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Cook Talk

Fundraiser for 350 ?
paul
04/20/13
hello everyone I love this site
I donating and cooking the food for a local fundraiser it is for a young child with cancer
they have no idea of how many ppl will attend it is a very good cause so we are estimating 350 I am planning a menu of
rolls tossed salad mac and pot salad meatballs chicken picatta or marsala (which would be better )and ziti in sauce and a couple of bags of chicken nuggets for the kids any help is greatly accepted how much food should I prepare ie how many meatballs compared to chix how many pans will I need thanks for the help
ellen
04/20/13
Hard work, Paul, let me make some suggestions?

rolls tossed salad mac and pot salad meatballs chicken picatta or marsala (which would be better )and ziti in sauce and a couple of bags of chicken nuggets *

1) look at the mozzarella sausage bake for 120 on the spaghetti page. Instead of ziti and meatballs separately, do 2 of these, can do one with tiny meatballs and one with sausage.

2) Do the chicken marsala or the orange dijon chicken for 100 from the Big Pots section.

3) Do slaw for all or most of the salad- 3 gallons per 100- can be made ahead, holds better, no dressing issues.

4) Do a salad that holds, maybe Greek or layered, for 350, do only 3 times the recipe for 100 if you don't have slaw, see here:

www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/plan/salads1100.html

5) rolls- Get good ones, 1 per plate, a few extra

6) mac and pot salad- Consider doing just potato salad, since you have a pasta dish- 35 pounds raw potato per 100, lots of recipes on this site.

Feel free to write back, I will do what I can to help.

paul
04/21/13
so I am thinking now tossed salad 2 oz per person 350ppl 44lbs of salad ?

mac / pot/ 4 oz per person 11 gallons total

baked zita / chicken marsala / meatballs 4 oz total per person so a total of 100lbs split between the 3 dishes
am I close or did I misunderstand
thanks for all the help I would change menu but not my decision

ellen
04/21/13
If you are making a serious dinner, you need about a pound and a half of food per person, not 10-12 ounces. That is at least 450 pounds of ready to eat food for 350 people.

If it is all going on one plate, that is enough salad, if it is separate or buffet, you will need more.

You need 9-10 gallons of side dishes per 100, not 11 gallons for 300.

If it is buffet, everyone will take some ziti, you need at least 7-8 pounds dry per 100, 1 quart sauce per pound.

If you are serving the entrees, you still need 5 ounces cooked per person (that is about 7 ounces raw), and people will ask for both. normally do 1 pound raw chicken per 4 and 1 pound meatballs per 5 at a minimum.

Hope this helps

paul
04/22/13
yikes I was a little bit out lol
so do I plan on mac for 350 potato for 350
chicken for 350 meatballs for 350 ziti for 350 and so on
I think this is the bit that is confusing me
or do I figure 70 % will take ie chicken and 30 will have meatballs or do I need to make enough so every person can have a full portion of each it is a self serve buffet in a hall event 2pm 11 pm food will be out from 5.30 to 7pm
everything should go on the same plate
again thank you for all the help
ellen
04/22/13
No Paul, you do NOT make 350 of everything. Please tell me if you will be selling plates or if this is a self serve buffet. It makes a difference on the amounts.
paul
04/23/13
self serve buffet sorry I am just not grasping the portioning bit
ellen
04/23/13
This is what I would do:

rolls- 500, 8 pounds butter

tossed salad- see plan for 100, do 3 times the recipe you decide on, dressings as indicated on that page

mac salad- 6 pounds dry pasta per 100
potato salad- 100 pounds potatoes, additions per recipe- there are many on this site

meatballs-50 pounds, have someone serve them, 4 ounce portions, 30 quarts sauce
chicken picatta or marsala- 2 times the recipe for 100

ziti in sauce-30 pounds dry, about 40 quarts sauce and fillings

couple of bags of chicken nuggets

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