Cook Talk

50th Anniversary
karla
06/26/13
I am hosting a 50th Anniversary Dinner Party for my relatively young in-laws. I am expecting roughly 200 people and have planned the following:
Cocktails & Hors D’ Oeuvres – 6:00-7 Consisting of crackers, cheese, veggies, dip & fruit display
Dinner @7pm beginning with a plated salad with choice of 3 dressings
Pasta Buffet consisting of: California Blend and either peas or corn; two types of pasta; marinara, meat & alfredo sauce; 1/2 oz meatballs; chicken breast portions; lasagna & breadsticks
Dessert consists of cake, punch and an ice cream & topping buffet.
The ages range significantly with many twenty-somethings, mostly fourty-fifty somethings and quite a few 75 pluses, although everyone has yet to RSVP. Can you please help me with quantities of everything but the dessert? Thank you so much for your help and I SINCERELY appreciate all of your good advice and information on your website.
Karla
ellen
06/26/13
Hi, happy event. Going to assume the teens and the elders will about balance out in amounts. You need about 3 people in the kitchen, 2 to rewarm pasta at the serving tables and 8 more to set up serve and clean up this size party.

Suggest you add dinner/reception coffee to the dessert- most people your folks' age like a cup (mostly decaf, see beverage planning page) with dessert.

Cocktails & Hors D’ Oeuvres – 6:00-7
crackers, 12 pounds
cheese, 25 pounds- some spreads/logs can be part, and some chunks- people like to carve some of their own- two stations for this many people
veggies, about 28 pounds edible bites- see the veggie tray page. However with the age range of the crowd consider doing 2 classic relish trays and raw for only 100, or do some antipasto veggie style, these are both on site.
dip 1 cup thin per 8
fruit display- see fruit tray page

plated salad with choice of 3 dressings-You could also put the salads on the tables- it will substantially improve the flow at the buffet table- dressings on the table

California Blend- 40 pounds
peas or corn; 35 pounds
two types of pasta; 12 pounds dry each- some left
marinara, meat & alfredo sauce; usual division is 1 quart per pound pasta and 1/2 marina, 1/4 each of the others
1/2 oz meatballs; 1 pound per 6
chicken breast portions; 1 pound per4, and get small ones (3 ounce)
lasagna- tough call, do for about 100 as discussed on the spaghetti page. Some veggie/ white would be good
breadsticks- 25 pounds, or a bit more if large

Have olive oil on the table for dipping the bread (1 tablespoon per person) and consider putting the bread on the table in baskets.

If this saves you time, trouble, or money, consider a donation, maybe a dime per person, to support the site.

Karla
06/28/13
Thank you so much for responding! I value your wealth of knowledge and will definitely donate to your site when I return home from vacation. Just out of curiosity, are you the same "Ellen" from the book I have on once a month cooking with the checkered cover? Just thought I'd check. Once again, thank you and God bless!
ellen
06/28/13
Not that Ellen, and you are welcome.
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