything that I can in advance.  It may be the night before, or it may be that morning.  This could include just slicing and chopping as these take up a lot of time.  Look at cooking times and be sure that you have the space in the oven for multiple things, and if you don't, try to plan something else that doesn't require baking.

 

Salads work great.  Potato or pasta salad is nice.  There are quite a few varieties, so you should be able to change it up often.  Baked pasta dishes (as mentioned above by MelanieM) are wonderful.  Just allow for that baking time.  Baked ziti is a nice change from lasagna.  There is also a nice chicken, rigatoni, and spinach dish that is wonderful. 

 

One recent meal that I made was chicken/rigatoni/spinach casserole with a bowl of cubed watermelon/blueberries/strawberries and a tossed salad along with some bread.  Dessert was a pretzel strawberry jello thing that I found on Pinterest (was a hit).  Another meal that I made was a red chili and a white chili, cornbread, tossed salad, and peanut butter pie.  Tonight I'm making sweet potato chili, waldorf cranberry with yogurt dressing salad, cornbread, and cobbler.

 

Just aim for everything to be done a half hour before you want to eat, prepare in advance, watching cooking times, and add extra salads and fruit.  It should get easier.

[G5052]

You were brave to do stir-fry!  I don't think I've ever done stir-fry for anyone but immediate family.

 

I always do something in the oven (lasagna, enchiladas, etc.) or crockpot (chili, shredded meat for sandwiches, soup, etc.).  Sometimes even two different casseroles or two crockpot items.

 

It has to be something that is mostly put together hours before they arrive.  When I grill, I have everything else completely ready, and then grill they arrive. Sometimes I grill to "almost" and then put everything in the oven to finish while I put out and warm up the sides.  When I do a roast or turkey, I cook it the day before, then slice it and put it in a crockpot with juices in the bottom to rewarm it.

 

It helps that I have teenagers too.  They usually make the dessert, and then I give them specific dishes to finish and/or warm up and put out when it is crunch time.

[Liz CA]

Casserole type dishes, tarts and self serve veggie trays.

[Kebo]

You might like The Best Cook Ahead Recipes cookbook from the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine. The recipes are reliable, and you could prepare earlier in the day or even days ahead.

[Lovingparent]

Crock pot, I just did my first crock pot dish and it was so easy, I am baffled I had not tried it before. Also, barbecue and you can do vegetable skewers for the vegetarians. And oven casseroles that need to sit and actually taste before when cooled for a while. 

[Um_2_4]

Prepare, prepare, prepare and Schedule, schedule, schedule. I actually write out a schedule and put it on the fridge. And I never do Chinese food that needs last minute prep (OK I  tried it once b/c 2 of DH's co workers were coming over for dinner and they always smelled his leftovers and asked me to make chinese for them.....never again!)

 

I plan out the layout and prep as much as possible the night before (trays, silverware, etc.)

 

Make ahead vege casserole type dishes (measure oven space, I like the 1/2 size steam tray pans, they are deep and strong), mac n cheese, chicken caccitore(sp?) in the crockpot is good, chicken and rice, Chicken/artichoke casserole. A couple chickens and sides. I do several pasta dishes (chicken alfredo, pasta primavera and a traditional meat sauce or baked ziti)rather than a pasta bar as it is less mess and we don't have room for a full buffet. Beef roast in the crockpot with sides. BBQ skewers or BBQ chicken with beans(crockpot), salads, rolls.

 

 

[Amira]

I like to make a big pot of plov/pilaf with vegetables and meat. I have at least 10 different versions I can make depending on who's coming, and I find people are generally forgiving of an ethnic dish. :) All of the prep is done at least 45 minutes before serving so there's time to clean up the kitchen, make a couple of quick vegetable dishes, and get other things ready for company. I make the dessert earlier in the day, and the salads if I need to. Plov is also great because it can sit for a while if your guests are late.

 

I've also had good luck with baked tacos. I make the tortillas, sauce, and fillings ahead of time, and then I just have to quickly assemble the dish and bake it for 20-30 minutes.

 

Having guests over is so much more relaxing when the main dishh just needs to sit and cook or bake for the last 30 minutes before the guests arrive.

[LostSurprise]

I generally do the same thing on a Saturday morning because it's easier to do food, so my suggestion is Breakfast for Dinner. We'll make up a bunch of food ahead of time (french toast, fried eggs, muffins, waffles with custard, bacon, cinnamon rolls, etc.) and then put everything out in crockpots. I have paleo people and vegetarians so I try to make sure the meat is not connected to the carbs (generally). People mix and match what they like. My favorites are breakfast sandwiches (eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits) and people assemble them when they're ready. We also have fruit and veggies out. We feed the kids and the we play. 

 

For stir fry can't you put the rice on warm, cook up the meat before, and start the sauce and leave it covered on the stove? A quick sauce and veggie cook shouldn't take more than 10m. You just have to heat the meat then. 

 

 

[MrsMommy]

Any meat that can be slow-roasted in the oven or crock-pot. I hosted a party for some of my husband's co-workers (about 30 people total, I guess), and this beef and this pork were huge hits!

 

Pork carnitas is a good option, too, because there are so many ways it can be served...over rice, in tacos, on tostadas...so versatile!

 

Also soups that can simmer for hours and only get better, like chili.

[Guest]

We do a lot of Group Food in our parish, as we eat together after church every Sunday.  My personal favorite dish is to make a vegetable soup, and then at the very end, divide out some for the vegetarians and put shredded chicken in it.  Or I make two soups because I really make good boiled-bones chicken stock and like to have that in the chicken soup.  

 

You can make this the day before (I have it down to 1.5 hours for service to 30).  

 

Also, there is nothing wrong with parsing out the bread, beverages and a salad or two to the dinner-comers.  

 

We do a lot of rice dishes, pasta dishes, pasta salads as well.  Also, when I make a salad, I do all the cutting and so on the day before, and then combine them right before we eat.  It seems fresher that way.  If you want to make a yummy salad, throw in a good bunch of chopped basil.  And some strawberries.  Who knew?  I don't pre-dress the salad for a large group, so as to avoid allergy issues, and I don't put in eggs or nuts.  Allergies.  

[Erin]

This is the stuff I usually have for brandings, because I have 30-40 people to feed and no time to be in the house cooking on the actual day.

 

I use my electric roaster, fill it with potatoes, ham, cream, butter, salt and pepper.  Kind of a scalloped ham and spuds thing.  Sometimes I use it for roasted/barbecued meat instead.

Taco salad:  Make everything before hand and throw the meat and chips in at the last minute (otherwise the chips get soggy and meat cooks the lettuce)

Bars, cookies, relish tray etc. for snacky type things while waiting for dinner.

Cheesecake for dessert.  Looks like a million, but is a great make-ahead dessert.

[Dory]

I usually make salads in advance and put them in the fridge. If there is a special dressing for a salad I'll leave it separate in a dish until I go to put it on the table. A roast in a crock pot would be something you get going first thing in the morning and don't bother looking at until a little bit before.

 

My last meal that I did for 31 people was completely unplanned. My dd was supposed to have her family b-day party and everyone forgot and when I contacted people they all decided to come. Originally it was planned for afternoon so I didn't have to cook a meal for everyone, but I knew by then that everyone would still be there at supper time. I did salmon. I melted some butter, chopped some dill into it put a bunch of small salmon fillets in my 9x13 pans and put them in the oven at 400 with the butter, dill mixture and some garlic (just a pinch). I threw some rice on, canned beets, canned corn, and had a friend help me put together a tossed salad. There were pickles and I gave everyone peaches and ice cream for dessert. A couple of the kids have fairly severe gluten allergies so I had to be careful what I was cooking. I completely went out on a limb with that as I had never cooked the fish like that before. It worked. everyone was happy. There was plenty on the table.

[rocassie]

When cooking for a crowd, it's usually a couple of things.

 

Crock-pot or food that reheats well in the crock-pot

Casserole (or baked dish) that I can prep either the night or morning before

Meat that grills up quick like hot dogs, hamburgers, kabobs

 

They key for me is make something I can prep the day or two before.  I will cut up veggies, mix up the spices, make the dips and/or dressings, have the hamburger patties pre-made, etc.  

 

Cookies and cupcakes usually freeze and thaw really well so I will often make them the weekend before, throw them in the freezer, and pull them out in the morning.

 

Some of my go-to meals are;

Sloppy Joes

Chili

Pulled Pork

Baked Pasta

Enchiladas

Baked Potato Bar (I bake potatoes and have all sorts of different fixings, most of which I could chopped the night before)

Salad Bar

French Toast Bake

Ham

Soup

Tacos

Ham and Cheesy Potato Bake