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I am having a whole load of family and friends around next month and am weighing up catering it myself against getting a pal to do it. I was wondering if anyone had any fabulous ideas of how to feed this amount of people hassle free.

Any help is hugely appreciated!

FB

How about a big past or rice dish or even a huge chilli with rice and garlic bread etc?

Yes i had thought about the big chilli thing. It will be a lunch, but chilli is lovely. we will be coming back from an event and getting stuck ito food pretty quickly, so would be good to have stuff i can just heat up or bung in the oven

lots and lots of pringles

You could do a big meat chilli, then a smaller veggie chilli. Making one in the slow cooker would help,if you have one. Rather than trying to do rice or faffing with baked potatoes, you could just warm a stack of tortillas when you get in. Have salads, tortilla chips, guacamole, grated cheese, salsa and soured cream to go alongside plus perhaps some French sticks and even a cheeseboard with crackers etc too, for any that don't fancy chilli.

Couple of big trifles and some chocolate cakes or cheesecakes.

Icecream and bashed maltesers for children, to keep them off the trifle!

DH loves the pringle suggestion!

janeite - you are obviously a pro. Would the tortilla thing be a bit messy? Not sure why i think that maybe am just being nobby. I was looking for some things to have alongside sarnies, but maybe should just abandon that and go with your suggestion.

mmmmmmmmmm mashed maltesers

Doing a big chilli/curry/stroganoff and offering rice/jackets/tortillas with it, along side some really nice bread, cheese and sliced meat is way easier than doing sarnies.

You can prepare everything ahead of time, then just heat up and bung in slow cooker (ask to borrow from friends) and you will come back to it all ready for you. You can bake jackets the day before to just under done, and then sling in the hot oven when you come back, and rice can be precooked as long as you cool it really fast and make sure it's reheated to piping hot. You can put it in a covered dish in the oven too.

i think chilli et al. is just too messy. you need finger food. think buffet.

I did a slightly smaller number than this, did a buffet - jacket potatoes, quiches (decent bought ones), cold meats prepared by me and frozen beforehand - so a ham cooked and sliced, chicken breasts roasted with honey and soy then sliced, also cold marinated sausages, nice bought breads, crisps, salads (I made coleslaw and then just bought salad leaves etc), cheeses, chutneys (bought!).

And then desserts including: Nigella's chocolate and cherry trifle (divine), Delia's lemon roulade, an apple tart, fruit salad, all made the day before.

It was quite a lot of work beforehand but hardly anything on the day, just had to put everything out and cook the jackets. Overall it went down well. I have learnt from a caterer aunt (a caterer) that's it's all in the planning, make lists, do things on time, and it will come together.

also having a similar do, so following this eagerly

singingbear - cold marinated sausages - how do they work? what is the marinade etc? sound interesting.

Tortillas - I like them overcooked and a bit crunchy, to eat alongside, rather than to roll the chilli up in them or anything. The only problem is that for a chilli type meal like this, you'd need decent plates, rather than paper ones.

I am deffo not a pro - I get worried even just feeding ONE set of friends, let alone a crowd! I just like thinking about food.

Last time I did a huge party I slow-roasted a huge slab of pork for 24 hours, served with apple sauce and baps.

Follwed that with puddings made the day before (except the pavlova which I made up at the last minute)

It was all eaten.

Thank you for all your ideas. We dont' have enough decent plates and I would prefer to use paper ones anyway, so might abandon the chilli idea.

SingingBear - I like the quiches and cold meats idea! Acutally just rereading I like the whole thing. Last time i did this i roasted a ham and chicken for sarnies, but if i stole your idea I could just have the bits and pieces and people could make up their own sarnies with rolls or whatever.

Meltedmarsbar - apple sauce - mmmmmmmmmmmm

Also interested in how you did the marinated sausages.

Pitta bread and wraps are easier to stuff than rolls or bread.

Oooooh meltedmarsbars - please can I pinch your pork idea?

sorry to hijack

What sort of pork joint did you use? What weight for 40-50 people? And what temp etc?

roger on the pita breads and wraps

We did one for a smaller number recently and we did a big chilli (with dark choc in it which makes it really rich and lush), a big veggie curry and a soup. We had lots of rice, bread (baguette and pita), jacket potatoes to go with as well as things like crispy bacon bits, chopped coriander, soured cream and grated cheese. It went really well.

The slow roast pork thing is a great idea though and Ainsley Harriott does a lovely spicy one with a pineapple and chilli salsa to go with.

The spice mix includes:

4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp jerk seasoning
1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
2 tbsp dark rum
1 tbsp olive oil

The salsa is a mix of:

1 ripe pineapple
1 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 large red chilli
2 tsp grated ginger
grated zest & juice lime
1 small red onion
1 tbsp mint
1 tbsp coriander.

It's totally yummy.

Sorry - re 'decent' I just meant those good quality ones, rather than the thin paper ones - sister in law had some fab ones from Poundland of all places over Christams and they were quite strong.

Hi, Sorry I think I may have over-excited you talking about marinated sausages - was typing quickly and not thinking about correct terminology! They were roasted in a mixture of honey and soy (I think) - can check - then could either be served cold or warmed up with the jackets. I said my chicken breasts were honey and soy, they must have been slightly different as I wouldn't have done exactly the same - I think there was some lemon in there somewhere. Again, can check.

I think the chilli etc idea like Sunshinemummy suggests sounds great, but mine was for DD1's christening, we were out all morning, had hardly any time between getting in and wanting to serve, plus lunch was on laps for many rather than all at table, plus lots of children, plus we used paper plates............ hence went with a coldish buffet.

I like the pork idea for another time - yum!

SingingBear - this is a christening too and we are in exactly the same situation. I am thinking of roasting a salmon too.

Thanks so much everyone, was dreading this but now looking forward to it!

FlouryBap - Good luck! Salmon sounds like a great idea - people will really enjoy that if you do it - a bit special.

Hi Floury - when I did DP's 40th I had a chat with the local supermarket and was surprised to find they would do catering quantities of all sorts of things - roasted chicken drumsticks, coleslaw and other salads, wine glass hire - lots of things, and little of it was advertised instore. I just had a chat with them at customer services on a quiet evening and they went through it all. I ended up doing a partial cold buffet and then a huge pile of hot (bought) cornish pasties, which were OK "handheld" wrapped in a serviettes and so I didn't need substantial plates. Ikea are good for big packs of nice quality, good-sized serviettes. Ebay are good for paper table cloths and rolls of table covers if you wanted to go fully disposable to cut down on the clearing up.

Taffetacat: sorry for late reply, don't come on here that often:

The pork was as big a piece as the butcher could cut for me from a shoulder: huge!

I did 30 mins in the top (hot) oven of the Aga then 24 hours in the bottom (cool) oven. That really doesn't help you much but I'm sure there are recipes online for it.

I have also done a whole salmon (bring to boil in a tin of water then leave till tepid, drain, skin and garnish) and also curries for a buffet - you can eat curries with one hand.

Hi Taffetacat - try this recipe from HFW or this recipe from Nigella for pork shoulder done over 12-24 hours.

I did a cold buffet for DH's birthday last year.

Mini Quiches

Puffy Delights - puff pastry cut into squares, filled with ham/cheese or salmon/cream cheese

Mini savoury muffins

Bavarian potato salad (with oil and vinegar instead of mayo)

Pasta salad

Green salad

Cheese board

Dips/crisps

Most of these were prepared a couple of days before the party and frozen.