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Cook Talk

How much food for 200 people
Lisa 02/02/16	Hello I'm cooking for 150 people in March. The menu is fried chicken, meatballs, mashed potatoes,green beans, salad. The appetizers is mini cheeseballs on pretzels sticks and smoke sausages and pineapples on toothpicks . How much food do I need for all this? Help!!!128515;
ellen 02/02/16	Lisa, you need a vegetarian entree choice if this is a buffet, and some expansion on the appetizers, including more without meat; it is usual to have 6-8 choices for 150 people. What kind of event? Also, is it 150 or 200? Write back.
Lisa 02/03/16	Hi... I didn't pick the menu the bride & groom did. This is a wedding. 150
Lisa 02/03/16	Hi! I told the bride and groom about your advice. They are stuck on the menu they have. I would appreciate any help you can give me
ellen 02/03/16	One of the gruesome lessons of catering is, even if the caterer does exactly what the client asks, if it does not go well, it is the caterer's fault. And YOU are the one that guests won't hire for their own event when they recall the meal. You have to protect yourself and your reputation, and this menu won't do it. If it is family, and not paid work, I will just counsel you to go back to them and say I told you to ask them to please expand the menu to make sure the day is as perfect as they want it to be. fried chicken, 1 piece per person meatballs, 1 pound per 5. 3 quarts sauce for each 10 pounds mashed potatoes, 75 pounds raw green beans, 33 pounds ready to cook add second interesting veg or combo vegetable, 33 pounds ready to cook salad, use the plan for 100 page Consider adding 4-5 gallons of made salads (bean, carrot raising, broccoli cauliflower, for example) if you do not have the second veg; or a t least 1 1/2 classic relish tray from the veggie tray page appetizers mini cheeseballs on pretzels sticks, at least 350 pieces. Cube cheese is neater and easier smoke sausages, 1 pound per 12, with 3 quarts sauce per 10 pounds pineapples on toothpicks , a fresh pineapple cuts 46 pieces, approximately, and you want at least 2 pieces per person. PLEASE expand fruit with at least 1 quart strawberries per 20, 1 pound grapes per 10, 6-8 melons or 1 watermelon cubed, Maybe some blueberries and raspberries for garnish, see the fruit tray page Suggest you add 1 chip and dip combo, I do 6 pounds potato or 8 pounds chips per 100, 1 pint dip or salsa per pound. It's a feast, after all. Hope this helps. Consider a donation, maybe a nickel or dime per guest, to support this site. Thank you.