Trying to feed 100 to 120 ladies at a church's 3 day event..Update 9/2

[LovesTimone]

My friend is the director of her Church Kitchen... Next week they are having a ladies event for 3 days... 100 to 120 ladies. Normally they use a catering company, which was booked for the whole event, yesterday they called and cancelled due to someone has covid. They called around to a few companies and because its last minute the prices are doubled or worse, most companies were just a straight out, sorry we are booked..

Budget friendly idea...

So the main kitchen commercial stoves are out of commission, the new ones have now been back ordered since February, luckily the stove tops work, just not the ovens... they have a regular household oven that works...and a outside grills

Opening day - just Lunch is needed
Second Day - Breakfast and Lunch
Closing day - Breakfast and Bagged Lunch...

Snacks for all three days...

Here's some of my suggestions just throwing it all out here...

Breakfast - assorted muffins, berry cups, granola cups and yogurt, Danish, Messy Scrambles.

Wedge salads - side dish - bacon, tomatoes, green onions, blue cheese dressing

Lettuce cups - side dish - using like a butter lettuce, or even romaine and filling with shredded iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, green onion, sliced radishes, shredded carrots and ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Bagged lunch - chicken salad croissant, pasta or potato salad, fruit cup, cookies

BBQ Chicken if they can find someone to man the grills. Cole Slaw, Macaroni salad, Green beans, and Banana pudding - no baked beans they did this before and pretty much no-one would eat them.. lol

Chicken stir-fry over rice

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

I think your ideas are fine. If you can't get someone to run the grill, just do cold cuts and salads one day for lunch.

 

[barkley]

have they tried calling some of the local grocery stores or costco-both make sandwich platters and such on short notice (may be less expensive than what was budgeted for catering). panera has catering for groups-soups, salads, sandwiches...breakfast items all individually (portioned) out. several of the chain restaurants (as well as local) do catering orders without much advance notice-old spaghetti factory sells catering size containers of most of their entrees, salad, soup...mexican places around us do the same with entrees and sides-most can do with less than a week's notice.


if you go this route the restaurant will usually provide all the utensils, plates, napkins...if you go the other then remember to get sufficient supplies of these types of goods for both cooking, serving and consuming.

 

[MamaMermaid]

Pasta, meatballs, and sauce/baked ziti for one lunch? Pretty cheap and easy.

 

[TwoMisfits]

For the salads, I would stay away from every salad having meat and/or dairy. Normally, that's where allergy and intolerant folks can actually eat an item, and blue cheese dressing and bacon would make it impossible.

Instead, for the salads, if it has to be bottled, I would get a balsamic or Italian type dressing. And I would leave the bacon and cheese as add ons at the table or end of the buffet (if they are included).

I would also think about poaching chicken, if you can't grill. You can poach chicken and dice it for tons of things (including chicken salad). I would also think about boiling eggs for the same reason (having them plain and boiled at breakfast, in egg salad or as an optional salad topping at lunch, etc).

And I'm assuming the fruit cups are just fruit. If not, I would do that.

For breakfast, I would also make sure you can accomodate different needs and desires. Muffins and danishes fill the same need, so I would only do one, but I would then do bagels as another (with jam, cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter topping, if nuts allowed).

For breakfast, since I'm assuming money is an object, I'd put out (mini) bagels with the spreads, muffins or danish (or croissants - another option folks like, and works with the spreads), hardboiled eggs, cut fruit (at least 2-3 types), and yogurt. I would also buy mini boxes of a gluten free cereal and a bran cereal. And I'd have coffee, tea, milk, juice (1-2 types), and water. And with this spread, there's very little work in the morning, which is ideal.

And I would look at grocery and cheap casuals for lunch catering, too.

 

[tcufrog]

What about a taco buffet? Most of the stuff you have to cook is easy to cook in huge batches and everything else is super easy to prep in advance or you can buy already prepped. It also is a great way to accommodate almost any dietary restriction

 

[Imzadi]

have they tried calling some of the local grocery stores or costco-both make sandwich platters and such on short notice (may be less expensive than what was budgeted for catering). panera has catering for groups-soups, salads, sandwiches...breakfast items all individually (portioned) out. several of the chain restaurants (as well as local) do catering orders without much advance notice-old spaghetti factory sells catering size containers of most of their entrees, salad, soup...mexican places around us do the same with entrees and sides-most can do with less than a week's notice.


if you go this route the restaurant will usually provide all the utensils, plates, napkins...if you go the other then remember to get sufficient supplies of these types of goods for both cooking, serving and consuming.

Totally agree with this. Forget any catering company. Look for local delis or sandwich shoppes. They usually can make up a large number of sandwiches & salads for events with very short, 1-2 day notice, without the extra high price of an actual caterer. A Chinese takeout or other restaurants can do this too with a couple days notice.

For salad dressings and sandwich dressings, just get an assortment of bottles, so people can pick & choose.

Instead of needing to grill BBQ Chicken, get several rotisserie chickens from Costco on the day of the event. (Perhaps order them ahead of time.) Already cooked, and warm, or can be reheated in the oven or grills.

Costco also sells aluminum pans of lasagna or baked ziti. Target has something similar in their frozen foods section.

For the bagged lunch: Subway sandwiches can make those huge, long, several feet subs and cut the individual portion slices on the diagonal, so they don't look like they are from Subway. Subway can even put all the toppings/fixings on the side in large plasticc bowls and everyone fixes their own toppings. You will have to get plastic wrap and wrap each portion slice yourselves, Subway doesn't do that. Get four different varieties of sandwiches and let people pick which sandwich they want.

 

[holden]

A local pizza place/sandwich shop might offer a discount if you order a large number of things. Pizza places around us gave us large pies for $5/ea when we ordered them for elementary school parties/feeding the cast of the high school musical, etc.

 

[Skippyboo]

Do have a local Chick-fil-A? They have pretty good catering.

 

[pigletliz]

Definitely agree with getting sandwiches and salads from your local markets. We've also used Costco for big events. They have huge salads, pastries, cookies, coffee rings, boxes of chips, etc. We've also used Panera and Subway for boxed lunches. Bagels from your local bagel shop. She might try contacting some of the well-known food trucks in her area. A lot of them do catering on the side.

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

All good suggestions so far. Definitely keep calling around. Pizza restaurants usually have pasta, sandwich, salads for groups. A local Italian restaurant in my area has an excellent catering menu, but it’s not a “catering place” you might think of. Also, maybe contact local food trucks to see if they can provide food. Another idea - check Facebook for local food/restaurant pages and post in there to see if anyone has last minute catering suggestions. I’ve seen posts like that and people come through with suggestions. For example, there’s a page, Chowdown Cincinnati, where people post their positive restaurant reviews, but ask catering questions. Good luck!

 

[sunshine1178]

Pasta, meatballs, and sauce/baked ziti for one lunch? Pretty cheap and easy.

If they don’t have commercial ovens, baked ziti is going to be tough.

Jambalaya is a good stove-top meal for a group but it doesn’t scream “church ladies” to me. If you don’t want sandwiches every day, we used to stuff tomatoes with chicken salad for “ladies day” at the golf course.

 

[leebee]

Olive Garden does group-sized dishes... lasagne, spaghetti and meatballs, Alfredo, salad, etc.
I'll vote for a taco-bar. Set out hard shells and soft shells. Do a big pan of fajita chicken and a big pan of ground beef w/taco seasoning. Big bowls of shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sliced black olives, shredded cheese, green onions, etc. Sides of salsa and sour cream, and maybe mix both together to make a salad dressing. People can make tacos, burritos, taco salad, etc.

 

[kimmar067]

....I'm thinking pasta is probably easy AND cost-effective. Another option might be to have sausage, peppers, and onions. Again, easy to fix and cook and you could really stretch out the servings by cutting up the sausage and using more veggies...I always add quartered potatoes to mine. Perhaps order a couple of 6-ft heros and slice them for everyone to grab a piece. Another go-to for me is, whenever I am having a large gathering of hungry people, i make a couple of pork shoulders, white rice and black beans. Other than marinating and preparing the meat, they aren't too labor-intensive.

 

[LovesTimone]

OP here

Thanks for all your great suggestions... Everything has to be turned in today to the Church main office... so last night she was in panic mode trying to map it all out.

My friend loved the Taco bar idea... and she is going with it for the opening day.

Mexican Fiesta -
Taco Meat, Chicken Fajita with pepper and onions, Spanish yellow rice with veggie mix, Flour and Corn hard shells and tortilla. I brought up some people don't eat meat and we kinda needed something for them, so a pot black beans. Then lots of cheese, sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, jalapenos... Dessert - ice cream and fruit bars.

Continental Breakfast - on the heavier side.

So we were trying to figure out some good snacks.... something different... The school has a pop corn machine, Poof a fun snack who doesn't love popcorn...
While we were talking I was said what about Chex Mix, the old school kind you make... We both looked at each other, Poof another snack.. which is really simple to make, and not costly at all. Then I said what about putting in brown paper bags, and have the school kids decorate them... Which everyone will love... so cute..

Apparently the grills have rotisserie attachments, so the seniors men's morning coffee club is going to man the grills. Rotisserie chicken, with salad lettuce cups, with an assortment of bottled dressing, Cole slaw, Pasta Salad, and scalloped corn or green bean casserole and dinner rolls...
Dessert - assortment of different pies.

The bagged lunch is a problem - because some of the ladies will be taking theirs to go, so having to think about what will travel... and with the heat and humidity here in Orlando, that's just add's to it... So they will be having brunch this is something they have never tried they are still figuring out the exact menu.

There will be to-go bags, with granola bars, fruit, cookies, bottled juice and water, as well as canned soft drinks.

So what do you guys think?

 

[nw6675]

I think it sounds great! I was also going to reiterate the taco bar and then saw your update. I think they'll love that and everything you've come up with.

Two comments:

1. Instead of bottled dressing, what if you made homemade ranch (even if Hidden Valley mix), thousand island, honey mustard, and Italian (like Good Seasons - or whatever it is called lol). Just to give it more flair. They are all easy to make, but understand if it is cost prohibitive.
2. I promise I'm not a negative Nellie (sorry to any Nellie's out there!) - but having the kids color bags that will have food in them may be a turnoff for some, particularly with covid. I know it will be the outside of the bag, but kids being kids you never know. What about having them color self-stick larger labels and put those on the bags?

ETA: I know covid isn't spread by touching objects, but just thinking out loud from a general sanitary perspective, too.

Have fun!

 

[LovesTimone]

I think it sounds great! I was also going to reiterate the taco bar and then saw your update. I think they'll love that and everything you've come up with.

Two comments:

1. Instead of bottled dressing, what if you made homemade ranch (even if Hidden Valley mix), thousand island, honey mustard, and Italian (like Good Seasons - or whatever it is called lol). Just to give it more flair. They are all easy to make, but understand if it is cost prohibitive.
2. I promise I'm not a negative Nellie (sorry to any Nellie's out there!) - but having the kids color bags that will have food in them may be a turnoff for some, particularly with covid. I know it will be the outside of the bag, but kids being kids you never know. What about having them color self-stick larger labels and put those on the bags?

ETA: I know covid isn't spread by touching objects, but just thinking out loud from a general sanitary perspective, too.

Have fun!

They do a survey on the event... and the 2 complaints with the food are to much pasta, and the choice of salad dressings... So this year my friend is going to hit Aldi and Walmart for a bunch of different salad dressing.. Creamy Italian, Italian, Greek, Blue Cheese, Raspberry vinaigrette, French, Balsamic, Ranch, Caesar, and that not even the low cal or low fat... Lol...

The Church main office has the sign off on everything so they will make the call on the kids coloring the bags...

 

[leebee]

If you need a dessert to travel, or a snack, how about Rice Krispie bars? You can get store-brand cereal and marshmallows, which will help with the cost, and they can be cut and wrapped for travel.

 

[Imzadi]

A couple thoughts:

If you do go with the idea of getting sandwiches or salads from shoppes & restaurants, remember, they don't all have to come from the same place. If one place makes great chicken sandwiches, but their salads are exorbitantly priced, you can get those from a different place.

Continental Breakfast - on the heavier side.

Make sure there is some proteins included. Usually Continental Breakfasts are all carbs with pastries & fruit. And if one doesn't eat dairy, the typical yogurt or cream cheese for the bagels won't work. So, that person gets no protein.

The bagged lunch is a problem - because some of the ladies will be taking theirs to go, so having to think about what will travel... and with the heat and humidity here in Orlando, that's just add's to it...

Place the chilled bottles of water or soft drinks in the to go bags to keep everything else cold.

Or have a few people freeze these snack size Ziplock bags with water, to slip into the lunch bag, so they are instant ice packs. They are half the size of a sandwich bag:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ziploc-Brand-Snack-Bags-90-Count/15029060

 

[marthachick]

Cookies. Who doesn’t love cookies. Sam’s Club has large trays for not too much.

Also, I love that you’re offering a dressing besides ranch. Most places only offer it for meetings and it is not even in the top 20 for me.

Also, I would pick up the rolls if you go to Sam’s to serve with the salad.