Unexpectedly cooking for 25 for lunch tomorrow

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kitchenelf

Chef Extraordinaire
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HELP!!!!!!!!!

A friend's father passed away. He wants me to be in charge of having food/s there for lunch.
 
Variety of sandwich makings - breads, meats, cheeses, condiments, and a couple quarts of deli potato salad. You could make a quick sheet cake.

Sorry, thinking off the top of my head.
 
How about a big pot of soup/stew/chili and some various breads and rolls, and salad (a lettuce and a fruit)?

Good luck!
 
mudbug - there is no such thing as a "quick" sheetcake for the baking impaired!!!! LOL

I thought about baking a spiral cut ham - have mustard/mayo and yeast rolls

A bean and pasta salad that makes a LOT and will be good to have on hand for the next couple of days for them

........I'm still rolling on the floor about the sheetcake - oh, if you only knew!!!!

...or a pot of Minestrone soup - they requested nothing heavy and this is all veggies.

.......still thinking
 
Sorry about the baking thing - I forgot! Go buy a few dozen good bakery cookies then. People like to have a little sweet to forget sorrow. Otherwise your menu sounds fine to me. bon courage....
 
Elf, I am sorry for the loss! My only contribution at the moment is Italian Beef for sandwiches, but that may be too heavy in light of your posting. But it does feed a small army. That pasta-bean salad sure sounds great. Lettuce wraps, maybe?
 
Use a crockpot to make up a big batch of Swedish meatballs. Everything else you suggested sounds great as well.
 
Include some buns for the ham.

Vegetable platter.

Find a recipe for Almond Float. It's like a fruit cocktail with white pieces of almond flavored jello.

Meatballs in grape jelly bbq sauce.

Little smokie sausages in the above bbq sauce.
 
ok - this looks like what I'm doing:

Tuscan Vegetable Soup w/beans and fresh Parmesan

My prosciutto/water-packed mozzarella/roasted pepper/mesclun mix paninis

baguette w/goat cheese, pesto, and pepper strips

Then chicken salad with slices of ciabatta or it can be eaten plain.

Then after the viewing the finger food will come out -

I've got to find something sweet - I'll run across something - I have tons of bananas - I could just get some eggs, sour cream, and do banana bread cut in chunks - YEP, that's what I'll do.
 
kitchenelf said:
mudbug - there is no such thing as a "quick" sheetcake for the baking impaired!!!! LOL

.......still thinking

Cosco has sheet cakes all made up as do most grocery stores. They may not be the best in the world but they are affordable and most of all quick. I like your idea of the spiral ham.
 
I am glad you got it all worked out. I was going to suggest you make orange cake from a boxed yellow cake mix.

All you do is add canned mandarin oranges and melted butter rather than oil to the mix.

Then you make a quick glaze with the orange juice left in the can, powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and a couple of orange sections [a little rum would not hurt].

But if banana bread is easier for you.....go for it.
 
kitchenelf said:
ok - this looks like what I'm doing:

Tuscan Vegetable Soup w/beans and fresh Parmesan

My prosciutto/water-packed mozzarella/roasted pepper/mesclun mix paninis

baguette w/goat cheese, pesto, and pepper strips

Then chicken salad with slices of ciabatta or it can be eaten plain.

Then after the viewing the finger food will come out -

I've got to find something sweet - I'll run across something - I have tons of bananas - I could just get some eggs, sour cream, and do banana bread cut in chunks - YEP, that's what I'll do.

Im sorry for your friends loss :cry: Your menu sounds perfect. When you have time I'd love your tuscan soup recipe.
 
Kitchenelf..I am also sorry aout your friends loss..you are oviously a very good friend...she is lucky to have you. Your menu sounds perfect.
 
Elf,
You are a great friend to do all that.That is a lot for one (little) person to do.My hats off to you.
Marge~Dove
 
Sorry to be so late in on this thread...and obviously sorry on both the tasking and the reason...

On the other hand, if its "light" or "lite" lunch you are after, why not go to the bakery and get umpteen dozen "buns"?

a Jar or two of Mayo or Miracle Whip, in a nice display, a few jars of sandwich pickles, Gherkins, etc, a variety of thing sliced cheeses, thin sliced onions of some variety, an assortment of mustards...well, you get the point!...

While its true that your friend has just lost a family member of enormous importance, is it not also true that they asked of "light"/"lite"...? Okay, maybe bowls of clam chowder, in addition to this...

I don't believe there's a big thing to produce a "dessert spectacular" in additionto this...

Lifter
 
You didn't say if this luncheon is being held in a hall or at home. Not too many people can sit 25 people for lunch and I would go with Lifter's suggestions.

In my hometown, it has always been customary for friends, neighbors, etc. to bring food to the bereaved's home and one usually ends up with enough food to feed an army. So, if it is at home, you may only have to supplement with a few things.

My condolences regarding your friends loss. It is always hard to lose a parent.
 
I just thought I'd drop in really quick. Lunch was great - in my heart of hearts I just couldn't go with the standard "funeral" meat/deli platter. I stewed 2 chickens all night, made chicken salad - sliced a baguette for that and used it also for the goat cheese, pesto, and roasted red peppers. I got that done this morning. Made my soup which was really good - good comfort food - and then made paninis with basil oil, water-packed mozzarella balls (sliced), prosciutto, roasted red peppers, and a spring mix - stuck a couple at a time in the panini grill and sliced them in thirds.

This was at their home - it was a "sit around" kind of lunch for family only. They did their last minute running around and buying something to wear tonight. Carol, the wife of Jerry who passed away, has lost so much weight she couldn't wear anything - not even rigged. Thank you again for the thoughts and prayers. You guys are great!!!!

So, I'm going to leave in about 15 minutes, get to their home again, and set everything out for family and friends. I've had this piece for a long time, I shared it with Carol and she agrees with me, it's very healing and comforting - I'll share it here. You never know who might need to hear it too.

Death is nothing at all;
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I, and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other that we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name;
speak to me in the same easy way you always used.
Put no deference into your tone; wear no forced air
of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little
jokes we enjoyed together.

Play...smile...think of me.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it always was;
there is absolutely unbroken continuity.

I am waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just around the corner
............and all is well...all is well
 
Kudos to you kitchennisse, sounds like you did a wonderful job with the food. It all sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing that lovely poem.
 
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