Budget Cooking for a Crowd
While preparing a meal for a large group can be a lot of fun, it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. Instead of breaking the bank take a look at these budget cooking for a crowd tips.
Many people often assume that lasagna is a cheap and easy way to feed a large group of people. While everyone loves lasagna, this meal often costs a lot of money due to the ingredients needed. Rather than opting for any type of casserole-like meal, consider making one large piece of meat (or two if you have a really big group coming). Along with the meat, you can serve big portions of side dishes such as corn bread or potato salad. Budget cooking for a crowd is really simple if you take a few things into consideration.
First of all, don’t ask everyone in the group about their food preferences. While this may seem like the courteous thing to do, everyone will want to offer a suggestion or opinion causing a lot of trouble on your part. Instead, vary your menu so that it includes a few vegetarian selections along with something that most people like to eat. For example, serving a large roast beef with a roasted endive salad will accommodate most people. The next thing to think about is the actual size of the group at hand, and whether or not there will be any kids present.
Kids used to be easy to please. Many years ago, you could offer a child a plate of macaroni and cheese, and watch as they gobbled it up. Today, for some reason, kids are a lot pickier than they used to be. So, what do you do? Whatever you do, do not contact each parent asking about a child’s favorite food. Instead, make a large dish of some kid-friendly meal (chicken fingers, for example), and then make a smaller portion of something else on the side (spaghetti usually works). The only thing you need to do when budget cooking for a crowd is to plan ahead.
If you are trying to feed an entire town, contact local butchers and bakers to see what kind of deals you can strike. If you are just feeding a large number of your friends, a good main dish; a few sides; a couple of vegetarian options; and some kid food should do it.
See how easy budget cooking for a crowd can be? Just remember to think about all people involved, but don’t pick up the phone to contact each person – you’ll regret it!