How to cater for 40 people for mid morning food followed by mid afternoon meal? Thanks.

[trickydickie]

How would you cook 80 sausages for 40 people and then keep them hot for 2 hours? We have a religious celebration at 10am. Will be back home at 11.15am with about 40 people. Mixture of children and adults.

I was going to cook link sausages in the morning and then try and keep them hot whilst we are at church. POssibly with the oven at lowest temp possible and sausages wrapped in foil? So once back home I can just make the tea and coffee, put sausages on the rolls/baps and everyone is watered and fed for a bit.

Do you think it would be easier just doing a couple of bags of bread made up into sandwiches and kept fresh in the fridge until after church to go with tea and coffee? Do you think it would be less work than worrying about the sausages?

I was also going to cook a batch of chilli and rice for maybe 1.30pmish and a tray of lasagne. Both are mince dishes so was wondering if there are other suggestions to replace the lasagne or the chilli? Or if people think that would be ok?

This celebration is in less than 2 weeks and I am beginning to flap! Thanks.

I think it seems a bit much to have 2x sausages in rolls at 11:30ish then chilli/lasagne only 2 hours later than that. Could you ditch the sausages and bring lunch forward instead? Maybe have biscuits/cakes to go with the tea/coffee instead.
Iirc, as long as cooked food is kept at 65 degrees or higher, you can keep it warm safely for a while. Have you got a slow cooker?

How about doing pulled pork instead of sausages, then you can leave it in a slow cooker or similar whilst you're at church without worrying about it drying out.

The afternoon menu sounds good, if you're worried about too much mince then try doing the chilli with casserole beef instead, it's makes a lovely slow cooked chilli.

Also, sorry don't mean to add complications, but have you checked that there aren't any vegetarians in the visitors?

For the morning what about just getting scones? Jam and cream. Be lovely with tea or coffee, needs no heating or prep either.

Agree that people won't need sausages and then a hot meal two hours later. So something light with coffee after church then make lunch the main focus.

I'd have cake at 11, then chilli/veg chilli at 1.30. If you put baking potatoes in the oven ready to switch on when you get in and have nachos/cheese/sour cream/salsa/baguettes prepped it caters for all different tastes. If you can borrow a rice cooker that would help as well if it has a keep warm function.

I'd just have lunch earlier too and maybe have carrot sticks and humus / strawberries out in case children are starving when arrive and anything nice to go with the grownups coffee then lunch at 1 or so- and perhaps include a salad.

Wow. Thanks so much everyone. I didn't expect so many replies so quickly. Thank you.

I have 2 slow cookers (both 6.5l) and one rice cooker.

I also have a costco card!! Think I will go to costco on the Friday. Buy scones, cakes for the tea/coffee when we come in. Thanks for that idea, much easier than sausages. There are also a couple of bakers very close to me so might order some scones for us to pick up on way to church.

Will also buy a couple of deserts in costco, guacemolie (sp), sour cream etc.

Then, also bung bakes potatoes in oven at 11am. So people can have rice or baked potatoes with the chilli, and or lasagne.

No one is a vegetarian. I might think about doing pulled pork in one of the slow cookers and chilli in the other and forgetting the lasagne. I find lasagne quite time consuming to make!

Thanks for all the ideas everyone. Very much appreciated.

Sounds like a great plan, pulled pork and chilli with jackets is ideal. Really easy to prep and leave.

Pulled pork might be nicer with bread/wraps/pita? Or if you made it with Mexican spices when cooking it, it would then go with the rice, sour cream and gaucamole that you are serving with the chilli.

Lasagna is time consuming. But if you made the sauce the day before and then constructed it before bed that night, all you would need to do is bung it in the oven. This might be nicer served with garlic bread and salad.