We simply are providing Taco Salad with Root Beer. We have a limited budget so we want to make sure we have enough but not excess.

Could you help me determine how much of each ingredient below we should have available for people to build their own taco salad?

Hamburger Meat (70 lbs be enough?)
Lettuce (20 heads or 10 lrg bags pre-cut)
Chips (10 lrg bags)
Tomatoes (24 cups)
Cheese (24 cups)
Sour Cream (4 lrg tubs )
Onions (5 cups)
Olives (9 cans, sliced)
Salsa (4 lrg containers)
Kidney Bean (15 cans)
Ranch Dressing ? not sure how many bottles
Catalina Dressing

I would make more pulled pork than that, make it ahead, and freeze it in about 5 pound amounts (about 18 sandwich) in the oversize freezer baggies (I think they are 3 gallons) in thin, flat layers. I would make 2 extra baggies for up to 140. Then on the day of, you can start with 100 people worth and pull out the extra baggies as needed for appetite. Thaw the main amount in the refrigerator 18-24 hours (1-2 nights) and the quickie bags, in a roaster or in a roasting pan in the oven at about 400.

Here is the recipe you were looking for:

As for pulled pork, here is a recipe for 8 pounds from a Carolina cook that is about as good as you can find. Note that this amount of sauce is only for 8 pounds meat, you will need 4 times as much for your 32 pounds.

2 pork butts, 3 to 4 pounds each, untrimmed (can sub shoulders)

Sauce:
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup molasses
1 head garlic, broken into unpeeled cloves
2 Tb. whole cumin seeds
3 Tb. whole coriander seeds
1 Tb. whole black peppercorns
8 small dried red chiles
2 bay leaves
3 Tb. tomato paste
3 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 quart distilled white vinegar
4 cups water
1/4 cup salt

Combine the honey, molasses, garlic, cumin, coriander, peppercorns, chiles and bay leaves in a large stockpot, over medium-low heat. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The garlic will darken, and the mixture will be very thick and fragrant. Add the tomato paste and tomatoes; cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the vinegar, water and salt. The sauce should be thin. Simmer, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Set aside half the sauce for marinating the pork. Let the remaining sauce cool and fish out any large pieces of garlic peel. Puree the remaining sauce in a blender (some spices will remain whole). The sauce should be rather watery and look like a brothy tomato soup.

One or two days before cooking (much preferably two), put the pork in a container just large enough to hold it and deep enough for the reserved sauce to cover it. Cover the container and refrigerate, turning the pork half-way through the marinating period.

At this point, you're finally ready to cook the pork. I have tried this in a number of methods and variations, but have settled on a two-step process that works great. I cook half-way in the oven (before basting is necessary and saving propane) and half-way on a grill using indirect heat (making it easier to baste and adding the barbecue flavor you need). The formula is 2 hours per pound (or cooked to an internal temperature between 150 to 160 degrees).

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Put the pork, fat side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Leave in oven three hours (for six pounds) or four hours (for eight pounds). Remove to pre-heated grill, but with low, indirect heat (should be about the same 200 degrees as your oven). Baste with the pureed sauce every 30 minutes, until done, turning once (this second half of cooking will take as long as the first, if your grill is correctly regulated). Let the pork cool.

Chop and shred the pork. You can either slice it or pull it apart with your fingers (thus the name, "pulled pork"). For slicing, cut the pork across the grain, in half-inch slices. For pulling, start pulling at the meat with a fork, then attack with your fingers. Discard any unrendered fat.

With a large knife, roughly chop the pork coarse. Put the chopped pork in a large bowl with some more of the pureed sauce; the amount is up to you (I'd go a little at a time, and test along the way). Serve the pork warm (no problem with a microwave; it's plenty juicy -- if you cooked it right) with a little more sauce on the side, for your bolder eaters.

It's a lot of work and that's why I usually go 8 pounds, so I can freeze half and eat it a few months from now. I figure if I'm going to this much trouble, I might as well make as much as the sauce can handle (8 pounds being the top end). Enjoy and tell any friends in Asheville or Memphis that you've got 'em beat.

**MID-SOUTH CAROLINA MUSTARD SAUCE***
1 cup cider vinegar
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper

And...Here's a great spicy chili rub to use before cooking...

***SPICY CHILLI RUB***
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon white pepper

We're helping a couple of friends out with their wedding by helping with catering for approximately 200 people. How many oysters (or bushels) would we need to cater for this number of people and they want them natuarale?

sj, this is a do-it-yourself site, which means I expect my readers to use the tables to make a stab at estimating their dinners, post it, and then I can check it.

Also,you need to give me a lot more information. This is a VERY long party for a reception. Are you planning to put out a nibble table or appetizer table to a certain time, then put out a buffet service? Or are the dinners going to be plated and served by servers at a certain time? You need to tell me ALL the menu, beverages, desserts, etc., if you want help with this.

What I would like to serve:

Rigatoni
Honey Glazed Ham
Roast Beef

Scallop Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Spanish Rice

Green Beans
Carrots
Corn

Tossed Salad
Pasta Salad

Rolls
Garlic Bread

Before I take this on I would like to know, If precooked how long can it be stored in a freezer before the big day and the quantity of each for a Wedding this size?

I am serving Dinner Ham, Fried Chicken, Smoke Turkey for meats

Green Bean, Mac N Cheese, Corn for side
Dinner Rolls

Green Bean, Mac N Cheese, Corn for side
Dinner Rolls all on the plan for 100 page
Appetizer
Toss salad, plan for 100 page (not an appetizer, suggest you add a cheese tray and a spread or dip)
Fruit, fruit tray page

Read these articles for some ideas:

www.ellenskitchen.com/bigppots/plan/recep1.html

www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/plan/recep2.html

www.ellenskitchen.com/recipebox/scones2.html

Or consider a full blown dessert buffet, see the dessert planning page.

For this menu, you need a serious addition. With 200 people, an alternative meatless entree or a side dish that can serve as an entree for people who don't eat meat. This can be as simple as a crockpot of vegetarian sausages or unchicken, or you can add a cheesy side dish. for the current menu for 200.

bake chicken, 1 piece per person
Consider baking in a sauce to reduce drying out, or add a gravy
ham, 65 pounds boneless
Add a sauce, 1 cup per 6
green beans, about 40 pounds
yellow rice, 18 pounds dry
Consider adding a salad or fruit tray if you don't use fruit in the appetizers.

8 teams?
2 starch teams, these can be hot or cold, potatoes, pasta, etc
1 veg team, mostly hot or cooked dishes
1 fruit/salad team; about 4 fruit and 3 really BIG salad
1 bean team, all kinds of hot and cold/marinated bean dishes
1 appetizer/specialty team, could be dips, family specialties, etc; each brings for 40 people
2 dessert/sweets teams, yes, that is 2 desserts/sweets per person, which is about right for a potluck. 1 serving is 2 small cookies or bars, so you are looking at 6 dozen cookies or 3 pies or 2 cakes per person

chef2chef.com
cheftalk.com
foodservice.com

Toppings, lots of melted real butter; sprinkle cheese, the orange stuff, which you get at restaurant supply; ground Parmesan; popcorn salt, of course.

Do check out the unusual recommendations at this site:

greatist.com/eat/healthy-popcorn-recipes

Pulled pork sandwiches, cheesy potatoes, baked beans, cooked slaw