You might be a whiz in the kitchen for your family, but when you've got a large group coming over, the task of cooking dinner can be daunting. With your impressive cooking skills, you want to wow everyone, but how?
The idea of hosting a huge dinner can be unbearable, but there are plenty of things you can do to end up making it less difficult. Mastering a few tips and tricks can actually shift your preparation from scary to fun.
If you're hosting a holiday dinner party or happen to have a big crowd at any time during the year, then you need some tips and tricks. Up next we're going to show you how to plan dinners for large groups easily.
Cook the Right Amount of Food
How much food to make for your large group is one of the major concerns that you are likely to have as the host.
No host wants to run out of food or have guests craving more, but you certainly don’t want a month’s worth of leftovers if you prepare in bulk.
As you plan the quantity of food, keep these things in mind.
- How many people are on the guest list?
- Are they all adults?
- Are any of them kids? Kids sometimes don't eat much, particularly at a party when there is so much activity going on around them.
- How many different dishes are you making?
- How long will it last? Guests may graze throughout the night and eat more food if the event is going to last for several hours.
When guests eat various portion sizes and assist themselves for seconds, a difficult question is how much food you should prepare. As a rule, prepare on a total of about 1 pound (500 g) of food for every person.
That does not include snacks, drinks, or dessert.
Portions to Guide You
Use these numbers as a guide for planning the group quantities for individual portions.
- Appetizers: 2 to 3 servings per person
- Soup: 1 cup per person
- Salad: 1 cup or about 3 ounces per person
- Meat or entrée: 6 ounces per person
- Starches: 5 ounces per person
- Dessert: 1.5 pieces per person
Make Meals Ahead of Time
When a period of opportunity opens and you're in the state of mind to cook, create a large dish that freezes well, like a lasagna, casserole, or pot of chili. It's the same when you cook for your family meals, you need to plan.
Try freezing cooked vegetables, too. The main dishes have a freezer life of between two and three months, while sauces last up to six months and vegetables last up to one year.
Pieces of bread and desserts can last in the freezer for almost a month. Just be sure to cool food and wrap it well before freezing it, and don't put just so many unfrozen dishes in the freezer simultaneously.
Easy sauces like salsa, chutney, and pesto are also nice to have on hand. You can serve simple things with an amazing sauce to get a great wow.
Use A Buffet Approach
This is not a 5-star hotel, and no-one expects you to lay out your finest china. Organize a buffet and allow your guests to serve themselves when they're ready. A buffet approach will help encourage a more laidback approach.
Accommodate the diverse tastes of your guests with a choose-your-own approach. Set up sandwich platters or salad fixings, favorite taco filling bowls, or a buffet of prepared dishes, and let everyone put together their own dishes.
Bottom Line
Hosting a large group for a dinner can make you anxious for sure Sometimes it is difficult to pull off such a party, particularly if you are not a skilled cook or chef.
But if you have fun with what you are doing, use the tips above, and plan ahead, you can pull it all off while feeling happy and relaxed.
