Is there no one local who can come in and cook for you? I think shepherds pie is a great idea. If you have to do all the catering keep it simple. No one will mind. It’s the company that matters. For Xmas, we had individual veggie wellingtons from Lidl and they were gorgeous. Everyone thought they were homemade (in a good way). So actually, why cook at all?
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Food for a big family do away from home
(50 Posts)Next weekend, Fri to Sun, in a big rental property in the Cotswolds. Around 20, inc. a 2 and a 3 year old.
Several of the guests will have a long drive each way.
First idea was a takeaway for the Friday night - still seems sensible - and a restaurant for the Sat night. However, nobody has looked into this and from experience, getting anywhere to cater for a big party at relatively short notice may not be easy, esp. on a Sat night. Not to mention that the 2 year old will not sit after eating - he's still at the wanting to charge around stage, which is not fair on staff or other diners.
Eating in would seem easier all round.
So I think it,probably best to make some simple things in advance, to take.
First thought was a big chilli con carne, but there's at least one in the party who can't take anything very spicy any more.
And there are two who have become very gluten intolerant, one of whom also loathes milk and cream, and won't eat anything that looks 'milky'. Though at least there are no veggies or vegans to think of!
So although it sounds very boring, I'm thinking of two really big shepherd's pies, and 2 equally big macaroni cheeses - I have enough big dishes - which I could make in advance and heat up.
I once did the same for FiL's funeral (!) - also in the depths of winter - when I had no idea how many would come back afterwards, and they went down fine.
However, open to suggestions for anything else reasonably easy/transportable/make-in-advance-able. I did also think of lasagne, but pasta would be no good for the gluten intolerant ones, plus there's milk in the sauce, so can't do that alongside macaroni cheese.
Should add that I am happy to cook!
Get all the adults to bring one dish each for supper& have a bbq breakfast, sausages bacon eggs baked beans & pancakes ,then restaurant for dinner cheers
We do this every year and my daughter arranges the food. One very popular first night supper was a giant, yorkshire pudding for each person, half filled with cauliflower cheese and half filled with beef casserole.
The casserole is a good base and jacket potatoes, garlic bread rice or pasta would all work. Even oven chips as an extra if you have children to please.
Do 2 chillies- cook all together, add all ingredients and then divide and then add chillies (I like mine super hot).
If you are having takeaways look online for recommended outlets nearby which hopefully have online menus to order from and which hopefully you can have delivered.
Enjoy yourself with such a large group. As these large gatherings happen rarely don’t overdo the cooking.
I think what you are doing sounds great. Do an open group message letting everyone know what’s you are doing and put that anyone with severe allergies etc are more than welcome to bring there own.
A nice big pan of homemade soup and some of that part baked bread that you can warm up and serve?
Meat pies, take big potatoes for jackets to go with it. Take sausages and chops for another meal and rice. Cakes or tarts ready=made.
On the first night everyone will be tired so do whatever is easiest!
If you do cook for yourselves - and if you've family or friends who are dairy and/or wheat intolerant, vegetarian or vegan - I think you should take this into account, not expect them to bring their own food (unless everyone else does the same). It is not usually a choice to have a food intolerance.
I have catered for lots of big family get togethers and do a buffet for people to help themselves. I provide (sometimes with help from other family members who like cooking) several casseroled dishes prepared ahead of time to heat up - e.g. 2 vegan, 2 vegetarian, I chicken and 1 pork, lamb or beef. My own choice is not to use a lot of chilli,especially if there are children in the party. Suggest also the use of dairy free marg. or olive oil instead of butter, and to thicken sauces with cornflour or plain GF flour.No one can tell the difference.
Roasted vegetables, GF pasta, salads and rice to accompany these always go down well.
For pudding, I recommend Swedish Glace soya ice cream (available from Tesco's) afterwards. Most people think it tastes perfectly OK, especially with a hot fruit sauce made from packs of frozen berries and sweetened to taste, and only takes 5 minutes to put together.
Have a great time!
We this marvellous family business near us whichbegan in the early 1970s, with a recipe for lemon souffle handed down to Mrs Latham from her grandmother. We are a family run business, based in the heart of Lancashire, specialising in high quality indulgent desserts, cakes and biscuits.
They do the filling for a Lancashire hotpot. I bought 2 large frozen ones just after Christmas, let them defrost for 24 hours and then put filling in large crock pot first 30 mins in microwave and then 1 hr in oven. Served with a
shredded red cabbage with apples cooked in the pressure cooker. Everyone thought I had made it myself.
also as has been mentioned waitrose party food is good and having a delivery to the cottage or just before you leave so that you take it all with you if you have room. When we went to centre parcs we have lost of the half baked small loaves to put in the oven and plenty of salad and fillings.
hope you have a good holiday.
I do the catering for big parties very often and macaroni cheese is often one of my default meals and spaghetti bolognese is another. Both can be served with a simple salad and dressed up to make them look a bit special. The pasta for both dishes can be gluten free.
Freeze the stews and let them thaw during the drive. We always did this when we went away
There is one who can't take spicy. Toddlers. Some who can't have milky. Some who are gluten intolerant. And you would need at least 6 Nigel Slater cakes to feed 20 people. Imagine. 20 people. I've been catering for 8 people every week until recently and it's been a workhorse kitchen and ingredient delivery conveyor belt.
OP is going away for a nice time.
I would still get it catered unless money is tight. But if takeaway and Saturday meal out for 20 has been considered it seems it's not too much of an issue.
Make it easy. And breakfast too! Don't forget that. I tried to do cooked breakfast for 8 in a strange kitchen on the morning after arrival. Never again. Washed pans as not sure how clean from last visitors, small hob, unfamiliar kitchen. Ended up sweaty, greasy, grumpy.
Things always seem sunny in your head!
I think your ideas are great and don’t take much cooking time. I have done shepherd”s pie too for a gathering. What’s not to like with a macaroni cheese for veggie option? Children would generally like them too..
Could someone else bring a cake or crumble?
Cakes made with almonds instead of flour work really well, Nigel Slater has a really easy clementine cake, Nigella Lawson an olive oil chocolate cake, also easy, both gluten free.
Crumbles made with gluten free flour or oats are really good.
But as I say ask someone else to do them, you’re doing a great job as it is.
Enjoy the party and leave the washing up to someone else.
ps - 2 large cottage pies and 2 large macaroni cheeses wouldn't feed 20 people in my family!
I would make it easy so you can enjoy yourself rather than sweating in the kitchen worrying about cooking on a unfamiliar cooker in an unfamiliar kitchen and whether you have enough for everyone. It would be nice to turn up fresh and ready for the fun than frazzled from previous days cooking combined with packing.
The suggestion of everyone bringing a dish would be awkward for those travelling a long distance plus could be a logistical nightmare with everyone turning up with the same type of thing or you would have to delegate and you'd get the 'I'm not good at puddings' and so on.
First thing I would do for sure, is to contact the takeaway of your choice and warn them there will be 20 for a delivery. Unless you're in a big city, some of the out of the way places may not be able to cope with an order for 20 for a takeaway or delivery. At least you'll know if they say they can't manage an order that large before you have a houseful of hungry people and nowhere that can manage an order that large. And either get the orders beforehand or make sure you give them more notice than their usual delivery promise. They may even ask you to pay a deposit if they have to cater for a party of 20.
Secondly, I would either organise an online shop to the address (we do this when we go away. Get a delivery for just after you arrive. We were held up because of an accident on one occasion going to Cornwall from Kent and the delivery driver got the key to our lodge and put everything away for us so the fridge/freezer items wouldn't be spoiled). They don't usually deliver party platters though but if you contact a local Sainsburys/Waitrose/M&S, they may take an online order or telephone order and payment. Then, as we have done in the past, you can order large platters of nice quality party food.
You haven't described your accommodation but sometimes you can organise catering where there is accommodation that houses so many. Enquire.
This will save you trying to transport food in your car that may leak out and if you get held up in traffic, you will be worrying about food poisoning.
With that number of people, with all different eating requirements and age ranges I wouldn't try to cater myself.
Throw some money at it and have a wonderful time. I imagine it will be hectic but enormous fun. Hope you thoroughly enjoy yourselves!
Luckygirl Mmmmm I love the sound of your meals!
Definitely a big hearty stew! I did one for 40 for my Dad's 80th, some time ago now. It was easy to serve out and to eat from bowls. We had veg and potatoes with it.
On arrival if people are likely to come at different times, recently we did pizzas and soup. We bought the pizzas and augmented the toppings just a little. They cook quickly so you can prepare them as and when.
Is Sunday lunch on the menu? Would chicken joints be acceptable? Done as roast with some flavourings, and roasted veg. That way you won't have to carve. Carving all well and good but the meal gets cold if it is for lots of people.
Stews are my go to for big catering. I don't eat red meat myself but beef and bacon in beer goes down well - tasty and easy.
Another great idea is salmon - buy a whole one - cook in foil in oven - mashed up crab meat and breadcrumbs makes a great topping. Pull the foil back for a short time at the end to crisp the topping up. Serve with rice and salads. You can prepare it all beforehand.
I would do simple puds - lots of soft fruit with ice cream, creme fraiche and meringues.
Have a ball!
If we're having a 'gathering of the clans', I roast two chickens, cut, rather than carve them into smallish pieces, and put them into my home made sweet and sour sauce, more sweet than sour when the little people are going to be there. It gets transported in a freezer box plugged in to the power socket in the car boot. The menfolk are then sent out for chips and/or rice when we need it.
Last October when we last had a get together, my pulled pork was requested by roughly 50% of folk, so one chicken and one pork shoulder.
Don't make work for yourself though, it's meant to be a break for you as well
we had a gathering - not quite so large - a couple of years ago and people were asked to contribute a dish, either brought to heat up or ingredients which were cooked on site. We also had caterers come in for one meal which was the equivalent of going out to eat but without any of the travelling.
A local supermarket order of the basics was delivered - also made life easier
Enjoy!
At our daughter's wedding weekend, the young men in the party had a pizza making frenzy, involving children too. They made the dough from scratch and everyone took various toppings. It was great fun all round and tasted great.
Baked potatoes with chill con carne and quiches with pre-prepped salad items which can be put together with salad dressing on the day. Pud can be a big chocolate cake with creme fraiche, tarte au citron and Apple pie and custard. All puds can be bought and Birds (3) packet custards are about £1.15, made with boiling water and I mix in some single cream at the end to make it more luxurious.
Don't make work for yourself.
Witzend - CHEAT!!! I have got all DH's side of the family coming to us tomorrow for a family get together to celebrate brother in law's 70th. We won't be quite so many - 14 adults and 5 children from 2 to nearly 7 - and I'm buying everything from Cook. Their food is great, tastes homemade and isn't wildly expensive. It can be cooked from frozen (all their dishes are frozen) or in some cases microwaved.
The Friday night takeaway is a great idea!
I think your choices sound ideal Witzend. I also think your family are very lucky that you are happy to organise the food. I am sure they will be grateful to have someone cook for them, especially the parents of the children. My DD and SIL parents of 3 are always very happy when i cater for them whatever I cook, they are just happy to have the break!
Have a lovely weekend!
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