To think feeding 40 people for £50 is more than possible

[user1486841477]

I was planning to make a chilli con carne, curry, pulled pork, meatball pasta, carbonara in large pots.

Add sides of rice, garlic bread, potatoes, chips, pizza.

Snacks of crisps, nuts, quiche, cocktail cheese and pineapple, cruidetes with dip,

Large homemade cake

Different desserts.

My mum thinks this doesn't sound that interesting and I should be doing fancy canapés etc.

Caterers all wants £6 a head which I can't afford and don't need to ask I'm a good cook.

Am I being too ambitious?

What would you do to feed 40 people on £50?

Actually quite easy to bulk up pulled pork with veg - large stockpot, fill the bottom with sliced onions and garlic, cover that with a good layer of finely sliced mixed peppers - put your dry rub on your pork, nestle it into the veg and slowly pour in your stock.

Once it's nearly cooked you can add some more sliced peppers and onions for texture; actually works really well, means it goes further and makes it a bit more interesting to eat, especially if served with tortilla chips for nachos.

I still think £50 for 40 people is pretty optimistic though, especially as (as previous posters have said) the pasta dishes won't reheat brilliantly. Are you also going to have to buy/hire extra crockery, cutlery etc? If you're serving jackets and chilli a paper plate and a plastic fork won't really do the job...

I would also check to see if you have any nut/gluten/dairy/egg allergies. I know it's a pain in the neck, but people can react to nuts just being near others foods or in the air.

I also agree maybe do a chilli with meat, veggie curry and big vat of pasta and sauce over the options you suggested. People have different ideas of portion sizes, the pulled pork could go quick. Although if you vaguely tell me where you live, we buy whole animals butchered, so could help you out for free with the pork that's organic as I hate the stuff. Plus sausages too, for the sausage rolls if you're making them, you just need to take the meat out the casing, again organic.

For anyone who is funny about meat, I know it's going off topic, but it works out cheaper if you & your parents/in laws/a friend go in for buying a whole lamb/pig/cow and then split it half & half. The butcher will mince the bits they use for mince, cut steak/chops, make sausages. Usually done Autumn time you have enough to last for ages. Yes you need freezers, so you could have chest freezers in your garage, or failing a garage a shed that you safely get an electricity supply too. In total for 3 animals you're looking at £200 and a load of meat.

We always portion off mince/sausages/bacon/chops into bags. Say we have cottage pie, we do potatoes and mince, make the Pyrex dish of cottage pie, plus have enough left to make 4 foil meals or Tupperware meals for the DC's. Same with spaghetti sauce. It's ready to defrost and heat up.

I think it'll be interesting to see if OP manages it for £50 but I'm assuming she has stuff already she can use up.

You could do nachos with cheese etc for the chilli, but they get a bit grim when cold.

How are you keeping it all warm? Are planning on having the pots in the kitchen and serving, so you can control portions?

Please swap at least one dish for a veggie one - I'd argue at least half the food should be veggie - ideally more. I eat veggie a lot (used to be one) and ime mass catered food is a nightmare and I still always go hungry, eat a bit of garlic bread, smile and pretend I'd eaten (whilst slowly dying inside). I avoid meat and eggs that are intensively reared and for that price they will be. I find that more and more people eat veggy for health reasons or even just taste now.

Even DH who is a certified carnivore complains that buffets never have any veggy options.

Pots of stuff are great but why not add a veggy curry and a dall (in place of the carbonara and pulled pork?)

How much will you meat cost?

Then all the snacks?

Pasta will dry and go claggy unless served straight away and super fresh.

Sounds a bit like too much food/variety.

Keep it simple but do it really well.

Ditch the pasta and have a lovely big green salad.

Ditch the puddings and have 4 cakes, some cheese , fruit and biscuits.

For me it would depend on who the 40 people were.

40 people who you know and love and who know and love each other? Honestly, you could feed them dry bread and skilly. They arent there for the food, they are there for the party. They are there to chat, have a laugh, be together.

40 people who dont know each other well (eg work colleagues)? The food will matter more and your budget may be a bit tight.

Sounds a very heavy menu on the meat and carbs. Try and add in sides of veg or at least a large salad.

Even with other dishes, 2 pizzas isn't enough for 40 people! You can do it way cheaper than the caterers but no way can you do it for £50.

That is far too much food for 40 people. No way you need 5 mains plus pizza. Carbonara will be horrible if sat around on a buffet. Stick to chilli or curry, pulled pork and the meatballs. Cut out the pizza/quiche, chips and potatoes.

I also don't believe you will bring all this in at £50. Crips and peanuts etc cost a lot.

What about drinks?

What sort of celebration is it you are catering for?

With so much choice, you will get people who take a bit of everything, the first 20 people could easily clear the lot leaving just dregs for the next 20

Exactly.

Sounds a disaster.

OP you say you are a "good cook" but it doesn't sound that way.

Bulk cook carbonara? Chips for 50 people? Curry, pasta and chilli all on the same menu? People at a buffet like to sample and try- with all that on their plate it will look and taste like a dog's dinner.

Do you need to provide a huge meal or is it a get together of some kind? Do you have 50 plates and sets of cutlery? Pots big enough? Serving platters ?

Providing snacks and nibbles may be easier.

not possible without using low quality food. if it was veggie maybe yes

It's do-able, and I don't agree with your Mum that canapes are essential - especially in colder weather - but like others I would cut back on the options, have at least one vegetarian choice and avoid pasta.

Also need to think about and potentially costs for crockery and cutlery. Canapes can be balanced on a paper plate; chilli and curry need something more solid.

Yes, borrow plates and cutlery if necessary, please don't expect people to eat a hot/wet meal on a flimsy paper plate with a cheap plastic fork that snaps as soon as it hits anything solid. That is my absolute pet hate at parties.

I'm another one who thinks your menu is nice but you are being optimistic thinking you can do all that for £50.

Quality not quantity

What is the event? Why no veggie food? I agree with a lot of what chicken said. Do you have a huge professional kitchen? I love carbonara but luke warm and will crap ingredients it will be horrid. How will you stop the egg going all gloppy?

To make it well you need to simplify and pick a theme. Eg curries which can be served/kept warm in slower cookers (you can borrow a few) with a range of appropriate sides.

I would much rather have less choice of a few suitable good dishes then lots of crap food,

I suspect the OP is not coming back.

Can you get to a Costco OP? I think you could keep costs down by buying there.

I also agree about the lack of veggie food! I'd starve!

No way. A chill alone would cost me £7-10 for 4-6 people. Not 40!

You have way too many options, way too much prep and different foods and spices and herbs.

How can you bulk cook and heat carbonara?

I would ditch most of that. Do two mains, one veggie , one meat. Then add two carb sides ie baked potatoes and bread. Add two different salads ie mixed Greek and a cabbage coleslaw type. Add simple two deserts. That's it.

There's no way you can afford to make all those mains, huge sides (and keep warm), plus buy all snacks and random extra cakes for £50

A decent veggie chilli alone for 40 would cost £20

It sounds very ambitious for £50 - far too many dishes.

I'd certainly drop the carbonara; it'll be like a huge lump of concrete sitting around keeping warm.

I do wish you luck though and hope you'll come back and prove us doubters wrong!

What's the occasion?

I can't see how you can do it for £50. The menu you are suggesting is far too ambitious and over-complicated.

I personally would appreciate the homemade more, you can do it OP, just go for it!

I have to be honest it sounds like an 80's throw back to me. Simplify your main choices, include a veggie option, lose the snacks (especially the nuts for the risk of any people with allergies). Cous cous really good option as a side easy to bulk and flavour with veg (less of a health hazard than rice which has been sat out), good massive salad, one meat one veggie dish to go with them. Cake or dessert you don't need both. £50 would be doable.

Shopping at the right time to get marked down stuff can save a fortune.