Topic: Cooking for 50 people

[farrah]

  s and  s,  Assalamoalikum,
      I am planning a party next year, Graduation Party. Can anyone pls help me how to organise? And also the menu and the quantity. I need suggestions what to cook or make or order. I am short on budget but still want to have a good party.
I need Pakstani recipes,may add a few Midterranian  or American foods too. I am wondering if it has to be a Lunch or  Tea Party. I know Pakistanis like Lunch. But I do have some American and Arabic friends too. I want everyone to enjoy the food. It is going to be in May sometimes. I really appreciate it.

[Sami Yusuf Islam]

mashaaAllah. I wish I could join in . 

[farrah]

mashaaAllah. I wish I could join in . 

, You are most welcome,and you are invited.

[Emilee]

Good one sis, a graduation party is always fun to attend to 
 
how about asking your friends what would they like to eat and after you get all the responses you can come up with the solution.

[farrah]

  ,Good Idea. I will try that. But people are not generous enough to share the recipes and even honest. And people do not want to help.
So I thought TalkaboutIslam to be a good source. May I ask what do you serve to your friends? Any kind of sandwiches?  I have plenty of time till the party. May be I will search cooking websites.

[Peace Counselor]

I do not know if this is against your beliefs or not, but I had my graduation party last year and I could share a few ideas with you.

We rented a tent and tables from a local shop. We bought tablecloths at $1/pc from the Dollar Store and that worked out nicely.

For food, we had a couple large 5-gallon pitchers of Gatorade, water, etc. My father grilled meats (hot dogs, hamburgers) and served them as needed. We also had macaroni salad, fruit salad, and pasta. All of this was made at home. We decided against catering because it is very expensive, and the food is very high in calories.

Macaroni salad and fruit salad are good ideas though. Fruit salad is really just a mix of various fruits -- watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, kiwi, whatever you like. Google will give you plenty of recipes for macaroni salad -- mayonnaise, peas, and boiled noodles.

Good luck with your graduation party! Tell us if you need any more advice!

[farrah]

Thanks a bunch. Still working on it. Since it is a Pakistani graduation I will cook some dishes myself. My major concern is the quantity. I am cooking rice with peas,but do not know how much will be enough. This is going to be my first experience to cook for 50.
Fruit salad is a great idea + healthy plus no cooking required,and people will like it.
I am thinking to buy a small freezer,so that I can freeze some of my food. There is only ME doing grocery,and cooking without any help. I am trying to save money so dropped the idea of tent..will need chairs inside.
Thankyou so much. Can you please tell me the tastiest pasta recipe which people would like? Or may be I will google.

[jen.bas]

Preparation is key to success you should know all the things needed in  preparing a huge party. Consider also the time and effort.

[farrah]

Preparation is key to success you should know all the things needed in  preparing a huge party. Consider also the time and effort.

Right? I want people to like what I cook. I wil have to cook the same food 3 times to make it for 50 peope because of my small pots. I am  nervous and not sure how my cooking will turn out.
My fault is that I have too many things in the menu. One of the dishes is Mutton Qorma, since all else is going to be chicken. The person who caters from home wantsto buy the meat herslf. I wonder if she is going to clean it like I do and is it going to be good meat.
If any one can tell how much rice to cook for 50 people,that will be a great help.

[Peace Counselor]

I can't help you too much with the guestimate on how much rice to prepare, but I know that what my family did is just make more than we needed and eat the rest over the next week or so. Rice stores well, so I would not worry about making "too much" as I don't think it will go to waste. I think whatever figure you come up with will be reasonable enough that you will be okay.

One of my favorite pasta recipes is pasta caprese. This is how I make it:

• 1 1/2 LBS fresh, ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 8 OZ mozzarella cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
• 1/2 CUP fresh basil leaves (washed, dried, shredded)
• 1 LB pasta (I like to use penne)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper as needed

About an hour before you serve the meal, mix the mozzarella, tomatoes, oil, and vinegar (and garlic, if you choose) in a deep bowl (it helps to have the mozzarella and tomatoes, and basil already prepared, just store it in the refrigerator). Add salt, pepper as necessary. Cover this with a dishcloth and let it sit at room temp for an hour. Add the basil and toss it to mix it around. Cook the pasta (al dente), drain the water, and pour the tomato mixture you just made on the pasta and toss it all together and serve.

You could also just make some pasta, sauce, and throw some mozzarella on top of that. Whatever you choose, good luck!