How to Cook for Large Groups Outdoors
Family reunions, church gatherings, community get-togethers and club functions can bring large groups together over generous quantities of food. However, cooking for large groups requires forethought and planning with regard to timing, portions and contingencies for bad weather. The result, however, can be rewarding. Food gives people a reason to sit around a table together, gives unfamiliar groups something to talk about and keeps people's energy up for hours on end. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Find out what cooking setup will be available to you outdoors. Some event locations provide entire kitchens in an outdoor setting, complete with stoves, sinks and ovens. Others provide a barbecue, which will severely limit your meal planning. Barbecues are most conducive to meats, large vegetables and skewers. One way to get creative with a barbecue is to wrap foods in foil and roast them on the barbecue. If a fire pit is the only option available, foil-wrapped meals can be a great solution. If you're using a fire pit, see if you can set a metal rack over it and cook in a pot.
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Get recipes for the dishes on your menu. Keep the cooking to one or two simple dishes with minimal construction required. Pasta is a safe bet, and tacos or burritos can be put together by guests if the ingredients are set out. While recipes can be doubled (or tripled or quadrupled), sometimes the recipe doesn't translate well into a super-sized meal. It is best to find recipes that are intended to serve large groups.
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Shop savvy to simplify your preparation time. Buy foods in bulk to save money and avoid wasting time opening multiple packages. Cheese can be bought pre-grated and Egg Beaters (a carton that contains eggs without the shell and comes in varieties including only yolk or only egg whites) can save time spent shelling eggs.
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Prepare food ahead of time as much as possible. Sauces can be made a day or two in advance and stored in a refrigerator. Casseroles can be prepared and frozen, then cooked later. Most vegetables can be chopped in advance, but be careful about avocados and apples---these and some other fruits turn brown. Most fish and meat products need to be prepared the day of the event to ensure freshness and quality.
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Use helpful kitchen tools to make preparation tasks easier. A food processor can assist with chopping items and a mixer can help mix and beat ingredients.
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Keep the sides, appetizers and desserts simple. Chips, crackers, vegetables and dip or snack mixes require little or no preparation. Cole slaw, potato salad and macaroni salad can be store-bought or made in advance. Cookies or brownies can be bought or made in large batches and stored for a few days.
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To transport food outside, invest in high-quality containers that will simplify the process and avoid spills. Buy a cake pan that comes with a solid lid, as opposed to an open pan that exposes the cake to damage. Make sure all lids on containers are secured tightly before transportation.
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When you have gotten all of your prepared ingredients to the outdoor site and need to cook and heat the food, be sure that you have a safe place to set hot food. Use pots and pans with lids to keep food warm and free from wind, debris or bugs that might fly into it. Don't uncover the food until it is ready to be served. If possible, enclose the cooking area in a secure tent or other covering.
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Consider serving on paper plates and plastic cutlery to save on cleaning time and avoid complications that arise from using non-disposable plates outdoors. If you must use non-disposable plates and cutlery, enlist a group of friends to help do dishes. After a day of cooking for a large group, you're bound to be tired.
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Tips & Warnings
When dealing with such large quantities of food, it is important that recipes are followed precisely.
Resources
- Photo Credit Martin Boose
