Cook Talk

Grad Party Memorial Day Weekend
Marcie
05/13/15
Hello Ellen,
Your website was so helpful to get me to this point. I think I am close but have a couple questions.
We are having a high school grad party starting at 5pm on Sunday of Memorial day weekend- it will last until 10pm or longer. 50-80 teenagers. 120 adults and 30 kids . There are other parties this day so traffic may be random.
Am I close on amounts?
I am trying to decide if I am going to make the salads myself or order them from a Foodservice company close by. It will cost me $65 for 25# of 4 different salads. Do I need that much? Can I do it cheaper myself?
I have already ordered the meat:
Shredded Roast Beef Sandwiches 50# (caterer providing)
20 dozen buns
Wings -1 roaster full (caterer providing)
Shredded Chicken 10# leftover from another event
I am making the following:
Meatballs 20# (appetizer size)
Cheesy potatoes - 1 roaster (maybe 2???)
Baked Beans -4-5 gallons (roaster full)
Pasta Salad 8# of pasta 2 gallon glass jar full
Marinated Bean Salad 6# 2 gallon container
4 lettuce Salads I am ordering or making 24# of:
Multi Layer Salad 9#
Greek Salad 6#
Cole Slaw 4#
Broccoli Cauliflower 5#
18 cases of beer
200 bottles water
8 cases of soda (we do not drink this so do not want any left over)
lemonade or 36 juice boxes for the children
Pies and cookies ordering from bakery. not sure on amounts yet on those.
Fruit tray 2 large
I am close I think but I am unsure on the salads. I want to offer variety but also want to keep it simple.
Marcie
05/15/15
Not sure if you need more information to answer my question. I see you have a lot of people to answer but would really like some help. I donated to your site to help compensate you for your time.
ellen
05/16/15
Hi, Marcy,
Thanks for your support. I have been swamped since the site came back up after the revamp.
I will figure for 200.

Shredded Roast Beef Sandwiches 50# (caterer providing)- OK with the chicken, meatballs and wings
20 dozen buns- For the 60 pounds meat, 300 buns- or consider getting some slider buns for the kids and light eaters. It takes 5 buns or 12 slider buns per pound.
Wings -1 roaster full (caterer providing)- definitely none left
Shredded Chicken 10# leftovers from another event
I am making the following:
Meatballs 20# (appetizer size), will take 6 quarts of sauce

Cheesy potatoes - 1 roaster (maybe 2???)- at least 2- they only make about 70 people's worth per roasters
Baked Beans -4-5 gallons (roaster full), I usually allow 3 gallons per 100

Pasta Salad 8# of pasta 2 gallon glass jar full
Marinated Bean Salad 6# 2 gallon container
I usually do 2 gallons per 100 of beans, 3 gallons of pasta salad (about 5 pounds dry pasta)

4 lettuce Salads I am ordering or making 24# of:
Multi Layer Salad 9# skip, see note
Greek Salad 6# do 10-12 pounds lettuce and additions as appropriate
Cole Slaw do 4 gallons
Broccoli Cauliflower do 4 gallons
You do not need the multilayer salad.

18 cases of beer; beer drinkers usually drink 4 each over a longish party, so this is more than enough for about 100 beer drinkers
200 bottles water- consider 2 per person, either keep left cases or return
8 cases of soda (we do not drink this so do not want any left over)
6-8 gallons of iced tea, 2-3 unsweetened, would be a good addition.

lemonade or 36 juice boxes for the children, you could do as much as 8 gallons for the non-beer, non-soda drinkers
Pies and cookies ordering from bakery. not sure on amounts yet on those.
I suggest you look at the dessert planning page. A sheet cake serves 60. Cookies and bars, get small ones, eg cut giant brownies into 4, and do 1 of each flavor per person, up to 4.

Fruit tray 2 large, not a lot. You can make these cheaply, it takes about 4 hours to prep enough for 200, see the fruit tray page; or at least supplement with 8 quarts of strawberries.

Thank you for your donation.

MArcie
05/18/15
Thank you, this really helps!
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