Cooking for large groups

skintchick

Some great ideas here, thanks.

I mostly got stressed because my house is tiny and there was barely room for everyone - I had to move my table into the centre of the room and there was hardly room for the chairs around is cos of my sofa and TV.

I only have a little house and it made me feel embarrassed and ashamed that I didn;t have enough room. I'm nearly crying now typing this! Correction. I AM crying now.

squeaky

Pizza is another one, you can prepare the dough beforehand, and since you have a mix of carnivores and veggies, and you'll need more than one pizza you could make two, or three, with completely different sets of toppings on. Most of the toppings can be pre chopped where needed - even the cheese can be pre grated.

Or a pasta and sauce, pasta only takes fifteen minutes and most sauces barely take that long and often less. Again, with a bit of preparation, like chopping any onions, or say bacon bits, then it's just a case of juggling a couple or three pans for fifteen minutes.

If you have to provide a pud... have you got a timer plug you can put your slow cooker into - if so, rice pudding? Or in your oven if it has a delay to start timer?

And yes, I agree, don't stress. If you've done your best to accomodate every "quirk" that you are aware of - you can't be responsible for the ones that nobody told you about. It's their problem not yours.

belfastgirl23

Hey your house might be little but it's yours. Better that than a big fancy place you can't afford. If the people you invited are worth their salt then they'll remember having a nice time, not whether they had elbow room. Hold your head up, you're as good as anyone!

skintchick

Ooh - rice pud! How do I do it? THat would work and I LOVE rice pudding!

I SO want to be able to do this! I hate being a failure and it has really upset me.

Zazen999

Hi.

Can't you promote a casual style when they are around yours - and go for a soup/bread approach as often as you can? Much cheaper and you can make it the day before. A few of the younger ones could sit on cushions, or put the chairs around the room rather than use the table. Don't know your set up - but surely there are options???

How often would you have to do this - once every 3 months - is only 4 times a year and gives you time to prepare [assuming 10-14 people and everyone takes part].

Or suggest that as you don't have room and have a cat that you double up with someone who does have more room and you can bring the dessert and side dishes if they cook the main [so you bring bread and dips and crackers, and a pudding]. Get the one who doesn't like cats on your side and perhaps she will suggest it for you???

And put £2 into a savings box very time you go to someone else's and you should have enough when your time comes around.

skintchick

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

Hey your house might be little but it's yours. Better that than a big fancy place you can't afford. If the people you invited are worth their salt then they'll remember having a nice time, not whether they had elbow room. Hold your head up, you're as good as anyone!

I know this in my head, but my heart gets upset.

skintchick

Zazen999 wrote: »

Hi.

Can't you promote a casual style when they are around yours - and go for a soup/bread approach as often as you can? Much cheaper and you can make it the day before. A few of the younger ones could sit on cushions, or put the chairs around the room rather than use the table. Don't know your set up - but surely there are options???

How often would you have to do this - once every 3 months - is only 4 times a year and gives you time to prepare [assuming 10-14 people and everyone takes part].

Or suggest that as you don't have room and have a cat that you double up with someone who does have more room and you can bring the dessert and side dishes if they cook the main [so you bring bread and dips and crackers, and a pudding]. Get the one who doesn't like cats on your side and perhaps she will suggest it for you???

And put £2 into a savings box very time you go to someone else's and you should have enough when your time comes around.

Although it is up to 14 of us - two of those are speakers so they are different each time, and mostly people are couples - I don;t know how often it will be but it panicked me this week.

Maybe I could do it with someone else. I think we should do a bring and share each week where each person brings something. That way no-one has to shoulder it all each time.

I don;t have room for everyone to sit away from the table - it is actually better to pull the table out and sit round that as I only have one sofa and an armchair.

squeaky

skintchick wrote: »

Ooh - rice pud! How do I do it? THat would work and I LOVE rice pudding!

I SO want to be able to do this! I hate being a failure and it has really upset me.

I'm about ready to call it a night, so I'll point you at rice pudding threads in the morning.

Do you want them for the slow cooker or the oven?

Do you want to be super posh and go for a coconut flavoured one?

Let me know and I'll check back before doing the search

hardpressed

Go into Sainsbury ro Tesco or wherever you shop , get a couple of tins of their cheepo rice pud, empty them into an oven proof dish, grate a bit of nutmeg on top and stick in the oven to heat through. Job Done!
Cottage pie is cheap and easy to do, use half beef or lamb mince and half soya mince. make it the day before and reheat. Or do roasted veg, potato, onions, carrots, parsnips all roasted together, sweet potato and butternut squash if you can afford it, some grilled bacon for the meat eaters, buy some bacon pieces and cut them up, nobody will know the difference.
s

skintchick wrote: »

Ooh - rice pud! How do I do it? THat would work and I LOVE rice pudding!

I SO want to be able to do this! I hate being a failure and it has really upset me.

Poppy9

If it's not your turn again till the weather turns better think of doing a BBQ.