How should I cater my own party for about 40 people.?!
How should I cater my own party for about 40 people.?
My husbands family will be visiting on April 21....about 41 people. I'd like to do most of the food preparation myself. Any caterers out there that may have a few meal ideas and thoughts on how to have the party run as smooth as possible? Lots of liquor, right? Also, they're coming from out of town, so no one will have the means to offer to bring food.
Answers:
Fried chicken baked hams and roasted turkeys are all easy make aheads, and keep well! Baked beans, pre made salads, (no mayo..can go bad fast if not at right temp), green bean casseroles, corn, can all be quick and easy..veggie trays and cheese platters can either be store bought or made ahead..have at least 3 of each though..with drinking they can go quickly! Lasagnas and spaghetti's can all be made ahead..the spaghetti is easier to make if you also bake it with a sprinkling of cheese on the top, after you mix the sauce and noodles.
Chicken pot pie can be made in bulk..and the ever popular BBQ where the men tend the burgers/chicken/steak, and you supply the extras..
Buffet style .. good easy caseerole type items .. baked ziti, lasagna, etc.
And, yes .. lots of booze.
you can get them foil pans they work great for keepng your food in and can be used to put in the oven to keep warm fried chicken goes over well or you could grill some kinda meat on bbq pit ,and some kinda pasta goes good and can be very filling,maybee some baked potatoes or a salad
Of course make most of the meal but
buy some appitizers that are ready made
like carrot sticks,celery,ranch dressing,hot wings you can pop in the oven,chips& salsa deli meat and cheese platter, etc so you can relax and visit besides only catering.I used to stress my self out being the best hostess.
Aside from suicide/divorce, you have two options. Go on an unexpected extended vacation for health reasons or enlist some serious help!! Another option would be to purchase and partake of the massive amounts of booze beginning the day before, during, and after the event (only kidding).
It would be impossible for you to be hostess and socialize with that large a gathering while preparing foods. Your husband will also be out of whack. Two or three are a party, forty plus is a banquet!! Fear not.
In your local telephone book is a listing of Employment Agencies. Undoubtedly some cater to the Hospitality industry. You can hire temp help to serve your guests while you and your husband enjoy the company. It would cost about $10.00 per hour/person.
Prepare the food in advance, do the buffet, or do a Bar-B-Que format. Let your hired hands bartend, prepare, and serve. The money you spend with the agency will be far less than the money your husband spends to restore your mental and physical health.
buffet style: veggie trays, crackers and cheese, fruit trays, macaroni salad, potato salad, cabbage rolls, meatballs, pigs in a blanket, lasagna, mini pizza(on english muffins)
or another idea...everyone loves bbq........have bbq hamburgers, hotdogs for the kids, spicy sausage, corn on the cob, veggie mix in foil...all good on bbq...and potato salad and macaroni salad go well with bbq.....again you could have a veggie tray and cheese and cracker tray....a variety of chips, peanutsand pop and booze....
Go to Cosco. If you order 48 hours in advance, they'll do amazing things with shrimp platters, veggie platters, wonderful little wraps (chicken, ham, etc.) and great little sandwiches. The food is fresh and delicious. They also sell huge tubs of delicious fruit salads. When our office has our parties (40-50 people) we buy almost everything there. So much easier than doing it yourself, and I've never been disappointed. I understand the Vice President's chef uses Cosco's meats, so they must be decent quality, right? :~)
I was (surprisingly) impressed.
Can you serve wine/beer/sodas instead of hard liquor? They sell that at Cosco, too.
Please consider a little "help" so that you can have some enjoyment out of this visit. Good luck and I hope you have time to enjoy the party as well!
I can recommend a book that is very helpful. It is authored by a professional caterer. It gives you recipes for a crowd, hints, how much to buy etc.You may think I'm giving you the wrong title, but it is all lower case.
do it for less! parties....By Denise Vivaldo.
We had a family party this size. We ordered those long subs from Subway which went over very well. It'd be easy to make your own large subs, if you don't want to pay Subway prices--which aren't bad actually. In addition, we had a crockpot of baked beans, deviled eggs, crackers/cheese, scones, and relish trays. It was so easy, and everyone loved it. Good luck!