Meal ideas for a large group?

Question

I have to cook for 42 people and I am trying to think of some ideas as to what I should cook. I want it to be a nice meal in my home, with candles and wine. Now I just need to think of a main course. I am trying to think of something that would be somewhat cheap. IDEAS???

I have a very large kitchen and two dining rooms so I do have room for this. It doesn't have to be so cheap where I end up cutting people from the dinner. That is out of the question, I was just thinking of ideas that would be somewhat inexpensive because everything i can think of is pretty pricey.

Answer 1

Spaghetti, salad and bread is always a winner...and its cheap!

Answer 2

The cheapest thing you can cook for that many people is Turkey or Chicken. I mean a big one in the roaster with potatoes and veggies. I had to host a family xmas party this year. I thought that buying all the turkey fixings would be to expensive, but by the time i bought everything else, like finger foods, i spent way more than i would have if i would have bought a turkey. I know they seem expensive...especially for a big one, but a bag of potatoes and some frozen veggies of canned ones are pretty cheap, and you can make a lot of them for cheap. Plus you'd be making a really nice meal.

Answer 3

The last few times I had big crowds of people I did fajitahs. I marinated a couple chicken breasts & a piece of beef, grilled both and sliced very thin. (the amount of meat you need per person for fajitahs is so little it diesn't get very expensive!) I stir-fried sliced bell peppers (choose colours you like depending on prices) and onions and add a packet of fajitah seasoning mix. Then on the table put out tortillas (whole wheat, white, corn...), salsa, grated cheese, sour cream, warmed refried beans (from a can), guacamole (easy to make: mash avocados with a splash of lime juice & a dash of tabasco), and any other fajitah fixings you can think of. This way everyone puts theirs together the way they like, even the vegetarians are happy, and you'll probably even have leftovers to make a taco salad the next day for lunch! Have fun, whatever you decide to make!

Answer 4

I got your solution. I had the same problem or more at a Baby shower. Spagetti and meat sauce. Bread and a salad.

Depending how fancy you want to get . You could use Chicken ,Sauage,Seafood. Cheap way is ground Turkey. This makes it healthier and with the right spices no one know the diffrents . I went Walmart for it all ,including paper goods ,less than 50.00

Answer 5

Italian
I would do a pasta bar. Have 2 or 3 types of pasta and 4 sauces
marina, alfredo, 4 cheese sauce, and a sauce w/ meat. I would make two huge salads, and fresh garlic bread. You can have toppings that they can add like fresh parmesan cheese, olives, capers, etc. Lasagna is another option. Vegeterian, a meat one, and a cheese.

If you don't want to do italian I would do chili. A white bean chicken, a vegetarian chili, and a meat (beef) chili. I would then have a bar of toppings-cheese, diced onions, diced tomatoes, cornbread, sourcream, and hotsuace, oyster crackers, etc
frito chips

Answer 6

Acrown of ribs filled with mashed potatoes are attractive and very good. but with 42 you might have to make three or four. Buy the rack and cut the ribs between each bone and stand it up and lace it to form a circle and cook and baste that way. When its finished you can put big mushrooms on the tops for finger food and fill the hollow part with anything.

Answer 7

Butternut Squash Curry

Ingredients

1 butternut squash
coconut milk
cumin
coriander
turmeric
1 onion
olive oil

Peel the onion and chop into small pieces. Fry gently until soft.

Add I teaspoon of turmeric, cumin and coriander. Fry slightly and then pour over some of the coconut milk.

Peel and remove the seeds from the squash. Cut into generous chunks and add to the mixture.

Cook until the squash is soft and add as much coconut milk as is necessary to keep the curry sauce thick and creamy.

-----------------------------------
Lentil Dahl

Ingredients

I tin of lentils
curry spices or paste
small tin of tomatoes
1 brown onion
1 clove garlic
olive oil
salt and pepper

In the recipe the spices are not specified as often people have a preferred curry paste or spice mixture that they like to use. However, if you do not have this then I would suggest using 1 teaspoon each of turmeric, coriander, cumin and a pinch of chilli powder (unless you like it really hot then add a bit more).

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add in the garlic and onion (very finely chopped) and the spices. Gently cook until the onion is see through. Blend the tomatoes in a food processor and drain and wash the lentils. Add these into the pan and cook on a very low heat for 20 minutes. Then taste to see if the mixture needs seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

------------------------------------------------------
Vegetable Samosas

Ingredients

1 medium potato
1 onion
4 tablespoons peas
1 carrot
4 cauliflower florets
filo pastry
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
olive oil
salt
1 small pinch cayenne pepper

Peel and finely chop the potato, onion, cauliflower and carrot. Fry them gently in some oil, with the peas until they are soft. Add the spices and stir well. Taste and season if necessary. This mixture can be frozen if have too much.

Take one sheet of filo pastry and moisten around the edges. Fold in half length ways and press down the edges. Moisten the edges again. Put a small spoonful of mixture in the top right hand corner leaving a small gap around the edge. Then fold the top right hand corner over to the left edge to make a triangle. Continue folding in this manner until you have a nice triangular package. Brush it with oil and cook in a 180 degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown, turning over half way through cooking.

----------------------------------------
Onion Bhajis

Ingredients

1 large onion
1 potato
cumin
coriander
turmeric
cayenne pepper
olive oil
vegetable oil

Grate the onion and fry gently until soft. Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric and half teaspoons of cumin and coriander plus a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. Cook until the onion starts to brown.

Peel and boil the potato until very soft. Drain and the mash the potato into a bowl.

Add the onion mixture to the potato. Stir up and bind the ingredients together. Add a little olive oil to help the ingredients to stick together. Form the mixture into small balls and deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.

Answer 8

How are you going to serve that many people in your house?
I assume this is going to be buffet ?
How are you going to cook that much in a normal house kitchen?
I think that you should make a couple of main dishes so there is some choice - not everybody is going to like the same thing.

You could make a few lasagnas - try making different types (vegetarian, seafood, spinach, etc)

Pork Chop Casserole
90 pork chops
10 can (10x10oz)of condensed cream of mushroom soup
Brown pork chops if time permits.
A barbecue works well and quickly. Layer in 2 large roasters, sprinkling with salt and pepper as you do so
Spoon 5 cans of soup over each roaster. Don't dilute. cover. Bake in 350F oven for about 2 hours until tender. Allow more time if chops are not browned first.Serves 45 people 2 chops each.

From "Company's Coming - Casseroles" by Jean Paré

Answer 9

How about spegette and meat balls it isnt to expencive and you can make enough to feed an army or you can try ham and sweet potatos you can usually buy a ham large enough to feed that many people and all you have to do with the yams is boil them and mash add some salt and butter and your finished

Answer 10

Stuffed chicken breasts look difficult, but are easy! They are very elegant for a nice meal.
French style green beans. Add some crisp bacon and/mushrooms, butter, and salt.
Some simple French bread warmed in the oven.

Answer 11

Macaroni and cheese caserole. Make from ziti, add whatever you like , chicken, mushrooms,and cheese make in a large casserole foil dish, wallah !!

Ask your deli if you can buy the cheese ends..

Fried chicken and pizza are big helpers also.