Large Quantity Cooking Tips To Make Cooking For A Crowd Manageable - By: Frances Moore

Preparing meals for a crowd can be unnerving; but, simple tips for large quantity cooking will help take the stress out of dinner party planning.

1. Plan Ahead. Use a meal planning guide and make a detailed schedule covering everything from the shopping list to the table settings and food presentation.

Plan a menu appropriate for your seating arrangements. For example, steak or soup will be difficult to manage if guests will be balancing plates on their laps. Remember to keep your menu simple and choose recipes that are easy to cook for a crowd, such as tacos, crock pot dishes, or pastas. Make a list of the menu you plan to serve, the ingredients you will need to purchase, and the cost involved so you are well prepared. The key is to stay organized!

Plan ahead to make sure that you:

a. have enough room in your stove and fridge for the items you will be preparing.
b. have all ingredients and items needed to prepare your menu.
c. have enough serving dishes, plates, glasses, cutlery etc.
d. have a way to keep food hot or cold.
e. decide how the meal will be served. Will guests be sitting around a table or will food be served buffet style?
f. know how clean up will be handled. You will want to make sure that dishes are cleared and leftovers are stored promptly and safely; but, this will need to be done quickly and efficiently so that you can get back to your guests.

2. Prepare Ahead. Prepare as much in advance as possible. Cooking for a crowd will be much more relaxing and less stressful if you can do the majority of the preparation ahead of time. Some dishes can be made well in advance and frozen so you only have to plan on reheating, tables can be set, desserts can be baked, and vegetables can be chopped. You will be able to deal with those last minute details and problems that inevitably arise much more effectively if you know you have everything under control.

3. Ask for Help. Do not be afraid to enlist the help of others. You do not have to do everything yourself. Make your dinner party a family event by putting your children to work, ask friends to help prepare, serve, and store food, or hire local students to assist with the cooking or clean up. Sometimes guests will ask if they can bring something, and you may want to take them up on their offer.

Large quantity cooking does not have to be intimidating. If you use a planning guide, stay organized and prepare ahead, cooking for a crowd can be both fun and easy.

About the Author

About Author:
Frances Moore is a certified chef and with her daughter Kelly created http://www.PainlessCooking.com to provide easy instructions for large quantity cooking and small intimate meals.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/------Frances-Moore/74021

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