Cook Talk

Graduation Party for 100 Help Please
Leslie
03/25/16
Planning my daughter's graduation party, will be in June. Could really use some help and suggestions as I am doing most of this myself. Really need to know if I am close in the amounts I've already made or if I need to make more?

The Menu Is:
Pulled Pork
Chili Lime Chicken
Mexican Meatballs
Mac and Cheese
Creamy Rice
Green Beans
Salad
Cole Slaw
Fruit Salad
Corn Bread
Banana Pudding
Peach Cobbler
Sheet Cake

I've canned enough for 12 gallons each of:
Raspberry Peach Lemonade
Sweet Tea

I already made, vacuum packed and froze:
20lbs pulled pork
20lbs chili lime chicken
18lbs Mexican meatballs which made 2 chaffing pans full. I used recipe from Allrecipes and adjusted quantities and made recipe accordingly.

I've also made and froze 12 cups (raw) of rice and onions for rice dish so that all I will have to is mix and bake for party.

Are my quantities ok for what I have already done or do I need to make more?

Is it ok to have cooked and freeze prior? My son is telling me that might not have been a good idea? I don't have the oven space to do the day of?

Any suggestions, guidance would be greatly appreciated. This is my first time cooking for this many people and I'm a nervous wreck! LOL :)

ellen
03/25/16
You are doing quite well. Definitely OK to freeze meats in sauce, just thaw in fridge, allowing 3 days.

CAREFULLY plan the where and how long of every single hot dish day of. Write it all down. If you use electric roasters, remember each one needs a separate electric circuit- usually, this means, different rooms.

It will take 3 people in the kitchen and 5 out front to set up, serve, and clean up day of. Line up PLENTY of help. And schedule yourself a spa day the day or two after- you will need it!

Pulled Pork-20 pounds
Chili Lime Chicken-20 pounds
Mexican Meatballs-18 pounds
Meats are OK, 100 rolls or 200+ slider rolls for the pork. 1 gallon pickle slices, 8 pounds sliced onions, table sauce for each table. Each pound with sauce makes 5-6 sandwiches, or 10-12 sliders.

Mac and Cheese-8-10 pounds dry, 1 quart sauce per pound, 1/2 to 1 pound cheese per pound of dry pasta, 8 probably plenty with the rice
Creamy Rice- 12 cups= approx 6 pounds dry
Green Beans- 22 pounds ready to cook, 4 #10 cans
Salad- use plan for 100 page
Cole Slaw- 2 1/2 gallons, about 2 5 pounds whole cabbage
Fruit Salad- use fruit tray page, and consider doing fruit trays- prettier , keeps better, can do ahead and leftovers are more useful
Corn Bread- 6-8 9x13 pans, consider doing muffins ahead and reheating, 3 pounds butter, big bottle honey or jam
Banana Pudding-do for 48
Peach Cobbler-do for 48
Sheet Cake- full sheet or 2 layer half sheet serves 60
Many will take 2 desserts

I've canned enough for 12 gallons each of:
Raspberry Peach Lemonade- about 8 OK
Sweet Tea- do 6-8, plus 2 gallons unsweet with dietetic sweeteners in packets

The beverage planning page also discusses plates, napkins, glasses, etc.

If you will share any recipes you like, I will post them with your name-

Does this help? You can write back. I am doing a fundraising campaign to remodel the kitchen and provide the changes you readers have asked for- please click the masthead at the top of this page to go to www.ellensbigpots.com and make a donation. Thank you.

Leslie
03/26/16
Wow! That is spectacular! Thank you so much! My biggest concern was the meats (trying to figure out if I needed enough to serve 100 of each kind or enough to serve 100 total, lol) and I forgot to mention that was raw weights I started with. I am not sure after cooked it's still enough for everyone after cooked. I will be using chafing pans and purchased 8 hours of fuel and a blow up thing for iced items. Didn't think about unsweetened tea, I was going to have some diet sodas? Slider rolls are a great idea! What rolls do I purchase for sliders? Dinner rolls? I'll have to get 1 more #10 can of beans, good thing you said that, lol. Yes! I'm doing mini corn muffins, lol. This will be a self serve buffet. I don't have the man power to serve it and I have MS so I'm trying desperately to have as much done ahead of time as I can. Thank you so much!
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