Need help with party for 75

[evaalt]

need help with amount of food needed for party of 75 teenagers.

Menu consists of:

Meatballs
Roast beef and turkey mini sandwiches
Chicken and pineapple kabobs
drumettes
corn chips w/salsa
potato chips
Veggie platter - carrots, celery and cherry tomatoes
Wedding cookies
Bread bowls w/blue cheese and ranch dressing

 

[VeraBlue]

need help with amount of food needed for party of 75 teenagers.

Menu consists of:

Meatballs
Roast beef and turkey mini sandwiches
Chicken and pineapple kabobs
drumettes
corn chips w/salsa
potato chips
Veggie platter - carrots, celery and cherry tomatoes
Wedding cookies
Bread bowls w/blue cheese and ranch dressing

For the meatballs, figure 2 per person, if they are 1oz size. (walnut), the mini sandwiches do one per person, and not 50/50...most people will choose turkey. The kabobs 1.5 per person, same with the drumettes. For the crudité, go heavier on the carrots and celery, everything else on the platter is more for colour. 2 cups of each dip is sufficient. I have no idea what a wedding cookie is, or why they are being served to teenagers....but if that is the only dessert, 1.5 per person is usually safe.

As a rule, teenagers don't want to eat, and they don't really want adults around...
They want music, subdued lighting...and whatever ill gotten substances they can get their hands on.

 

[college_cook]

As a rule, teenagers don't want to eat/QUOTE]


Really? I seem to remember that all the guys in HS seemed to do that quite often, and with much excitement.

 

[Yakuta]

I guess it all depends on whether the teenagers are girls or boys. I have two boys and my younger one is just 7 and can eat an adult meal. Teenage boys tend to eat a lot (true of all boys in our family). They are more active than girls and none of them have a weight problem.

I would go with 2-3 meatballs per person
I would also go with two mini sandwiches per person (one turkey, one beef)
I would also go with 2-3 kabobs per person
Same with the drummettes
I would go with 6 bags of scoop type chips and 4 bottles of salsa if you are buying readymade. I would also add some Hummus type dip or gaucamole to add variety and interest
Instead of a crudite platter I would just buy three large packets of baby carrots and several celery stalks and cut them to size and just use them as crudite. I don't know many teenagers who eat anything other than carrots and celery. A nice blue cheese dressing would be a good compliment
I am unsure why you are making drummettes if you are already making kabobs. I would suggest a nice pasta salad instead of drummettes. It is more filling and looks pretty and can be served at room temperature. You can add veggies to it and a nice light olive oil and lemon dressing. I think girls and boys both would enjoy it and it would be more filling and less tedious than making drummettes (again my opinion)
Not sure what these cookies are but you can make things easier by buying readymade cookie platters from Costco or SAMS and make a simple dessert like brownie (boxed ones would also work, you can add your touch to it by grating some orange zest and adding nuts of your choice)

All the best

 

[elaine l]

I know this thread isn't about teens and how much they eat but I have had two experiences in hosting a gathering for teens that didn't eat. Both times my efforts were basically wasted. One was a pre-prom gathering and one was for a semi-formal dance. I couldn't believe how much they didn't eat. I mean they ate nothing. Although a pasta dinner for the basketball team went well.

Looks like you have a menu that is sure to please the group. Good luck!

 

[evaalt]

thanks to all. Party is a sweet sixteen party mostly girls and the wedding cookies were a request. Not my choice for cookies.

 

[CharlieD]

Girls for sure are not going to eat a lot.

 

[Bilby]

In my experience, teenage girls eat a heap of food at a party where they aren't trying to impress anyone but it tends to not be the real food and only nibblie things.

I would lose the drummetttes too and change the beef for a lighter filling - salad, cheese, egg, tuna, cucumber or things like that. Sushi might also be an option. Think neat, nibbly food.

I would also consider whether they are going on from the party to something else. Teenage girls esp tend to not want to eat much food before they go out.

 

[VeraBlue]

For the record, all my catering experience for the past 10 years has been for customers in the 16-21 year range. My suggestions regarding quantity are spot on, please trust me. In the event that anyone takes more than one of anything it will be more than compensated by the the people who don't take anything. The guys will eat, to an extent...and the girls will just nibble. They'll all go home starving, but secure in the knowledge that they didn't speak to anyone with anything stuck in their teeth.

Have good music. Don't change your menu, it sounds fine. More importantly, it sounds simple enough to prepare. It's the paper/plastic products you will need a lot of. Not so much plates as cups...they all put their drinks down and never refill in a used cup.