How to Cook for a Group of 40

Cooking for a group of 40 people requires a lot of preparation.

Perhaps someday soon you'll have to cook for a lot of people. You'd like to fix a meal that's appealing, but you also want to spend time with the guests. Knowing the tricks will make your task manageable. Your will have to choose an entree that is easy to prepare, and that can be made ahead of the event. Also, since you probably will want to keep the costs in line as well.

Instructions

1. Have enough equipment to accommodate cooking for a group of 40 people. If you do so infrequently, you can either borrow it, or rent it from a rental company. If you cook for a large group often, you may want to buy it. You can do so online; or if you live in a city where companies sell directly to restaurants, strike your best deal to purchase it.

2. Choose an entree that is easy for the chef to prepare. For example, it's quite easy to cook a spaghetti dinner for a group of 40. Plan about 4 ounces of dry pasta per person and cook it either at the time the dinner is to be served which is preferable, or a day before and heat it with enough hot water to cover it. You can also make enough sauce to top it and that can be prepared ahead of the dinner. At the time of the dinner, make enough salad for 40 eaters, and cut about six loaves of Italian bread into tenths, and you'll be good to go.

3. Prepare a meal ahead of when the dinner is to take place. First, assess the composition of your diners. For instance, if they are predominately children, Mexican food would be a good choice as long as it wasn't spicy. Dishes like chili or tacos that you can make ahead of time are good choices. If the diners are mostly adults, think about preparing a traditional holiday meal with turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls and a frozen dessert. Virtually all of this meal can be made an couple of days before the dinner.

4. Keep an eye on the cost of groceries and their preparation. All of the meals described above, including the opulence of a holiday meal, are inexpensive to prepare. Allow about 1 pound of turkey for each adult. So prepare three turkeys weighing approximately 15 pounds each with all the side dishes, and you have invested less than $2 per diner.

References

• Ellen's Kitchen