need help...have to make food for 25 people in one week!

[Anonymous]

so i have just found out I am hosting and catering a party for my MIL in one week....the caterers were too expensive so I will be flying solo. I need thoughts on foods/recipes that would be good to serve and not TOO expensive. I was thinking heavy apps and maybe a ham or something, but would love to hear anyone's thoughts/recommendations, etc. I don't know many of these people so I want to make things that are relatively nice but we have to stay on budget.

thanks!!

[Anonymous]

The budget makes it hard, but maybe you can look at Costco for meat. Are you doing a buffet? If you can get beef tenderloin, it would be nice to have a few of those, sliced thin, served with some sliced bagette and horseradish sauce. If you are doing ham, can you get (or make a freeze) a bunch of biscuits to serve it with, alone with some nice mustard?
How about a seven layer salad? A bit retro, it would go with both the beef or ham, and it would be easy and pretty inexpensive to make a large one.
Potatoes gratin? Also inexpensive and not too difficult to make in larger proportions.

[Anonymous]

I think the ham sounds like a good idea, and a big green salad is always welcome.
Do you have a Costco membership? Or know someone who can take you there?

Pans of lasagne can also be prepared ahead of time and reheated before the event.

This article might give you some ideas too:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/29/AR2009122900658.html

[Anonymous]

I've done two large parties:

Beef bourginon (makes ahead well and serves well in a chafing dish)
Roasted potatoes
Lots of cheese/olives/fruit/baguette/dip set around
Costco cream puffs w/ chocolate sauce for dessert

Spiral ham with biscuits, variety of mustards
Whipped sweet potatoes w/ bourbon & maple syrup (make ahead and re-heat)
Fruit & cheese platters
Cake

For both parties I made green beans and/or asparagus as the veggie. Blanch briefly the day before, ice bath, then store in tupperware w/ paper towels between layers. They'll stay crisp & green. You can serve room temperature (w/ hollandaise from a jar for the asp.) or toss the green beans quickly with butter, almonds and lemon zest for some pizzazz.

You can do it! Just plan out your menu today and shop tonight if you can. Start cooking about two days out, and have a detailed list of everything that needs to get done, by the day, between now and then. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

How formal is the party? I have found for things like showers (not overly formal), a good pasta salad goes a long way. Also fresh fruit, although that could get pricy this time of year.

[Anonymous]

Chicken Marbella (tastes good at room temp, easy to make)
Lasagne
Big green salad
Bread
Rice salad

[Anonymous]

I was recently in the same boat and here's what worked for me:

Costco Pigs in a Blanket (these flew like hot cakes!)
Baked cheese ravioli dish that I put on a hot plate
Crostini with goat cheese and chutney
Veggie and Ham pinwheels
Costco pre-cooked shrimp with homemade cocktail sauce

[Anonymous]

I second the beef tenderloin recommendation. I would make a large batch of roasted root vegetables to go with it - potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary. (Bonus - you can roast the tenderloin and veggies at the same time!) You can make a reduction sauce from the beef pan drippings. A large green salad. A broccoli and cauliflower gratin would be dynamite with this. Also, an assortment of cheeses, olives, fruits, breads, and crackers.

For a more casual and picnic-y sort of meal, you can make a BBQ pork shoulder in a crock pot (or oven). Season the shoulder with cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, pepper, salt, garlic, onions, brown sugar, and cider vinegar. You can also add some store-bought or homemade BBQ sauce. Shred and serve it with rolls, cole slaw, baked beans, and other salads.

Heavy apps tend to be a bit more work, but you could do meatballs in tiny pitas with tzatziki, smoked salmon with dilled cream cheese or creme fraiche on dark rye bread, sliced sausages with mustard, veggie frittatas sliced into small pieces, a cheese and fruit board, poached shrimp with a dipping sauce, a bagna cauda with lightly blanched and raw vegetables.

[Anonymous]

thanks everyone great ideas. beef tenderloin sounds great...although i 've never cooked one before. i may just wing it!

[Anonymous]

You could also do something like order the big dip and salad trays from Lebanese Taverna. I ordered two of them for the adults at my dd's last birthday party, and they easily fed the 15 adults that were there - and that was with nothing else, eg. the ham you mentioned, on offer. I think they cost about $25 or $26 each and comes with lots of yummy flat bread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:thanks everyone great ideas. beef tenderloin sounds great...although i 've never cooked one before. i may just wing it!

Don't worry! It is easy to do - start it at a high temp for 15-20 minutes (450 or so) then turn it down to 300. Take out at your desired doneness level. I would recommend medium-rare for tenderloin (the ends will be more medium) - around 120 F. The roast will continue to cook a bit when out of the oven resting, bringing it to a nice medium-rare.