284631 Tue Apr 18 01:07:51 -0700 2006 30 31 Home Cooking 0 1522070 I need to cook dinner for 30 people this coming weekend. It's not a potluck...I'm cooking the entire dinner for the crowd. Would love ideas, recipes, hints for cooking for that large of a gathering. I don't think I've actually done that before!! I was thinking brownies for dessert...I can make those a day ahead. I can put together a huge salad. It's really the main dish that I need some help with. I'd like it to be special, but not too complicated. Thanks... Tue Apr 18 01:07:51 -0700 2006 0 wyf4lyf 1 1522073 How formal is this shindig? 30 people simultaneously seated at dinner tables indoors? May times I've had more than that many folks over for barbecue, crab/crawfish boil, fish fry, etc. Only twice have I had that many people over for sit-down-inside-the-house dinner. Both times I made Paul Prudhomme's cajun shepherd's pie, and both times it was a huge hit. Not suitable for a hoity-toity formal dinner party, though. Jim Tue Apr 18 01:31:36 -0700 2006 1522070 0 Jim Washburn 2 1522105 It's casual....paper plates on the lap. I guess I misspoke...I've done outdoor BBQs for larger crowds than this where I provided the meat and my husband and sons did the grilling. But this isn't a BBQ. The shepherd's pie sounds like a good idea. Can you send me the recipe or give me a link? Thanks... Tue Apr 18 10:00:10 -0700 2006 1522073 0 wyf4lyf 3 1522109 For a casual meal for 30, I would do some sort of gumbo, soup, or chili. Soups/gumbos/chili are just as much work for 10 servings or 50, most can be prepared well in advance & reheated with no loss of flavor. A large tossed or marinated salad, a chicken & sausage gumbo served w/rice...all you need is a dessert. How about a big pan of bread pudding with whiskey sauce? You can assemble the bread pudding in advance, then bake just before the party & serve it warm. Or make individual pecan or sweet potato pies; they're so easy to serve to a crowd. Tue Apr 18 10:34:51 -0700 2006 1522105 0 Hungry Celeste 1 1522078 Dijon chicken, meat and the vegetable together. Then all you need is a great tossed salad and hot bread. It can be made ahead and popped in the oven that night. I make three 9 by 13 dishes and have served 30 with no problem. It you want the recipe email me and I will send it to you. Tue Apr 18 02:07:54 -0700 2006 1522070 0 Janet 2 1522106 Yes, please!! Tue Apr 18 10:00:46 -0700 2006 1522078 0 wyf4lyf 1 1522081 The last few times I made dinner for a large crowd I made Chicken Marbella from The Silver Palate Cookbook. It is delicious, easy, and makes a great presentation. Marinate the chicken in large freezer bags overnight. Bake on large shallow baking sheets. I serve it with couscous or rice pilaf. A great dessert for Spring is a fruit crisp or crumble. It can be made ahead in large pans and served warm with ice cream or whipped cream. I have also done vanilla ice cream with bowls of fresh strawberry sauce and whipped cream p[assed aroun. Cookies on the side. Tue Apr 18 04:23:10 -0700 2006 1522070 0 Fleur 2 1522108 Chicken Marbella is great because it can be served hot or at room temperature. It's very easy and delicious. Tue Apr 18 10:13:18 -0700 2006 1522081 0 valerie 2 1522117 That's so funny...I was thinking chicken marbella too, even though it's getting to be a little retro. It's just that everyone always finds it so impressive/gourmet even though it is possibly the easiest recipe ever. Tue Apr 18 11:08:53 -0700 2006 1522081 0 Aaron 3 1522178 Everyone loves Chicken Marbella. I have made many variations. The latest was leaving out the capers and olives, substuting lemon juice and zest Meyer ) for the vinegar, and lemon marmalade and thin slices of lemon for the brown sugar. I have also made it with apricots, prunes, and apricot jam. I don't know why, but it always comes out perfect and delicious. I try and make it the day before so I can cool the sauce,remove the excess fat, and reduce a bit. Tue Apr 18 23:37:19 -0700 2006 1522117 0 Fleur 1 1522095 Expensive, but delicious and easy is a rib roast (large), served with roasted potatoes and asperagus with balsamic vinegar. Sometimes, I serve a tub of Bernaise with it. To me it doesn't matter if the meat is hot, since I let it rest out of the oven for at least 1/2 hour. I think I might start with some lovely version of pea soup served in cups. Probably, just a veloute of peas with a sour cream garnish and a couple of chives stuck in the cream. Have fun, wish I had an invitation. Tue Apr 18 08:35:58 -0700 2006 1522070 0 fai jay (fai jackson) 2 1522107 :) Your menu sounds lovely, but I can't afford rib roast for 30 right now. Tue Apr 18 10:03:50 -0700 2006 1522095 0 wyf4lyf 1 1522115 How about roasting a pork loin... Tue Apr 18 10:55:39 -0700 2006 1522070 0 Funwithfood 1 1522116 Thanks for the suggestions so far. One detail I failed to mention is that the dinner is not at my house; I will cook it all at my house and then transport it elsewhere. So it will need to stay warm, etc. Keep the suggestions coming!! :) Tue Apr 18 11:04:53 -0700 2006 1522070 0 wyf4lyf 1 1522120 If you make the chicken marbella that has been suggested, you could make a cous cous salad filled with roasted vegetables, or even just cut up raw veggies like cucumber, tomato, etc (though it's not really summer yet). This could definitely be served at room temperature next to the chicken, which can certainly be kept warm until you get there. If you do roasted vegetables, you could also do a green salad to fill out the plate. I love your brownie idea...simple and good. You might think about cutting them a little smaller, making or buying ice cream and making ice cream brownie sandwiches...always a crowd pleaser and for some reason seemingly very impressive if you make the ice cream. Tue Apr 18 11:14:02 -0700 2006 1522070 0 Aaron 1 1522124 Ahhh...not serving at home. Hmmmm. Well, I will recommend a tried and true (mostly Epicurious recipes) dinner party that I stand by -- poached salmon w/tarragon mayonnaise (no need to keep it warm - it's delicious at room temp and save the mayo in a thermo or on ice). Serve it with their orzo-bell pepper-kalamata olive-feta cheese salad. Also cold and EVERYONE loves it. I add grape tomatoes and other veggies as I like to the mix. It is just great. This is an easy (and impressive) meal for 30 that won't kill you in the making. You can serve it with asparagus vinaigrette or leeks vinaigrette if you like - also at room temp. I like your brownie idea too and Aaron's idea to cut them small - maybe in diamonds instead of rectangles. Also get some assorted chocolates or mini-Italian pastries if you want some variety. Crisp white wine, a good bread and you're set! Tue Apr 18 11:40:12 -0700 2006 1522070 0 Joyce Goldstein 1 1522125 I'm not a big dinner party person, but I recently had one and made tamales. Not sure if that's reasonable for a party of 30! For the brownie, I have a WONDERFUL recipe, let me know if you need one. Link: http://virtualfrolic.blogspot.com/ Tue Apr 18 11:40:13 -0700 2006 1522070 0 vf 2 1522163 I'm always interested in brownie recipes; I collect them...so please send me yours! One of these days I'm going to have a "brownie tasting party" where I make a good dozen or so recipes and have everyone taste and compare. Someday.... Tue Apr 18 18:11:44 -0700 2006 1522125 0 wyf4lyf 3 1522169 Oh my goodness, do tell me when you have that brownie tasting party..that sounds like fun! You'd think that with something like brownies, every recipe is pretty much the same, but it's so not! I can't claim the recipe as my own, unfortunately, but it's the best recipe I've encountered so far...It's from Polka Dot Cake Studio in NYC (the retail shop recently closed) and they're called Better than Brad Pitt Brownies. You MUST include the frosting, it's one of the best parts! Link is below...(look at the bottom of the page for the recipe). I've also included a pic of my attempt at them! Link: http://www.polkadotcakes.com/pressInTouch.html Image: http://static.flickr.com/35/100990810_accc515a83.jpg Tue Apr 18 21:49:47 -0700 2006 1522163 0 vf 4 1522180 Your Brownies look do delicious,I could almost lick the screen! Could you please post the recipe? Thank you! Tue Apr 18 23:45:22 -0700 2006 1522169 0 Fleur 5 1522200 Hi Fleur, if you click on the link (I've linked it again in this post), you can see the recipe and instructions as written by the Polka Dot team. Link: http://www.polkadotcakes.com/pressInTouch.html Wed Apr 19 10:02:39 -0700 2006 1522180 0 vf 6 1522209 The linked page is very blurred. Do you have the recipe in printable form? TIA. Wed Apr 19 18:00:02 -0700 2006 1522200 0 Fleur 7 1522215 Just emailed it to you. It sounds incredible, doesn't it? Thu Apr 20 10:15:46 -0700 2006 1522209 0 wyf4lyf 1 1522127 You've gotten some great ideas so far. I was thinking chicken as well, but maybe chicken pot pie(Alton Browns recipe is great, I just add lots more fresh, roasted vegies),chicken marsala or chicken and dumplings where the chicken pieces are cut up, making it much easier to eat on paper plates. Also, there is always lasagna- meat, vegie and one made with a white sauce rather than red sauce. Everyone of these dishes are even better the next day, which would be great for you to make the day before. I love your brownie idea. Everyone loves a good brownie, adults and kids alike. Please let us know what you make and how it goes! Tue Apr 18 11:45:59 -0700 2006 1522070 0 jackie 1 1522130 The last time I cooked for over 30 people, I did: - marinated butterflied whole leg of lamb (on BBQ but can be done in broiler) - glazed ham - caesar salad - baked beans Both the lamb and the ham could be cooked then gently reheated at the place where dinner is. Tue Apr 18 11:52:41 -0700 2006 1522070 0 Celeste 1 1522162 I love to entertain, but I'm also on a budget. salmon and lamb sound great, but would bust my bank wide open. I've made a giant pot of chicken pot pie filling and served the biscuits seperately. can reheat on location in crock pot or two. i've also smoked homemade meatballs and simmered them in sauce with veggies. add polenta upon reheating--- it thickens the sauce and adds great flavor. chili is always a winner, serve with cornbread and all the fixings and toppings. you get the idea. I find that fancy stuff never outdoes simple stuff. I made a giant pot of my grandma's sloppy joe for a big party and it was a hit. a veggie tray with dip, and you're in business. keep it simple. I would steer well clear of the salmon with mayo suggested. I wouldn't like that and it is expensive. besides, the mayo can go bad. Think: foolproof! Tue Apr 18 17:50:33 -0700 2006 1522070 0 andy huse 1 1522164 We - my husband or I - are frequently asked to bring our meatloaf to parties. It's a regular for July 4th and other big gatherings. For 30 people, you would have to make two of them. We use the recipe, slightly modified, but Craig Claiborne's Herb and Spice Cookbook. I've tried many, many meatloaf recipes but we always come back to this one. It doesn't need to be served hot; room temperature is fine. There's never any left. Email me if you want the recipe, at sa.glassman@verizon.net. Tue Apr 18 18:54:13 -0700 2006 1522070 0 Sylvia G 1 1522167 So many great ideas. You've really gotten me thinking. I do have some recipes I can increase that would work well and could be made ahead. I looked at Chicken Marbella...not sure this crowd is sophisticated enough for prunes and green olives in the same dish. :) I like the idea of gumbo (but hate okra) so that got me thinking about jambalaya. Perhaps a taco cassereole... so many options. I need to check the weather for the weekend, too. It's been really warm here lately...otherwise I'd do a huge pot of soup and homemade bread. I had our local butchers bratwurst and Polish sausage last night. They are freshly made and sooo good. We could boil those up and grill them, and then keep them warm and bring them over to the location, along with buns, mustards and a couple of different salads. So many options!!! Thanks again. Tue Apr 18 20:40:53 -0700 2006 1522070 0 wyf4lyf 2 1522179 The preparation of Chicken Marbella is a snap. You can easily modify the ingredients . I leave out the olives and capers and substitute apricots for prunes. Everyone loves it. Tue Apr 18 23:40:29 -0700 2006 1522167 0 Fleur 2 1522196 So make gumbo without okra. Most gumbos don't have okra anyway. And you can transport it in plastic tubs & serve buffet-style from a slow cooker (or two, depending on the size of your slow cooker). I don't recommend jambalaya as a make-ahead dish because the rice can get gummy and the whole dish can turn to mush, unless you're very precise about the stirring & reheating. Wed Apr 19 07:07:31 -0700 2006 1522167 0 Hungry Celeste 1 1522184 If you are cooking for a large crowd, you want something that is not complicated to prepare, is not going to break the bank, and something that can be reheated. I have made the Barefoot Contessa Chicken Pot Pie for a crowd. The biscuits can be baked separately, or you can use frozen puff pastry rolled out and cut into squares. You can bake them on a cookie sheet and place one square on each portion of the Chicken mixture before you reheat it in the oven. I make it in a large lasagna pan. Tue Apr 18 23:56:07 -0700 2006 1522070 0 Fleur