Milestone moments like graduations, birthdays and wedding anniversaries are worthy of celebration. When such celebrations feature a significant number of family and friends, it’s customary to host a gathering at home.
Celebrations held at private residences tend to be less formal and lengthy affairs. Such gatherings also require hosts to decide which foods to serve, and who will prepare them. Cooking for a crowd can be a tall task, but there’s plenty of ways to make the job more manageable.
Choose simple fare. A homecooked gourmet meal might suffice for a more intimate gathering, but main courses that can be prepared in bulk and without too much prep work are ideal when cooking for a crowd. If the celebrating will take place outdoors and hosts plan to grill, simpler fare like hamburgers can do the trick, as the only prep work required is to slice some tomatoes and onions and wash some lettuce. If the party is indoors, consider large pasta dishes like baked ziti that can be prepared in bulk without too many ingredients.
Outsource the sides. Another way to simplify cooking for a crowd is to ask guests to bring side dishes. A potluck-style meal takes a lot of the pressure off hosts’ shoulders and ensures there will be plenty of food for all and lots of time for hosts to mingle.
Do as much prep work as possible before the first guest arrives. Slicing vegetables, organizing ingredients and additional prep work can be done the night before the party. These important tasks are time-consuming and can exhausts hosts before guests even arrive if they’re left until the last minute. When prep work is done in advance of the big day, hosts can devote some extra time to setting up and cleaning up before guests arrive.
Know your measurements before going to the grocery store. Even if you know a recipe like the back of your hand, chances are you’re not as familiar with making an item for a particularly large crowd. Calculating how much more of each ingredient you’ll need when you go from cooking for four to cooking for 20 can be time-consuming. Waiting to do such calculations also can lead to ingredient shortages that can delay cooking times. Calculate recipes for the crowd when making your shopping list so you only need to make one trip to the store.
