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Post by hosschick on Oct 8, 2015 15:37:09 GMT
UPDATE: I SURVIVED! I'm pleased and relieved to say that everything went really well! We ended up with, I think it was 37 people, everyone was fed, and I have a nice freezer shelf filled with leftovers, so I won't have to cook again for a long time. One of the smartest things I did was put the pork in the oven Thurs night so that it was ready by Friday morning. If I had put it in Fri a.m. and then shredded that night, I would've been so worn out. The 20 lbs I had would've been enough to feed everyone. I did as suggested - served all the food *and* put the meat at the end of the buffet line. DH and two friends helped serve so we could do all the dishes down a line. I did shred 10 lbs of chicken which I totally didn't need, I think only 1 or 2 people even ate any, but thanks to another pea tip of using my KitchenAid to shred it, it wasn't much effort and I now have a bunch of pre-cooked chicken at my disposal. The baked beans I put in a crockpot several hours out and they were plenty warm by dinner. The green beans we heated on the stove (drained the liquid & spruced 'em up a bit) as recommended. The baked potatoes we just threw in the oven a couple hours ahead of dinner, let them stay warm in the oven, and they ended up being perfect. The mac n cheese (assembled ahead on Friday) I started baking around that same time, added plenty of extra milk, and not only did it warm up, but I had a happy young dude declare it "InSANE!" which I took to be the highest compliment. My 2 cakes were plenty so I'm glad I didn't try more (one was 11X15 and the other 9X11), I also baked 4-5 dozen chocolate chip cookies, someone else brought cookies, and someone else brought brownies. By the time everyone left Sunday afternoon, most of all that disappeared. Breakfast also went great! The biscuits were premade, I heated gravy on the stove, dh's buddy did the bacon & sausage on a griddle, dh did eggs (scrambled or fried in batches as people came strolling in), and I took the leftover potatoes and made home fries out of them (a panload at a time and transferred to crockpot to hold). We had bananas & yogurt out, OJ & apple juice, and plenty of coffee. The only 'negative' was that our power went out right as the last three people came wandering in, so they didn't get eggs, but everything else was still warm so they were happy. I so appreciate all the advice and suggestions here; it helped so much. I know it sounds goofy, but it's probably the biggest accomplishment I've had in a while, so I'm feeling pretty good about having pulled it off, and I actually do think I could do it again without panicking quite as much, lol. ----------------- ORIGINAL POST: I am cooking for a crowd on Saturday evening. Right now I have no idea how many people will actually be here but I'm guessing 40, all adults, mostly male. I'd say 30 for sure and do not anticipate 50, but it's impossible to know until Saturday morning, by which time it will be too late. I am out of my comfort zone but am backed into this corner. I do think I can pull this off, and I do have a friend to help, but panic is starting to set in, so here's a random assortment of questions. Menu: pulled pork sandwiches mac n cheese baked beans green beans baked potato cole slaw cake (1 chocolate, 1 pawpaw) tangentially relevant: dinner to be served at 5; there's an evening event to follow, and there will be late night snack of smores, hot dogs, and adult beverages. Can I bake & frost the cakes today instead of tomorrow and still have them seem fresh? I am doing baked potatoes. I've read about keeping them warm in a cooler. The internet says it'll be fine, but I'd appreciate any first-hand knowledge, experience, tips, etc. Also, is there any reason I can't scrub the potatoes today, even though I won't bake until Saturday? Pulled pork. I bought 20lbs (raw weight) and am roasting it tomorrow. From what I've seen, I've purchased the right amount for 40 ppl, but I'm now afraid of running out and wondering if I should pick up one more shoulder. I have to decide, lol. Or should I get some chicken breasts instead and shred those? Should I serve people to ration portions a bit better? (as opposed to free range buffet). I'm not worried about much except the meat. DH is one of those guys who could fill a plate with a mound o' meat but wouldn't take a spot of cole slaw to save his life, lol. I'm thinking if I at least serve the sandwiches, I could control it a bit more, and once everyone's been served, I don't care who takes what. Beans (either). Yes, they're canned. Will I be able to heat these solely in a crockpot, and how long might that take, or should I try and heat them on the stove first (or oven?) and then xfer to crock to keep warm? Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I'm also serving breakfast the next morning to at least 24 of these people. I'm scrambling eggs en masse. Can I pre-crack at least some of the eggs the day before? Thank you thank you. ------------- ETA: Based upon feedback, I will buy more meat, going to add chicken.
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Deleted
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May 8, 2024 23:12:53 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2015 15:48:22 GMT
Make your cake today.
I think the longer you cook beans the better they are. Pour off the liquid in the can and add barbacue sauce or ketchup and mustard To taste.
About the eggs, I think they would pick up the flavors in the frig.
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Post by nlwilkins on Oct 8, 2015 15:52:01 GMT
Can I bake & frost the cakes today instead of tomorrow and still have them seem fresh? YES! You might consider cupcakes as they don't need serving or cutting.I am doing baked potatoes. I've read about keeping them warm in a cooler. The internet says it'll be fine, but I'd appreciate any first-hand knowledge, experience, tips, etc. Also, is there any reason I can't scrub the potatoes today, even though I won't bake until Saturday? Give the potatoes a minimal washing and then send them through the dishwasher, great time saver and YES you can do them a day ahead of time.Pulled pork. I bought 20lbs (raw weight) and am roasting it tomorrow. From what I've seen, I've purchased the right amount for 40 ppl, but I'm now afraid of running out and wondering if I should pick up one more shoulder. I have to decide, lol. Or should I get some chicken breasts instead and shred those? If you have both chicken and pork, be prepared for people who will have both so you would need more meat. But there are always people who will not eat pork. So not a bad idea.Should I serve people to ration portions a bit better? (as opposed to free range buffet). I'm not worried about much except the meat. DH is one of those guys who could fill a plate with a mound o' meat but wouldn't take a spot of cole slaw to save his life, lol. I'm thinking if I at least serve the sandwiches, I could control it a bit more, and once everyone's been served, I don't care who takes what. YES you should at least serve the meat, at least for everybody's first serving.
Beans (either). Yes, they're canned. Will I be able to heat these solely in a crockpot, and how long might that take, or should I try and heat them on the stove first (or oven?) and then xfer to crock to keep warm? Heat first on stove and then keep warm in crock pot. It would take too long to warm up that much in a crock pot.Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I'm also serving breakfast the next morning to at least 24 of these people. I'm scrambling eggs en masse. Can I pre-crack at least some of the eggs the day before? NO, don't cook the day before. Find a recipe for an oven breakfast casserole. OR dump omelet ingredients for each person into a good baggie and boil in water to cook. Don't add cheese until you remove from water as it causes a lot of liquid.I used to teach commercial cooking so have cooked a lot of meals for crowds. Best thing to do is to do as much preparation ahead as you can. Wrap eating utensils in napkins for each person, purchase salt and pepper in the individual packages, etc. to make serving go faster. Count on many to overeat so get more than what is needed. Also, sadly there will be some who will overserve themself and then not eat all they take.
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iowgirl
Pearl Clutcher
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Jun 25, 2014 22:52:46 GMT
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Post by iowgirl on Oct 8, 2015 15:58:43 GMT
I would cook a little more pork. Do you have pork shoulder? There can be a considerable amount of fat in that -so even though you have enough pounds - it is not all going to be fit to eat. If it is pork loin - almost all of that will be servable, since it is so lean.
Have all your condiments, (BBQ sauce, mustard, etc) already together in a box. This way you wont forget something.
Cupcakes, IMO, are much easier to deal with. But you do need to have something that you can store them in. Most of my cupcake recipes have oil in them, so they stay very moist. I make them a day or two ahead, and refrigerate. I will only frost a day ahead. I use a large star tip (1M) and a large pastry bag. This is MUCH faster than frosting each by hand, and they look very nice. You can buy cake/cupcake boxes at Walmart in the cake decorating area. These are great to hold the cupcakes or cakes.
Beans would take hours to get hot enough in the crockpot. Pre-heat the crockpot and beans. I usually add some hot water to my crock to get it warm while I am pre-cooking the beans. Or, if your crock is removable - heat them in the oven and pop into the crockpot on warm to serve.
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Post by hosschick on Oct 8, 2015 16:16:14 GMT
Thanks for the feedback thus far. Both of my cakes do have oil in them so that should help them stay moist. Now I'm kicking around the cupcake idea; the downside is that I just have one cupcake pan so I'll be doing at least 4 batches through the oven if I go that route, instead of just pouring it into a foil sheet cake pan and being done with it. I'll decide. Quickly, lol. iowgirl, thanks for the tip about buying the cake box! I'll preheat the beans on the stove to be safe. I do have pork shoulder with fat & bone, so I know there's considerable cooking loss. Now I just have to decide whether to get more shoulder or chicken or Sounds like I should get more meat either way. nlwilkins , I was just wondering about cracking the eggs, not cooking them, but I don't think I'll bother. I've looked at the breakfast casserole recipes but thought a plain egg would go over better since I'll have the rest seperately already (sausage, bacon, potatoes, etc). I have 2 electric skillets and figure I can cook in one while the other keeps warm. Thank you all.
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Post by anxiousmom on Oct 8, 2015 16:24:06 GMT
You can always cook a sheet cake, flip it out on a piece of cardboard covered in foil and then cover the whole thing tightly with plastic wrap and then stick it in the freezer. Take it out the morning that you need it, let it thaw and then ice. I do this with cup cakes regularly. Actually, with cupcakes I usually ice them, stick them in the freezer on a baking sheet to freeze then put them in an airtight container. That way, I can take out just one at a time already iced and ready to go.
And...with that many people, you can't ever have enough meat. You can always freeze the left overs for later use.
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ginacivey
Pearl Clutcher
refupea #2 in southeast missouri
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Jun 25, 2014 19:18:36 GMT
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Post by ginacivey on Oct 8, 2015 16:27:46 GMT
how much time is pre-cracking eggs really going to save you?
i'd make up a couple breakfast casseroles - much, much easier than traditional breakfasts
gina
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Post by Darcy Collins on Oct 8, 2015 16:30:30 GMT
I buy another shoulder/butt of meat. Especially if you risk having 50 instead of 40. The cakes will be fine made the night before. If you can ice the day of that would be better. I'd freeze them pre-iced, but I've found my recipes actually taste better after a night of freezing and they're easier to decorate - less crumbs. I'd nix the baked potatoes, you have a lot of sides and you're going to need a ton of them and if it's not a baked potato crowd you'll have a ton of waste. Have "fun"
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ginacivey
Pearl Clutcher
refupea #2 in southeast missouri
Posts: 4,685
Jun 25, 2014 19:18:36 GMT
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Post by ginacivey on Oct 8, 2015 16:34:16 GMT
if you have left over baked potatoes...fry them up for breakfast the next morning
gina
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Post by ntsf on Oct 8, 2015 16:36:18 GMT
I would take out some of the dishes...carb overkill take out baked potatoes (i had no luck with cooler thing..they were not nice after a couple of hours) and take out mac and cheese. serve a green salad or tray of veggies and dip..and then make some chicken or something (baked, maybe with light marinade)..for non-pork eaters. most people would like a balance...
the simpler the better...
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Post by hosschick on Oct 8, 2015 16:36:31 GMT
anxiousmom, I thought about the freezer but my space is already at a premium because I'm sitting on sausage and biscuits that are part of Sunday's breakfast, lol, and I've been "instructed" to save space for a few boxes of ice cream treats. I'm afraid I will not have a spare second on Saturday to frost. Right now I'm leaning towards doing one sheet cake, one set of cupcakes. Idk idk. And now I'm leaning towards adding chicken.
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The Birdhouse Lady
Drama Llama
Moose. It's what's for dinner.
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Location: Alaska -The Last Frontier
Jun 30, 2014 17:15:19 GMT
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Post by The Birdhouse Lady on Oct 8, 2015 16:37:01 GMT
A couple things...
I would do more meat, especially since you are serving men.
I would definitely make the cake ahead of time. I would frost it the day of. If you are making your own frosting I would make that ahead of time too, just wait to frost the cake.
I would do as much prep work a head of time as possible. If you have things that need chopped or sliced, I would do that ahead of time and seal them up in plastic containers or baggies.
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ginacivey
Pearl Clutcher
refupea #2 in southeast missouri
Posts: 4,685
Jun 25, 2014 19:18:36 GMT
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Post by ginacivey on Oct 8, 2015 16:37:49 GMT
let me ask you this...are you making the smores or are you expecting a large group of men to roast their own marshmallows?
gina
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Post by hosschick on Oct 8, 2015 16:38:31 GMT
if you have left over baked potatoes...fry them up for breakfast the next morning gina This is what I was thinking.
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Post by hosschick on Oct 8, 2015 16:52:47 GMT
let me ask you this...are you making the smores or are you expecting a large group of men to roast their own marshmallows? gina There will be a fire so I wanted the option available, but I don't care if they make them or not. I know there are some women, just definitely the minority, and like 1 kid. I have mini-choc bars and those square marshmallows. I figure they'll probably try burning cold hot dogs though. ntsf, I was thinking the heavy sides would help fill people without costing me another arm and leg. The potatoes I will try not to hold too long (disappointed to hear the cooler didn't work).
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Deleted
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May 8, 2024 23:12:53 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2015 17:00:03 GMT
Keep half of the potatoes in your oven to keep warm.
Honestly you can make your cake today. Cupcakes, nice for serving , hassle to make and store. Easier to cut a cake up.
Get a pork loin. Easier to cook, just shred it with the shoulder. Forget the chicken, if they don't eat pork, you have the Mac and cheese.
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janeinbama
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Post by janeinbama on Oct 8, 2015 17:01:14 GMT
We did fine with Baked Potatoes in cooler, they were foil wrapped so could have made a difference. You did not ask, but here is good baked bean recipe:
Sandra Lee Semi Homemade Baked Beans
Ingredients 1/4 pound bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch dice 2 (32-ounce) cans baked beans 1/2 cup ketchup 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce 2 tablespoons honey
Directions In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, add the chopped bacon and cook over medium heat just until the fat begins to render, about 4 minutes. Add baked beans, ketchup, brown sugar, hot pepper sauce, and honey and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat slightly to maintain a simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until flavors are combined.
I do Mac & Cheese or Potatoes not both. You could ditch both for potato chips.
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Post by hosschick on Oct 8, 2015 18:23:31 GMT
Re: sides, the original plan was mac n cheese; the potatoes we decided to add this week since they're cheap, filling, vegan-friendly (only one known coming, but he's appreciative). At this point, I've already bought them, so I might as well bake them. janeinbama , did you preheat the cooler w/hot water? put a towel in the bottom? Those are some recommendations I've seen. Fwiw, I do have 2 ovens, so between the two of em, I should have room to bake the potatoes and warm up the meat & mac. My cakes will be baked today @megmc, you've convinced me.
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Deleted
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May 8, 2024 23:12:53 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2015 18:40:18 GMT
My two cents ...
Skip the baked potatoes, you've got mac and cheese. And in the buffet line, put the meat at the end. I learned that the hard way.
Ann
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Post by Basket1lady on Oct 8, 2015 19:09:54 GMT
I cook regularly for our theatre kids. Between 60-120 kids and volunteers. I also was in charge of our football team meals for 3 years, cooking for 50-70 football players.
Menu: pulled pork sandwiches mac n cheese baked beans green beans baked potato cole slaw cake (1 chocolate, 1 pawpaw)
tangentially relevant: dinner to be served at 5; there's an evening event to follow, and there will be late night snack of smores, hot dogs, and adult beverages.
Can I bake & frost the cakes today instead of tomorrow and still have them seem fresh?
Bake the cakes and freeze them. Make up the frosting and have that at room temp the morning of the event. Frost them any time that day and they will be fine. It will take you 5 minutes to frost a cake. Keep it simple--just cover the cake. As for cupcakes, I wouldn't. Just because you are so time crunched with your prep. But you can decide if you need your prep easier or your serving easier. Cut the cake up ahead of time and put it out on plates or have someone serve it, or guys will take more than one slice. 2 cakes for 40 people won't give them a very big slice.
I am doing baked potatoes. I've read about keeping them warm in a cooler. The internet says it'll be fine, but I'd appreciate any first-hand knowledge, experience, tips, etc. Also, is there any reason I can't scrub the potatoes today, even though I won't bake until Saturday?
We do a baked potato meal often when serving these big crowds. Scrub them and wrap them in foil the day before. Before you bake, pierce each potato with a knife--I once had one potato explode. Allow a little extra time for baking that many potatoes, but we've baked them in an oven so full we almost couldn't shut the door and it only took about 1 hr, 15 min, to bake them all. Line a cooler with towels and lay the potatoes in there. You can preheat the cooler, but we didn't find it necessary. But we did use a smaller cooler, rather than a big one. (Less air space to heat.) We've kept the potatoes in the cooler for 2 hours and they are still so hot that you can't handle them with your bare hands to cut them in half (we did that with one batch of pots.) Have a hot pad on hand when serving them.
Pulled pork. I bought 20lbs (raw weight) and am roasting it tomorrow. From what I've seen, I've purchased the right amount for 40 ppl, but I'm now afraid of running out and wondering if I should pick up one more shoulder. I have to decide, lol. Or should I get some chicken breasts instead and shred those? Roast this tonight. It will only get better the longer it sits and it takes time to pick out the fat and bones. It heats up nicely and it will be good to have that done the day of the event. I heat it in a crock pot--it takes about 3 hours to heat up. Since you are also doing chicken now, do them today as well. I use chicken breasts since it's quick. Put them in a crock pot with a cup or so of broth and some salt and pepper and cook until done. Then shred them. I know some people shred it in a mixer, but I find that it almost falls apart in my hands and just turns to mush in the mixer.
Should I serve people to ration portions a bit better? (as opposed to free range buffet). I'm not worried about much except the meat. DH is one of those guys who could fill a plate with a mound o' meat but wouldn't take a spot of cole slaw to save his life, lol. I'm thinking if I at least serve the sandwiches, I could control it a bit more, and once everyone's been served, I don't care who takes what. Yes, serve them yourself. And have the meat at the end of the line like someone else mentioned. Guys like meat.
Beans (either). Yes, they're canned. Will I be able to heat these solely in a crockpot, and how long might that take, or should I try and heat them on the stove first (or oven?) and then xfer to crock to keep warm?
I'd stick them in the crock pot early on and just forget about them. But allow at least 3 hours. If that doesn't work for you, heat them first. The stove is fine.
Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I'm also serving breakfast the next morning to at least 24 of these people. I'm scrambling eggs en masse. Can I pre-crack at least some of the eggs the day before?
You are a glutton for punishment! Yes, you can crack the eggs ahead of time. Cover them well and they will be fine. I know you can bake scrambled eggs, but have not done so. But they cook quickly, so if you do them in 2-3 batches in a big pan, you should be fine.
Thank you thank you. -------------
ETA: Based upon feedback, I will buy more meat, going to add chicken.
Don't start serving until everything is set up and ready. Try to serve from 2 sides of the table. It will go much quicker. I buy serving spoons from the Dollar Store so that I have enough. Have the buns sliced, BBQ sauce bottles opened... everything that you can think of done ahead so that the line moves quickly. Oh, I love to fool the kids. When the kids run to be first in line, I switch and start serving from the opposite end. That way, the polite ones are usually served first. So stand at the meat end, but start serving from the other end. Have plates at the beginning of the line, but have the plastic ware, napkins, and drinks at the other end. If you are serving something besides bottled water, another table for that is good.
If you are serving away from your home, here's a list of what I bring with me. We don't have access to a kitchen and only water from the bathroom at school.
Paper towels scissors Lysol wipes Wet wipes Wrap for leftovers Hand sanitizer Gloves Handle bags Serving utensils Salt and pepper Index cards Sharpie Extension cords Power strip
I'm going out for a while, but will be back in a few hours. Ask any questions you have! You can do this. And it's actually kind of fun, in a weird way.
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akathy
What's For Dinner?
Still peaing from Podunk!
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Jun 25, 2014 22:56:55 GMT
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Post by akathy on Oct 8, 2015 19:17:55 GMT
I'd for sure serve the sandwiches and have them help themselves to sides. I've worked in the church kitchen enough to see people pig out on meat and a lot of times they don't eat it all. We always serve everyone their first sandwich and then let people go back for seconds on their own. This way we don't run out before everyone's been served at least one sandwich. If we have enough help we dish up sides too. People tend to overfill their plates and there's so much waste that way.
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janeinbama
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Post by janeinbama on Oct 8, 2015 19:42:29 GMT
No extra items in cooler, but I can see where insulating with a towel might help if you had an oversized cooler. The foil was hot to touch when we served.
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Post by hosschick on Oct 8, 2015 20:39:50 GMT
Thanks again for all the tips; I'm reading and learning (serve the meat *and* put it at the end!) and am relaxing a bit. I've been wavering between "it'll be fine" and "omg what am I doing?" basket1lady , thank you for typing all that out; it helps a bunch! I wasn't sure whether to foil the potatoes or not, but since it works for you & janeinbama, I'm going with it. For some reason, I did not think about 2 cakes not being enough. Hm.
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Post by gmcwife1 on Oct 8, 2015 20:42:47 GMT
You can always cook a sheet cake, flip it out on a piece of cardboard covered in foil and then cover the whole thing tightly with plastic wrap and then stick it in the freezer. Take it out the morning that you need it, let it thaw and then ice. I do this with cup cakes regularly. Actually, with cupcakes I usually ice them, stick them in the freezer on a baking sheet to freeze then put them in an airtight container. That way, I can take out just one at a time already iced and ready to go. And...with that many people, you can't ever have enough meat. You can always freeze the left overs for later use. This will also keep the cake moist It's a trick one of my co-workers uses and she makes the best cupcakes ever! I would serve the meat and use smaller tongs. Smaller serving utensils is a great way of semi-controling portions. People might take 2 or 3 scoops of something out of habit and they won't notice that the spoon is slightly smaller than they normally use.
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scrappinghappy
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Jun 26, 2014 19:30:06 GMT
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Post by scrappinghappy on Oct 8, 2015 21:36:20 GMT
Here's a super easy, definitely better if made the day before, cake. I use cheesecake pudding. It's inhaled! Does need refrigeration up until an hour or two before serving though. allrecipes.com/recipe/7304/eclair-cake/
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Post by Basket1lady on Oct 9, 2015 0:27:00 GMT
I thought of something else. Use foil pans whenever you can. Bake the cakes in them, serve the buns in one, the Coke slaw, etc. I never use paper plates and will rehash plastcware, but when serving a big meal like this, I use disposable. You will be exhausted by the time you are done. Doing dishes then just really stinks.
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Post by hosschick on Oct 9, 2015 1:36:35 GMT
Thanks basket1lady, I've already bought quite a stack of those things. My friend stopped by this evening to help make sure I had everything set. She's done a lot of group things before and seems to think we'll get everything handled, so between the advice here and her help, I'm feeling better than I was earlier today.
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Post by Basket1lady on Oct 9, 2015 2:15:45 GMT
You can do it. I really enjoyed doing the team meals and theatre meals over the years. When I cook for 10 or so now, it's a piece of cake! I turned over the theatre meals this year for the head coordinator job, but am supervising . People are generally appreciative of being fed! It's a lot of work and a long day on your feet, but it's very satisfying. And I still laugh at the kid who was so amazed that I could make Rice Krispy Bars. From scratch. "Like in an oven?" "No, but I made them on the stove." "Hey guys, Mrs Basketlady made these--she didn't buy them!" LOL
If you are heating in large pots, watch the bottoms of the pots, as they can burn (I'm thinking the beans especially.) Don't put too many crock pots on the same circuit, or you will blow the breaker. Prep anything and everything ahead that you can. And ask for help! I had the students carry heavy pots and cases of water. It gave them some ownership and I always let them eat first or gave them a cookie for their efforts.
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Post by RiverIsis on Oct 9, 2015 3:07:26 GMT
I don't cook for a large group regularly but do go to a potluck regularly - two things haven't been mentioned.
Make your mac and cheese on the loose side otherwise it can get hard being heated and waiting to be eaten.
Clean a big garbage can and put the big black bag in it and have it ready before people go through the line to throw out the plates, cups etc. Someone is always finished eating wanting to throw away before the last person has even gone through the line.
Have fun and keep smiling!
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Post by hosschick on Oct 9, 2015 11:28:53 GMT
basket1lady, thanks again for more tips. You're a great hand-holder! I did the pork overnight; it's resting right now and I think I'll be pretty happy with it. RiverIsis, the trash can is already on standby, and good tip on the mac n cheese! So far today, I'm feeling pretty good.
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