what should the menu be

[happyscooter]

if you were serving 40 people and had to pick the food up elsewhere (could not cook on your premises) what would your menu be? i am looking at chicken tenders, potato salad and i need one more thing. if i do something like green beans, i have no way to heat them. or i could do turkey breast and something else.

no spaghetti or bar-b-q.

[InsertCoolName]

Cold meat and cheese platters. And a fruit platter?

[Deleted]

green salad with lots of veggies and stuff in it

[Deleted]

cold subs cut into sandwich sized pieces. We are considering that for DS's birthday party since we did it for DH's graduation shindig and it went well.

[happyscooter]

bigger. not exactly a banquet, but yes a sit down dinner.

[Deleted]

no spaghetti and no BBQ? Why not? Those are the easiest things to make in mass quantities.

[happyscooter]

having that 2 weeks later.

[Deleted]

My guess is that people don't like it or else someone else is bringing it. I like the idea of a green salad.

ETA: or that.

[zibazinski]

I'd go with some healthy choices, too. Veggie trays, fruit trays, and the like. Cookies for dessert.

[Deleted]

I third the large salad. And how about grilled chicken and mac and cheese?

[Deleted]

Depending upon how fancy the event..

Tea sandwiches.. (Just another fancy word for finger/club sandwiches made dainty)

Vegetable salad.. Tons of varieties from the gourmet to the simply nice, such as vegetable rolls, cups, or something like this t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTN66ZXilyZIGdE9DCJ28MkyFzqfkvSVyyCDHaWFyUapun6Y6Pq [/img]

Shish Kabobs.. The sky is the limit with these little miracle makers.. Your turkey can be cubed and alternated with appropriate veggies etc..

The stapler cheese or fruit tray.. Winners every time.

[Deleted]

Sterno cans are wonderful inventions for keeping things hot.

Definitely go with a vegetable or salad.

Cookies was a good suggestion for dessert. One watermelon cut into small wedges would also be plenty for 40 people, and is a pretty cheap/easy way to add a "food that is not crap" to the mix.

[alabamagal]

I used to do stuff like this all the time for my son's high school football team (meals at camp and pre-game meals). We had to feed a group of ~40 (kids and coaches). The coaches wanted the food to be healthy and not too heavy. We had to cook off premises, but could use the schools cafeteria warming tray.

Use large food service trays to cook in. You need someone with an oven large enough to cook the food in the trays (my home oven is too small, but some people have larger ones). Anything that can be put in a large pot that can be warmed on the stove will help leave more time for stuff in the oven

Here are some of the items we used to serve (aside from spaghetti or Bar-B-Que)

Baked chicken quarters (this always seemed to be easy and well liked)
Roasted pork loin (you can buy large ones fairly cheap and have them pre-slided)
Roasted red potatoes (roast potatoes with butter salt and parsley)
Mashed potatoes
Mac and Cheese
Green beans
Canned or cream corn
Red beans and rice
Collard greens (well this is the south).

I would highly recommend the grilled chicken as it is easiest, cheapest, and chicken has the fewest people that object to it.

[zibazinski]

We are doing a catered anniversary dinner for my aunt and uncles 55th. Chicken is the main course. Seems to be the easiest, the cheapest, and the most user friendly!

[zibazinski]

Plus, they're all old so it is the easiest to eat.

[marvholly]

A friend has done a gathering for about that many people for >12 years. She does have access to a stove but you can always use a crockpot or 2 for a pasta side which she does have. She also gets a 5-6 ft sub sandwich.

Over the years it has evolved so everyone brings a dish to share, appetiser, side dish and/or dessert. I try to bring something different every year and something reasonably healthy the last few (we are all getting older). I have brought veggies cous cous & a fruit traythe last 2 years.

this year I found a new marinated tomato/cuke (I use zuchinni)/olive/feta salad that I LOVE.

[jeffreymo]

The menu I usually see for this type of thing is:

Sandwiches - cream chicken, sloppy joes, turkey or ham cold cuts
Baked beans, potato chips
Relish tray
fruit tray

ETA: You would need 4 or 5 crockpots for this set up

Also, I think healthy is a great concept, but I know too many people that hate salad or don't care for raw fruits and veggies

[Deleted]

A nice variety tray of cold cuts, buns, and condiments. Veggie and or fruit tray. Cold pasta salads. How are you going to heat up chicken tenders? I would probably have another offering for the main dish like lasagna or baked ziti or something.

[Chocolate Lover]

What options do you have to keep stuff hot? Is this going to be outdoors with no available electricity or are there going to be plugs available for crock pots or something similar?

My family is big on parties and they're all large since there's tons of us. Do you have access to any chafing dishes that you can put the sterno stuff underneath to keep the food warm? I could borrow tons of that stuff from my relatives.

[Apple]

A big chicken pasta salad can also be a main dish, with rolls on the side. If you had two easy main dishes it would at least allow a bit of variety.

[thyme4change]

I have a chafing dish - you can buy disposable ones, and then you can put anything in there - hamburgers, prime rib, chicken, lasagna, Chinese food. If I were you, I would put out tacos - but I hate chicken fingers, and I don't think they hold well. We have a restaurant that has roasted chicken legs - skin on. They are good, and they stay juicy and in a chafing dish they stay hot. Because they don't have breading, they don't get soggy if they sit awhile.

But, you said that you have the chicken and potato salad, so I would get corn bread or some other kind of rolls, and then I would get something that resembles a vegetable. Either a vege tray, or a tray of roasted or grilled veges of some sort. Even if you do a cole slaw or salad or something.

Also, if you are doing a buffet, you probably want 6 things, not 3. So, you can get a potato salad and a pasta salad, and a green salad and a hot vegetable. The $8 you spend for a disposable chafing dish won't kill your budget for feeding 40.

[Abby Normal]

What is the event?

We've done lasanga for 150 before. We made it all weeks in advance. We cooked it and froze it. Pulled it out the day before and heated at home, then trasported it to the event. Served with caeser salad and rolls.

I did sandwhiches for 45 for the 4th of July. Most were kids so they aren't too picky. Made the sandwhiches that morning and just did a variety with meat, cheese and lettuce. Had everything else on the side that people could place on themselves. Just transported the whole lot and set it up buffet style. Chips, grapes and bananas and we were set.

I was asked to help out for something next weekend "since I'm so good with the groups" (had to laugh at that). The organizer wants pizza for 30 kids and their families. Little Caesers it is.

[thyme4change]

Do you want to cook it at home, and transport it, or do you want to buy it? If you want to buy it, start calling around a bunch of reasonably priced restaurants and ask for their catering menu. One year we did ribs and chicken for 35 for the superbowl - huge hit. It was some money - but it was really stress free.

Also - another thing that is a great idea is HAM! You buy a ham, warm it up, slice it up. People think it is a treat, because it is expensive - but if it isn't quite warm enough, it is still very tasty. Again - the chafing dish helps. Another thing you can do is call a party rental store and see if they rent chafing dishes.

[thyme4change]

I also love brats and hot dogs as a meal for a larger group.

[Deleted]

We ordered the food for DD's 1st Birthday from a local BBQ joint. It was @ $8/person and worth every penny (I was 7 months pregnant with DS and there was no way in HELL I was cooking for everyone).

[Deleted]

Sushi?

[cronewitch]

Baked Potato bar. Buy 50lbs or so of large potatoes, scrub, butter and wrap in foil. Place in the oven for an hour or more then put in a not cold ice chest. Mean while fill crock pots with chili, cheese sauce and other toppings. Place out bowls of onion, grated cheese, sour cream, chives or whatever else might go on potatoes.

We did this once at work and people loved it. I used Yukon Gold potatoes and put them in the oven before work, had my ISO turn them on then bring them at lunch time. Others provided crockpots, turkey chili, regular chili and the other toppings even a vegan could make a potato they could eat. We had leftovers for the rest of the week. 50lbs might be too much

[cronewitch]

Layered bean dip is a nice easy thing you can make without a kitchen. Take the canned beans and cheese grater and things with you and you can make it on a picnic table. My SIL drove hundreds of miles so picked up the sour cream local for a family reunion. You need to remember enough bowls and spoons, can opener and things so practice at home. A huge bowl of chips to go with it too so bring a big bowl.

[8 Bit WWBG]

Italian food seems to be a good candidate when you need hot food delivered with no way to heat it. Lasagna, chicken parm, baked ziti... Of course most of those foods are heavy in white carbs so everyone will feel tired and bloated.

A carved meat station could be nice. My parents catered a party and ordered a big ham and roast beef, and they came with someone to carve them. Sides like potato salad or roasted vegetables, and soft rolls are also excellent additions. Smoked fishes can be nice: smoked salmon can be kept cold, but is nice and elegant.

Alternatively, you could do a brunch? An omelette caterer can bring gas burners and pans to make omlettes or crepes.

For the health conscious, a big bowl of quality berries, and some melon like honeydew or cantaloupe can be nice.

[happyscooter]

yeah, i used to have the racks and sterno cans, i gave them away since i didn't have room for them. if i had cold items. potato salad, i can leave it in the cooler until needed. meat can sit on the table. but beans or corn or whatever will have to be hot. but you guys are on the right track.