Cooking For Crowds For Dummies

Even the cook should get to enjoy a stress-free Thanksgiving. So, if you're hosting this year's holiday festivities, follow these tips to help take the stress out of getting ready to cook a Thanksgiving meal: ©Lordn / Adobe Stock Make a plan: Poor planning is probably the greatest stressor when you're trying to execute a large meal, particularly Thanksgiving dinner.

Cooking for a crowd on Thanksgiving is always a little stressful. But with a little planning, your Thanksgiving dinner will arrive on the table without incident. Keep these tips in mind to run a smooth kitchen, which is especially important for a big holiday meal: Check what you need before you start cooking: Nothing is worse for a cook than being halfway through a recipe and realizing that you’re out of a key ingredient.

You’ve worked hard deciding what foods to serve on Thanksgiving and have chosen the finest ingredients. On Thanksgiving Day, why not create some visual impact with the food you’re going to serve? Try these following tips for adding flair to your Thanksgiving table. ©Evgenyb / Adobe Stock Make your own dip bowls: When serving a vegetable tray with dip, try making a bowl out of a red, yellow, or green bell pepper.

Broccoli with Red Peppers and Onion is an inexpensive dish that's colorful enough for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table. Plain broccoli is nutritious but can be boring. Dress it up with red bell peppers and almonds to give your green some extra zip. It works great with a wide variety of main course dishes.

You've committed to having a large group of friends and family over for a meal — but now what? The hardest part about cooking for a crowd is figuring out how much to cook. The quantity you make depends on how many people you're serving, of course, and whether appetizers are pre-meal goodies or the main attraction.

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner is a big endeavor, but you can take a lot of the stress out of the holiday by preparing some foods in advance. Take some time to go over your menu and determine which dishes you can make ahead of time. Read on to see suggestions for tasks you can perform before the big day arrives. ©Thomas John / Unsplash.

If you are cooking for crowd this holiday season, consider this easy, inexpensive turkey pot pie. Serve this as the entrée at your holiday party with a salad to make a complete meal. Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 35 to 40 minutes Yield: 24 servings 12 cups cubed cooked turkey 4 1/2 cups turkey broth 4 1/2 cups frozen green peas 12 carrots, sliced in rounds 1 10.

Turkey Tetrazzini is an easy and inexpensive main dish to make if you’re cooking for a crowd. This delicious dish with turkey, which is usually on sale around Thanksgiving, can be dressed up for dinner parties or served as an informal family meal. Its rich taste is sure to be a hit. Turkey Tetrazzini Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes Yield: 24 servings 8 ounces uncooked vermicelli 1/4 cup chicken or turkey broth 2 cups chopped cooked turkey 5 3/4 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup 5 3/4 ounces condensed cream of celery soup 1/2 cup sour cream 2 ounces jars sliced mushrooms, drained 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Because turkey is cheap around the holidays, you can create the casserole this creamy casserole and feed a crowd without straining your budget. Try serving it with some green beans, salad, and crescent rolls for an easy and complete meal. Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour, 5 minutes Yield: 24 servings 4 6.

Nothing is worse than cooking Thanksgiving dinner and running out of food. It is important to err on the side of excess while sticking to your budget. There is no exact formula for cooking for a crowd, so you have to consider your crowd. Do they really enjoy eating? Will many children be present? Are most people in your crowd weight conscious?

When you're cooking for a crowd, knowing how much to cook is your biggest concern. The following tables help you determine how much food you need to prepare — everything from appetizers through desserts — for your big gatherings: Appetizers Type of Appetizer Number of Different Appetizer Types Per Person Cr

Once you have your Thanksgiving dinner budget set and know roughly how many people you will be serving, it’s time to determine what to serve with that turkey. Plan on appetizers, sides, salads, breads, desserts, and don’t forget the essentials like butter and salad dressing. Appetizers for Thanksgiving entertaining What kinds of appetizers you should serve depends on how much you want to spend and what type of event you’re cooking for.

A big bowl of salad looks great on your holiday table and really stretches your food dollar. Bean and cheese salad is one of those dishes that may catch you off guard because it sounds so unusual. But don’t let the unexpected turn you away — this recipe is great. Bean and Cheese Salad Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/John Shepherd 2012 Preparation time: 20 minutes Yield: 24 servings 18 cups romaine lettuce torn in pieces 1-1/2 cups sliced green onions 3 15.

Naturally, cooking Christmas dinner for a crowd can be expensive, so it’s important to plan with a budget in mind. begin with a firm look at your budget. If you’re the one making Christmas dinner for the crowd, ask yourself the following questions: How much can you spend? You may be thinking goose or duck, when your budget calls for turkey.

This very rich and very creamy dessert is perfect for a crowd event. Cheesecake itself symbolizes holiday fun, but this recipe is great year-round. Because they're bite size, they're easy to serve — a big plus! Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cheesecake Bites Preparation time: 40 minutes Cooking time: 25 to 30 minutes Chill time: 1 to 24 hours Yield: 24 servings 1-1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies 1/4 cup butter, melted 2/3 cup, 2 tablespoons sugar, divided 24 chocolate kisses 4 8-ounce packages (32 ounces) cream cheese, softened 4 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup chunky peanut butter 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips 2 teaspoons shortening 1.

If you are serving dinner to a Thanksgiving crowd you will need to include room in your budget for drinks. Plan on offering hot and cold drinks, decide whether you will serve alcoholic beverages, and always be sure to offer water. Also, don’t forget to have plenty of ice on hand. ©Mark Stout / iStockphoto.comWhen serving soft drinks, it’s important when planning your menu and looking at your budget to decide whether to serve them from cans or 2-liter plastic bottles.

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner for a crowd can be expensive, so it’s important that you start out with a firm look at your budget. If you’re the one making Thanksgiving dinner, ask yourself the following questions: How much can you spend? You may be thinking goose or duck, when your budget calls for turkey. What are the ages of the guests you’ll be cooking for?

To decorate for Thanksgiving, you can choose from a variety of colors and styles aside from the typical, traditional theme for decorating. Choose from the many colors, items, and accent pieces in the following table to get ideas or inspiration for your Thanksgiving decorating. Because Thanksgiving is centered around celebrating a bountiful harvest, preserved flowers and displays of fruit fit into the decorating scheme.

Scalloped potatoes are standard side-dish fare, and we don't reinvent the wheel here, because the traditional dish is very tasty. However, this recipe yields enough for a crowd. (In case you're wondering, scalloped means to bake in a casserole with milk or a sauce and often topped with breadcrumbs.) Scalloped Potatoes for a Crowd Preparation time: 35 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour Yield: 24 servings 3/4 cup butter 3/4 cup flour 6 cups milk 1 cup chopped green bell pepper 3 2-ounce jars (6 ounces) diced pimentos, drained 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded provolone cheese 6 green onions, chopped 2-1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper 12 medium baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 1 cup breadcrumbs 1.