Cooking for large groups can be difficult, whether it’s taking over kitchen duty and meal planning for a retreat or preparing a large meal for a group of people at a community event or a potluck at a place of worship. Fortunately, there are a few things that can be done to simplify the process of preparing large quantities of food. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind when cooking for large groups.
When it comes to cooking for large groups, the first thing on your mind is where to find recipes. Fortunately, many cookbooks published by churches and other organizations include recipes with detailed instructions for preparing meals for groups of more than fifty people. This type of recipe can also be found on a variety of cooking websites. When you can find recipes that are within your culinary capabilities and are designed to feed a large group, you can avoid the hassle of having to convert a recipe to fit a larger group.
However, a recipe can be adapted for use when cooking for a large group. Many recipes lend themselves to simply multiplying the amount of each ingredient in order to prepare enough food for a larger group. It should be noted, however, that not all recipes translate well. When a smaller recipe is converted into a larger recipe, for example, the desired result may not be achieved. When this is the case, preparing the dish in small increments while strictly following the original recipe will yield the desired result.
The foods chosen should be those that can be prepared ahead of time. A spaghetti supper for a hundred people, for example, could be handled by making the meat sauce several days ahead of time and freezing it. The sauce is taken out of the freezer and placed in a large pot to thaw and simmer on the day of the supper. Similarly, cut up raw vegetables for a garden salad to go with the spaghetti and put them in the fridge several hours ahead of time. This gives you enough time to cook the pasta, make the garlic toast, and toss the salad just a few hours before dinner.
When cooking for large groups, another helpful tip is to use short cuts whenever possible. Mixes are frequently sold in bulk at restaurant supply stores, which helps to reduce measuring time. When making salad for a large group, large bags of shredded lettuce save time. Use food processors to dice, chop, and mince ingredients instead of chopping them by hand. Any steps that reduce preparation time while still allowing for a tasty meal will alleviate a lot of the stress that comes with cooking for large groups.
Cooking for large groups can be done in a variety of ways. Holiday entertaining, hosting special occasion parties, and preparing potluck entrees all necessitated thinking about how to use or convert recipes for large groups. Cooking for large groups can be relatively painless if you plan ahead, do some prep work ahead of time, and use some creativity.