Need ideas for a menu for 100+

[TracyTurner]

My aunt and uncle have asked me to cook a buffet style meal for their parent's 50th. I will only have one stove, one oven, and an outside grill. I need help with ideas for the menu; any help would be great.

 

[Bilby]

Think you might need a crockpot or similar too!! Do you have a budget Tracey? Any (bulk) food restrictions, eg Kosher, vegetarian? How long you got to go?

 

[candelbc]

The trick really will be how much of your food can you make/prepare ahead of time.

Also, If you can rent a couple of Nesco Roasters, you can make most anything and then get it warmed and ready for the masses.

The less you have to truly prepare for on the day of the event, the better off you'll be. At least from my experiences..

-Brad

 

[Loprraine]

Do you have a budget? That will play a part in what to feed them.

 

[Andy M.]

There are lotsw of dishes you can prepare ahead of time and just warm and present for the buffet.

Chili can be cooked days before and put out in a crock pot or chafing dish for service.

Lasagna can be made in pans that fit into professional chafing dishes. These can be rented or purchased inexpensively at Sam's or Costco.

You cna make meatballs in sauce and serve with small rolls. Again, the meatballs in sauce can be presented in a crock pot or chafing dish.

 

[suziquzie]

My husband and I made ribs for 100 once.
Marinated them in a big cooler, cut them into about 4 rib pieces,then baked them a pan at a time,
then froze them for 3 days.
That morning they came out to thaw in a cooler, and we ran them w/ bbq sauce on the grill about 5-10 min.
Turned out well! Just transfer to a chafing dish... but they went to fast they didnt get to the chafing dish!

 

[auntdot]

TT, I think it would greatly help if you told us anything you had in mind. Do you want it to be mostly finger food or appetizer type stuff? Do you want meat like a roast? And do you want a theme such as Italian, or Mexican, or Cajun or whatever?

Also the crock pot - slow cooker suggestion. Borrow them. From friends, neighbors, relatives. They are fantastic for warming food up and/or keeping stuff warm. And they act as serving vessels.

Please give us some idea as to what you might like.

 

[Jeff G.]

Large buffet meals. As long as you don't have to go Kosher, boneless hams are a very simple way to go. .. bake them up using Coke and cloves slice them down, lay in serving pans(you can rent chafing dishes or buy throw aways..).. as long as you bake them a long time the boneless taste pretty good and are simple to slice down. Bake them in throw away aluminum and you won't have much to clean. Make a raisin sauce and lightly cover in the serving trays..

Potatoes augratin or Cheesy work well. Vegetable of choice, salad...

 

[CharlieD]

I'd prepare majority of the stuff ahead of time and freeze. then defrost and reheat in chafing dishes. i don't care kosher or not. It's all the same. i cooked for 70 kosher Chineese. Precooced. Froze, defrost wormed up in chafing dishes. They are super cheap in the Sam's club. You use big pan on the bottom with hot water and 2 small ones inside.


As far as ideas ges. Start thinking what can you cook the best. What is the easiest for you to cook. And then work your menu around it. Give us an idea what you are thinking, will be easy for us to stay close to what you want. Otherwise I'd recomend Borscht and Pirozhki and then some vareniki with limonnik for the desert.

 

[TracyTurner]

I don't have any diets to consider, and no set budget. they don't want to spend 1000's of dollars but it is pretty much open and up to me. My uncle was thinking about just grilling hot dogs( he's in no way even close to being a foodie) There is no way I will do hot dogs. I was thinking maybe BBQ ribs, some type of shrimp, and crab legs. I want to do something that isn't majorly involved but will knock their socks off at the same time.
This is going to be sometime in july of 2008 so I have a good amount of time to plan.

 

[Renee Attili]

On the grill, how's about pulled pork or the like?

 

[Bilby]

This is going to be sometime in july of 2008 so I have a good amount of time to plan.

Okay so will it be summer where you are? That should alter the menu suggestions somewhat and make it a bit easier on your equipment (other than the fridge!) as you probably won't want as many hot dishes. (Well we wouldn't serve a lot of hot stuff in summer here, not unless it was straight from the BBQ.)
In addition to the ribs and seafood that you suggested, I would be looking at little goat's cheese and leek tarts or cherry bocconcini and cherry tomato tarts, pasta salads, fresh green salads, a ham or roast chickens, lasagnas, roast veges and imaginative sandwiches. Things like that...

Most of these dishes can be prepared ahead and there is a mix of hot and cold items, proper meals and finger food.

 

[tdiprincess]

well... i just got married in august.. we did buffet style. but we did it more summery..
we did grilled chicken sliced and marinated with ceasar dressing...ceasar salad. We also had a nice fruit salad (we did nectarines, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries), my family's yummy Italian pasta salad (I'd be willing to share) All the sides for the salad (onions, parm. chz, dressing, croutons) We also had rolls and butter for those who wanted them..
Everybody enjoyed it! It was really good, but nice and cheap. We're still getting compliments.. There were a lot of people who weren't sure about it (i.e. my husband's mom) but we did it anyway, and everyone loved it!
that's just my ideas

oh and this served over 100 people, and it can be scaled down or up easily...

 

[CharlieD]

your wedding buffet sounds perfect. I'd just go ahead and do it again.

 

[Claire]

I assume you're going to have a lot of guests over 70 years old. Remember to have one dish that is meatless and seedless; many in that range have diverticulitis. Baked potatoes (either sweet or regular) or beans and rice cooked in broth or stock will do.