Cook Talk

Wedding reception for 150
Carleene
12/21/13
We will be cooking the food for about 150 guests. The menu is as follows:

Boston Butts
Chicken quarters
Baked potatoes (with fixings bar - chili, cheese, bacon bits, sour cream)
Baked beans
Corn
Green beans
Salad
Rolls
We are going a little heavy of veggies since we have about 10 vegetarians.
Condiments:
BBQ sauce
Salad dressings
Butter

Drinks
Tea
Water
Punch

We haven't decided on appetizers yet.

What would you recommend for quantities?
Thank you for your advice.

ellen
12/21/13
Boston Butts- bone in, 1 pound per 2
Chicken quarters- 1 quarter per 2, cut some into pieces after cooking

Baked potatoes (with fixings bar - chili, cheese, bacon bits, sour cream)- use the potato bar page for amounts of potatoes and toppings.

Baked beans- make sure these are meatless- 4 1/2 gallons

Corn 33-36 pounds
Green beans 33-36 pounds

Salad- use plan for 100 table, do 1 1/2 times the amount for 100

Rolls- 2 small per person, get good ones. 4 pounds butter.

Condiments:
BBQ sauce-1/4 cup per person
Salad dressings- on the plan for 100 table
Butter- 4 pounds

Drinks- review the beverage planning page
Tea-16 gallons, 1/3 unsweetened, with sugar and sweeteners available
Water- if bottles, 2 per person
Punch- put this out with the appetizers, 12-14 gallons
Add dinner level coffee for the cake, beverage planning page

A self-catered buffet is a real challenge to the organizers, and things don't always come together as smoothly as hoped. By planning and setting up an appetizer area or "nibble table" which is ready when the guests begin to arrive, the cooks and servers have time to complete the arrangement of the dinner buffet. This is especially critical if there are children among the guests, or there is a wait before dinner, as at a wedding reception.

This does not have to be complicated. Three items, plus a punch, or two if one is alcoholic, are sufficient. Typically, include a fruit tray, a cheese tray and an attractive dip or spread; or you can go with a dinner theme such as TexMex with chips, salsas, Texas caviar and guacamole; Italian with bruschetta or antipasto; maybe shrimps or other cold seafood, if budget permits.

For 150 people, simple, do:
12-15 pounds cheeses, some can be spreads or logs, 10 pounds crackers
1 pound chips per 10
1/4 cup dip per person if thick, 1 cup per 5-6 if thin
fruit tray-see fruit tray page
punch or lemonade

One appetizer service area is recommended for each 100 guests.

If this saves you time, trouble, or money, please make a donation, maybe a dime or quarter per guest, to support this site. Thanks.

Faye
04/13/15
Wedding reception/dance for 100
Wedding recetion for 100
Spirits are
Vodka
White rum
Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
Rye
Red Wine
White Wine
Coors lite Beer
Corona Beer
Signature Sangria

We are having a summer wedding indoors/art gallery. Most of the men will be beer or Captain Morgan drinkers. The ladies are most red wine or sangrias.
Can you tell me a safe amount (bottles) to get of each so I am not embarrassed by running out.

Second
mix will be coke/diet/sprite/diet/gingerale and sodawater.
Again, I will purchase 2 litre bottles but how many of each to be safe.

Thanks
Faye

ellen
04/14/15
There is a basic mixed bar for 200 at the bottom of the beverage planning page with a sample calculation. Give that a try, post it, and I will check it. Consider skipping the red wine if you are doing a red wine sangria. Do you expect people to make vodka martinis? Of so, don't miss the advice on olives, etc.
jane C.
05/06/15
We’ve been following your website and getting lots of great info. Thanks!
We are doing the food for our daughter’s wedding in June at 5:00 pm. We are expecting 100-125 people. Ceremony and reception in the same location. Short time between them as photos will be mostly done.
The buffet menu is
Pig roast and BBQ chicken (done by the professionals)
Roasted herb mini-potatoes (done by roasters)
Grazed carrots (done by roaster)
We are also doing Pasta salads, Cole Slaw and Spinach, Blueberry, Almond salad/dressing.

I think we are all set with the amounts based on the website readings we have done.

We are trying to stay on our budget and staff/server numbers will be limited…so

Question 1. The nibble table will be cheese/crackers/pepperoni with ice tea/lemonade and water. Should we do broccoli (and other veggies) at the nibble table or have cooked broccoli as part of the dinner?

Question 2. Pineapple salsa- should we serve this with Roasted pig?

Question 3. Offering the Spinach-Blueberry-Almond salad as an option to the ranch-based dressed salads, how much should we plan?

Question 4. Roasted potatoes and broccoli-should they be partially cooked and just re-heated?

Question 5. Do you have a good glazed carrot recipe?

Anything else missing?
Thanks!

ellen
05/06/15
Good work! Just a few tweaks/suggestions.

Menu- no entree for any vegetarians. Consider adding a crock pot of vegetarian sausages- I like the Field Roast brand. Or add 3 gallons of meatless bean dish or salad.

Question 1. The nibble table will be cheese/crackers/pepperoni with ice tea/lemonade and water. Should we do broccoli (and other veggies) at the nibble table or have cooked broccoli as part of the dinner?
Blanched and marinated veg, 2-3 gallons, can be done ahead and would be wonderful here. See the antipasto veg on this site.
www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/appetiz2.html

You might also add a couple of fruit trays- 2-3 of the tray for 25 on the fruit tray page would do it.

Question 2. Pineapple salsa- should we serve this with Roasted pig?
Yum! plan 1 cup per 5-6 people

Question 3. Offering the Spinach-Blueberry-Almond salad as an option to the ranch-based dressed salads, how much should we plan?
About 3 gallons each slaw and salad, if you have 125.

Question 4. Roasted potatoes and broccoli-should they be partially cooked and just re-heated?
No, reheated potatoes are not yummy. Do day of, hold no more than 2 hours.Take a look at the baked potato bar, this is another option that would also solve the vegetarian guest question; or consider a sweet potato casserole, which can be made ahead and reheated and would be good with the meats.

Question 5. Do you have a good glazed carrot recipe?
Copper pennies- for each 100 people, 18 pounds ready to cook carrot pieces; glaze is
BUTTER, 1 cup
GINGER,GROUND, 3 tablespoons
SUGAR,GRANULATED, 2 3/4 cup
SALT, 1/2 teaspoon
Melt the butter, stir in the rest, will be thick; stir into the hot carrots. Can add a cup of vinegar, before potting onto the carrots, if you want to go sweet and sour.

If this saves you time, trouble, or money, please make a donation, maybe a dime or quarter per guest, to support this site. Thanks.

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