or cooking for a large group of people?

My sister and I are taking on the challenge of cooking a buffet dinner for near 300 people for my mom's surprise birthday party next February. The rec hall we're renting has a full commercial kitchen and everything you need for buffet service (chafing dishes, dinnerware, etc) and we have plenty of volunteers to help us prep, cook and set things up. We're going to go the day before and do as much as possible (meat in marinade, make salads, cut cheese/veggies, etc). We're using shortcuts to shave time (bagged salad mix, frozen veggie blend).

We have figured out a menu:


I know that when you cater a large group like this, you prepare less than what would be equal to the normal serving per person, as there is more food and they take less of each to have a little of everything. Any tips on a general rule to follow for amounts?

Any other tips? Thanks!

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I've never done this but have to say you're brave to undertake a task like this! I would most definitely be hiring someone to do it for me. That way I could enjoy the party and not have to worry about all the stuff caterers do. Hope all goes well!

Well I have a background in culinary, so this is very exciting and fun for me! We will have plenty of people helping (probably too many!) so it won't be just my sister and I doing all the work.

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My tip is to use standard serving sizes. Most people, especially in America, are used to HUGE servings so if you use standard serving size (ie: 4oz a meat per person) then you'll be fine.

My tip is to PRE-PLAN everything. Calculate exactly how many pots, pan and utensils you'll use during preparation. Do you have enough stove space? oven space? counter space? plugs? Of course, pre-plan the way you'll set up the space and serve the food. Do you have enough tables? tableclothes? napkins? plates?

Also, plan out your TIME! If you make the lasagna ahead of time, how long will it take to cook? Can you cook it all at the same time? If not, how will you keep some pans warm while you're baking the others? Literally, you can't plan too much.

What will people drink? If you're making coffee, you need cups, stirrers, creamer, sugar, alternate sugars, too. How many coffee urns will you have? Will you offer decaf coffee, too? If you offer tea as an alternate, you need a separate urn for hot water. Mark everything. BTW, those huge coffee urns take a long time to heat up and brew the coffee. Make sure you start those well in advance. If you're serving cold drinks, do you need ice? What will the kids drink?

Remember the salt and pepper, too! What is the salad dressing? How will it be served?

Try a smaller version of the same menu ahead of time to see how things work. Do you need one large plate or will people need several smaller plates - appetizers and salad first, a separate plate for rolls and butter, a dinner plate, and a separate plate for desserts.

Lastly - and this is very important - preplan the clean-up. Make sure you have aluminum foil, ziplock baggies, garbage bags and maybe even a few to-go containers. The best way to deal with leftovers is to have the guests take them home! You'll also need soap, scrubbers, aprons, and maybe even rubber gloves. My kit always included string, tape, scissors, an indelible marker, bandaids and paper towels. (If someone needs a bandaid on their hands, they also need to wear plastic gloves if they are handling food.)

Be sure you have some men on the volunteer list. Those pans of lasagna get heavy! Try to encourage people to work together. If it takes two people to lift a pan or pot, that's safer.

One person should be the kitchen manager. That person shouldn't be expected to actually prepare the food. They are managing the different work stations and answering questions. Most importantly, they are watching the time and making sure everyone is using safe food handling practices.

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"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."

This is one of my fave sites for things like that...helps to narrow down amounts....

Cooking for a Crowd - Quantities Chart - How Much Food to Purchase

(just scroll down a little)

I'm in awe! You ladies have a fantastic time and I know your mom will so appreciate what you're doing for her!

I'm sticking with standard servings with the main foods (1/4 lb flank steak, 5 oz chicken breast) and standard side dish portions with the salads, etc. My sister will rather have leftovers than not enough.

Good point.

This is a great idea. I'm definitely going to try the marinated flank steak recipe soon.

I'm going to have a professional chef (whom I apprenticed under years ago) manage and oversee everything.

Thanks for the detailed advice -- that REALLY helps!

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I don't know how helpful this is, but I've always noticed that buffett lines have the less expensive items lined up first, so you see and fill your plate with those and then progress to the more expensive items last. So you may begin the line with rolls and salad, then move on to the pasta, then hit the steak. Just like in a brunch, the "carving station" is always at the end when you plate it filled up so that you take less overall but still feel you are getting a little bit of everything... KWIM? Good luck!

OOOH thanks for pointing that out. We were just at an upscale wedding and now that I think about it, that's how their food was set up as well.

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