Lunch for 20-25? Needs to be able to sit for 1-1.5 hours, how to transport/keep warm?

[Um_2_4]

So we have been part of an awesome 4H group this year. Part of that is a sewing group that dd10 joined. It's 5 girls + 1 mom leader. DD wants to make them a lunch for our last meeting next Tuesday. Some other kids hang around waiting for older sis to finish + an extra mom or two. So I expect we would have at least 20-25 including my 5.

We have to arrive by 10:30 for their archery practice, lunch would be at 11:30. We live about 10 minutes away.

I need to do most of the prep day before and maybe just heat that morning. I could plug in a crockpot and maybe a rice cooker and take a cooler.

To top that of DD is my one with sensory issues regarding food, so I am trying to find things she would like also. Like no pasta, mixed things (casseroles).

 

Ideas so far:

Chicken mini kabobs and Kafta mini kabobs (cook before and wrap in foil in crockpot to keep warm?? How many to make for that crowd? Like 40 of each??) < These are DDs idea, she loves them.

Hummus w/bread << again DDs pick, the rest are my ideas to round it out to a meal.

rice pilaf (w/ veges, spices) (keep warm how??? my rice cooker is not big enough, should I put that in crockpot and put meat in foil tray wrapped in towels???)

cucumber/garlic yogurt salad

maybe some stuffed phyllo type spinach/onion pies (ok room temp, could bake day before)

green salad

 

DD10 will make her cupcakes and decorate for desert. I might also make some fruit salad to take.

 

Any other ideas for keeping items warm/cold? Weather could be anywhere from 70-90+, the weather here has been wild lately.

 

Or menu suggestions? I was trying to think of something cold-ish to serve, but dd10 does not eat the usual tuna salad, pasta salads, etc. and we don't buy deli meats (would need to find kosher or halal ones and those are $$$$$$ for a big crowd, $8-10/lb, plus no time to go look).

 

Thanks for any ideas...

 

 

 

 

 

[cjzimmer1]

tacos, meat in crockpot, toppings kept in the cooler.

Hot dogs (are all beef ones kosher?)

shredded chicken with gravy served in a bun

sloppy joes

 

I love all your idea as I love ethnic foods but I know not all kids are that adventurous.  

[Zinnia]

Taco bar is really versatile for veg/meat, low carb, dieters, whatever.

 

But your idea sounds good, too!

[gardenmom5]

you can buy portable/disposable aluminum foil trays/stands to place over bunson burners at restaurant supply stores.

the foil trays can be covered with aluminum foil during transport.

[HTRMom]

Pulled pork

 

 

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[Halftime Hope]

Shredded salsa chicken, served with corn chips and all the trimmings (sour cream, grated mild cheddar, diced tomatoes, minced jalapenos -- or whatever you'd like), and as additional sides: corn tortillas, refried beans, and perhaps honey butter (to spread on the tortillas; it does double duty as a sweet if you'd like.)  The beauty of this is that you have something for gluten-free and vegetarians to eat, as well as those who eat mainstream, and it's fairly inexpensive.

 

Honestly, I'd invite others to bring their fave soft drinks and desserts to share, since you are providing the main dish, and that would help keep it manageable.

 

If you provide large foam bowls, that makes a perfect serving dish and keeps people from overfilling a plate with food enough for three.

 

ETA:  for 25 people, I'd borrow a crock pot and fill two crockpots with the shredded chicken if you have 5 or 6 qt cockpots.  That's the only thing that would need to be kept warm.  You could wrap put the tortillas in foil and put them in the sun an hour before lunch to warm them gently. The rest of the food would need to be in a cooler.

Edited May 19, 2017 by Halftime Hope

[Um_2_4]

tacos, meat in crockpot, toppings kept in the cooler.

Hot dogs (are all beef ones kosher?)

shredded chicken with gravy served in a bun

sloppy joes

 

I love all your idea as I love ethnic foods but I know not all kids are that adventurous.  

 

I thought mexican, but dd10 only like refried beans/cheese "burritos" or bean/cheese tacos and they are not her favorite. But it might be a thought.

I could get kosher hot dogs easily, but dd10 hates hot dogs (texture thing).

 

Last time I cooked for the group, I made Foul for a breakfast thing for a study of Egypt and they all ate it up, so they are a pretty adventurous group. Only a couple of the youngest class are more picky and they wan't be there.

 

Taco bar is really versatile for veg/meat, low carb, dieters, whatever.

 

But your idea sounds good, too!

 

Yes, I know a couple are gluten free (not celiac and I thought rice/kabobs/salad would work, or minus the rice for low carb.

I could also do a South American dish of spicy chicken, rice with this awesome sauce.............. hmmmm.....maybe not that one, it is pretty spicy. (but oh so good)

 

you can buy portable/disposable aluminum foil trays/stands to place over bunson burners at restaurant supply stores.

the foil trays can be covered with aluminum foil during transport.

 

I saw those at Sam's actually. I could get one of those for the rice or kabobs and then use the crockpot for the other one. (Then I have it for Ramadan coming up if we invite people  ;) ).

[Um_2_4]

Shredded salsa chicken, served with corn chips and all the trimmings (sour cream, grated mild cheddar, diced tomatoes, minced jalapenos -- or whatever you'd like), and as additional sides: corn tortillas, refried beans, and perhaps honey butter (to spread on the tortillas; it does double duty as a sweet if you'd like.)  The beauty of this is that you have something for gluten-free and vegetarians to eat, as well as those who eat mainstream, and it's fairly inexpensive.

 

Honestly, I'd invite others to bring their fave soft drinks and desserts to share, since you are providing the main dish, and that would help keep it manageable.

 

If you provide large foam bowls, that makes a perfect serving dish and keeps people from overfilling a plate with food enough for three.

 

 

Hmm, that's an idea for the mexican version. People could make nachos or burritos or tacos.

 

To be honest, DD10 has selective mutism and this group of girls has made her welcome (they all know each other for years) and she wanted to do this as a thank you. She started out with making cupcakes for them (her thing, she makes cute ones) and then it transformed to making some sort of luncheon. 

 

I think I will suggest both menus and let her pick.

 

ETA: Those big foam bowls are a good idea. They would work with either menu I think. I'll get some 2L and cups, and put bags of ice in the cooler. IF I knew it would be sunny, I could do the solar oven thing to keep the kabobs warm LOL! But no way to know as this week it has been overcast!!  

Edited May 19, 2017 by Um_2_4

[Miss Peregrine]

Pulled pork

 

 

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They are Muslim. :)