Need recipe idea for cooking for 100 people

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Tiga

Assistant Cook
Joined
Sep 15, 2004
Messages
6
Location
Florida
Hello all; I've posted an introduction down below in case you haven't seen it.

On to the question:

I will be helping to co-ordinate a party for a friend. It will be for 75-125 people, so I told her we should round off and cook for 100 (she's expecting several no shows).

This is for her son's coming of age ceremony; he will be 13. She's not Jewish, btw, so we don't have to worry about kosher or anything like that.

So far, she knows she wants a roast beef cooked in a crock pot with root beer recipe (I know, sounds totally gross, but she swears it's good). I've also suggested pulled pork served with coleslaw and applesauce (her son's one request) and possibly some Mexi-meat in a crock pot with some corn chips or taco shells.

Does anyone have any other suggestions? We're very open at this time.

Her budget is $300.00, and we'll be going to a Sam's club to do the shopping.

We want a nice assortment of salads and sides, some starches and three meat dishes. Everything should go well together, but at the same time be different; we're not wanting three different Italian flavored meats or that sort of thing.

We are not responsible for the cake or anything out of that budget; it's all food.

We have several crock pots available for the meats, so things in sauces are good. Also, these items will be cooked by home cooks, not necessarily skilled ones, so the recipes should be fairly simple.

(Thank goodness I'm not cooking all of this; I did that once. It wasn't fun.)

Tiga
 
Mm. For salads, go with a sliced braesaola salad. Just use a mandoline to slice fennel and carrot thinly, then cut the braesaola (substitute prosciutto) the same width, toss with lemon and olive oil dressing. The prosciutto might be expensive, but for about 10 bucks (Im not sure, I dont buy in bulk), im rather sure you could do enough of this salad for about 20 people. Its quite filling. My mother made this salad for us everday back in Italy.

I leave to go back to italy tomorrow! AHHHHH!
 
Looks like you've got your meat dishes pretty well under control.

For a starch, why not do rice? It'll go with all three meats the way you're going to cook them. You can cook the rice in aluminum pans covered in the oven. Maybe gussie it up as a 'pilaf' with some chicken broth, chopped sauteed onions, maybe peas?

Here are a couple of easy side/salad ideas:

SUNSHINE CARROT SALAD

1 ½ cups grated carrot
1 can mandarin oranges
1 small can pineapple chunks
¼ cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup raisins
1 container vanilla,mandarin or pineapple yogurt
¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds, optional

Drain oranges and pineapple well, mix everything together well, and refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.

**********************

WHITE CORN AND BABY PEA SALAD

10-12servings

1 16oz. pkg. frozen white corn
1 16oz.pkg.baby peas
1 cup cubed jicama
2/3 cup chopped celery
½ cup thin sliced scallions
½ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup chopped red/orange peppers
2Tbrown sugar
1T parsley
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp.pepper

**************************

Other ideas - a huge platter of grilled veggies; use lots of potatoes and carrots, to save on $$

Tossed salad and/or cesar salads always get eaten!

Things like corn casseroles (the old creamed corn and cornbread mix).

White bean salad

Combine dressing ingredients ;whisk well. Combine veggies, pour dressing over, cover and chill up to 2 hours.
 
PASTA!! With rosemary sauce:

Sauce:
Canned pureed tomatos
Rosemary (1/2 teaspoon per LARGE can)
Olive oil (2 tablespoons per large can)
Cracked pepper (1/4 teaspoon per large can)
Garlic (1/4 clove chopped very well per large can)


Mix everything together..... simmer for 6-10 minutes... take off heat. Let sit for about 30 minutes. Serve. One can LARGE can (twice the size of small can) will serve 4 to five people.

Its cheap AND very tasty..... plus quick!
1 can of tomatoes cost about 1 dollar. All other spices should cost about $8 and the olive oil is about $7 for what you need. Only use extra virgin olive oil. :D
 
Take some strain off and purchase one or two of those huge prpared potato salad things that come in the big milk cartons or plastic tubs.

For green salad, get the prepackaged stuff. Again make it easy for you.

I don't know about teens in your area, but I haven't met a teen who didn't think a party didn't include pizza and hamburgers. Maybe have pizza for an appetizer. Grill some hamburgers and let the kids make their own.
 
Wow!

Such great suggestions!

I'll pass them onto her and see what she and Nathan want to do.

Not sure on the prosciutto for Nathan, though. For her younger son, he'd be all for it, as he's a budding foodie. But Nathan just wants to have applesauce ?!?

I like the idea of rice as a side, too. I love the green salad idea, but this is a buffet, so I'm not sure how easy that would be to serve; I've only got one really big bowl, but we could probably rent something.

This is a big help, thanks!
 
Tiga, re serving - think big aluminum roasting pans for salad; you could keep one in the fridge, and replace it as needed. I'd catered, and done salads lots on the buffet line; just get a pair of those plastic salad tongs, and two kinds of dressing (one 'creamy' and one oil and vinegar) to set beside the salad. You should be able to get the big bottles of dressing at the discount stores.
 
Good idea, Marmalady! That would be better than renting a salad bowl (that's what I had to do for a wedding).

We are taking a trip to the Sam's club, so I'm sure we'll find humongo bottles of salad dressing.

Okay, we're tossing around the idea of a chicken dish: what would work for a beginner cook to make (we've got volunteer cooking labor, so the recipe has to be simple to follow) and would hold well in a crockpot?

I'm thinking shredded chicken in enchilada sauce, but I'd like other options to give her to choose from. I seem to be on a Mexican kick, and she's not over the moon with all my Mexican ideas....lol!
 
Well, here are three Crockpot recipes I've used for various gatherings that have always been crowd-pleasers. And they are all easy. Perhaps these will help:


Nacho Chicken

1 small bag tortilla chips
4 to 6 chicken breasts, deboned and diced
1 onion, chopped
1 cup Ro-Tel Tomatoes
1 can refried beans
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
sour cream
guacamole

Fill crockpot halfway with tortilla chips. Place diced chicken over the chips and sprinkle the chopped onion on top. Pour picante sauce over the mixture, then spread the refried beans on top of all. Cook on LOW for 8 hours and add cheese, cooking until the cheese is melted.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and guacamole and fresh tortilla chips.


Crockpot King Ranch Chicken

3 to 4 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can chopped green chili peppers
10 to 12 flour tortillas
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
4 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1 ½ teaspoon chili powder

In a large bowl mix chicken, both soups, Rotel tomatoes and chiles. In another bowl, mix the grated cheddar with the chili powder. In yet another, mix the chopped onion and bell pepper. Tear the tortillas into 1-inch pieces and divide into thirds.

Use one third of the tortillas and line the bottom of a 5-quart crockpot. Add 1/3 of the chicken mixture; top with 1/3 of the onion and pepper, and add 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers of tortillas, chicken mixture, onion and pepper, and cheese two more times. Cover; cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.



Crockpot Italian Beef

4-5 pound boneless rump roast
20 garlic cloves
1 C. water
1 T. salt
1 T. coarse ground black pepper
1 T. crushed red pepper
1 T. dried oregano
Italian Bread sliced into 4-5 inch chunks
*Giardiniera

Take a 4-5 pound boneless rump roast and make slits all over the roast with a sharp knife. Place whole garlic cloves into the slits. Sear the roast on all sides on the cooktop and then place into a large crockpot. Mix the salt, black pepper, red pepper and dried oregano with the water and pour over the roast. Cover the crockpot and cook on LOW for 18 hours (yep, 18 hours!).

Remove the roast carefully from the crockpot into a large bowl and allow to cool slightly. Shred or thinly slice (traditional) the roast and discard any fat. Return the meat to the broth in the crockpot and season to taste with more salt and black pepper, if necessary. Cook until heated through.

To serve, use a slotted spoon to scoop the beef onto large buns or Italian bread rolls, then spoon over some au jus. Next, spoon some giardiniera on top.

*Giardiniera is a spicy hot pickled vegetable concoction of cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, pearl onions, garlic, red peppers and green olives in an olive oil base.
 
Pazzo said:
Mm. For salads, go with a sliced braesaola salad. Just use a mandoline to slice fennel and carrot thinly, then cut the braesaola (substitute prosciutto) the same width, toss with lemon and olive oil dressing. The prosciutto might be expensive, but for about 10 bucks (Im not sure, I dont buy in bulk), im rather sure you could do enough of this salad for about 20 people. Its quite filling. My mother made this salad for us everday back in Italy.

I leave to go back to italy tomorrow! AHHHHH!

oh man, pazzo. i love braesaola. i found a little deli near me that sells it, but i had to put my name on a list for the next time it comes in (from italy). that and real buffala mozzarella. all i need is a little basil and some fresh tomatoes. or arrugula dressed in a garlic/lemon/evoo with locatelli shavings. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
 
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