Anonymous wrote:Op here - its lunch. Do you all think its cheaper to cater or cook? I love the ideas I am getting, but will it cost more to prepare than to cater?

Of course it is much cheaper to cook. You could do the pork shoulder idea for a dollar or two per person.

Op here - its lunch. Do you all think its cheaper to cater or cook? I love the ideas I am getting, but will it cost more to prepare than to cater?

Cheese, chicken and green enchiladas.

Taco bar just sounds really messy for that large a crowd. Why complicate things when you can just serve some ready-prepared stuff?

Chili and soup are great for occasions like this. You can make some in advance and hen just warm up. It's easy to meet different diet requirements (vegan, vegetarian, dairy free, etc). Serve with good bread and salad.

Lasagna (maybe one with meat and one without); chicken wings, or chili with fixins (bowls of shredded cheese, rice, onions). A big salad and a tray of veggie crudites and cut up fruit for the kids. A roasted vegetable salad with roasted potatoes, carrots, squash, onions, and peppers tossed with a light vinaigrette.

Taco bar ... that's a lot of taco meat for 35 people! Maybe 10 lbs

I would barbecue a pork shoulder and throw on a bunch of sausages, including veggie ones. I would also do some corn or potato salad and a couple of nice salads. Some nice bread rolls for the pork.
Easy.

How about a taco bar? Cook a bunch of taco meat. Have hard shells and tortillas, then a selection of toppings so everyone can make their own (salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, chopped tomato, etc)

Lasagna, large salad, crusty bread. Maybe another pasta or meat dish as well (think chicken marsala or penne a la vodka), and maybe a cheese/meat/bread tray or some veggies and dip.

Call Red Hot and Blue and cater pulled pork/pulled chicken sandwiches.

First, I agree that you might ask local friends or family to help. Otherwise here are my thoughts --
- Sandwich trays. Either buy the meat and cheese and assemble, or buy these pre-made and then slice up bread, tomatoes, etc...
- Sloppy joes or barbecue/pulled chicken or pork. If you have a slowcooker you could do a batch of it there, and a batch in your dutch oven on the stove. Also, you could make this ahead, freeze it in batches and then defrost and warm the day of the party
- Same theory for lasagnas or stuffed shells or ziti or other large casserole-esque Italian dish

With each of these, you also don't need tons of high maintenance side dishes. Chips and salads (lettuce-based and pasta or potato-based) for the first two. Salad and garlic bread for the second.

Will it be for lunch or dinner?

Do you have local family attending? Perhaps they could assist by bringing a dish. This is an overwhelming amount of people to cook for.

What can I cook for a birthday party with 35 guests? There will be kids aged 1-7 also.