Food for 25people

[sitckmansladylove]

This is will a postponed famiky lunch party type of thing (social distancing as we have a few picnic tables and so on - pop up tables)

I am going to be out in the morning so I can pick up lots of bread rolls/homemade soda bread/scones.
A lot of the meal I can do the day before. Salad and large turkey and ham joint sliced.

What I feel we need is some type of hot food like chicken breast on the bone (butcher sells these) but can I cook these in a couple of slow cooker? Curry could work except two coeliac diets and few plain eaters (elderly)
People will be travelling long distances so want something substantial.
I have a buffet server thing so can so lots of herbed baby potatoes - enough for everyone.
I am not a confident cook but confident in the home family cooking only.

I will be out until the guests come back with us so wouldn't give me time to cook. So rice etc would be tricky. I have two slow cookers (borrowing one )

I wouldn't do hot food apart from the potatoes tbh. Salad, meat, potatoes, bread, maybe some nice cheese is enough for anyone and very substantial.

If you really wanted hot food I'd do a mild chilli (will be fine for coeliacs as long as you don't use a jar sauce) in the slow cooker and see if I could borrow a rice cooker as they can be left to their own devices and keep warm. Then people can add tortilla chips, guac, cheese etc as they want

Do you think that will be enough to have salad and meats and new potatoes ? I could get some pre cooked salmon and some of the salads will be pasta based. I love near aldi and Lidl so I can buy falafel and cheeses etc easily fresh the night before. Grapes crackers etc

Just feel people might expect a 'dish' of dome description. No takeaway delivery here so I would have do it all myself.

My guide is always can everyone put together a plate with protein, carbs and plenty of veg/salad. That will be a full meal and most people would be happy with.

You have ham and turkey already. If you have any guests that don’t eat meat, perhaps consider the salmon or a cheese board.

For carbs, you have bread, pasta salads and potatoes for the coeliacs. Make sure there are plenty of potatoes so the coeliacs don’t go short.

And maybe it’s just me, but I always find that there’s never enough veg/salad on a buffet table and what there is goes fast, especially if there’s vegetarians present.

Ok. I feel much happier now. I could always stick on a few pizzas for the kids too. Always goes down well.

No vegetarians

Do you know how long several chicken breasts would take in the slow cooker would take? Also had another idea that I could cook a plain dinner (meat veg and mashed potato) for the elderly guests and heat up in the microwave. Then I am free to cook whatever for the younger crowd?

I think I am going to do a slow cooked joint of beef

Just do what you are planning plus one extra hot veg and gravy for those who want a 'cooked dinner'. So turkey/ ham herby pots and carrots or beans.

Would also do a couple of salad dishes rather than plain lettuce/cucumber/ toms. Coleslaw/ salsa/ pot salad/ couscous/ Greek/watermelon and feta.

With 25 people I would keep it simple. Ham and Turkey is fine, no need to add more meat but a cheese board could be good if people don’t fancy the meat or prefer to eat cheese for dessert. Alternatively a big quiche of puff pastry tart. With the bread and potatoes I’d just add a tomato, red onion and basil salad, a big green salad, coleslaw and a Mexican corn, onion and pepper salad.