Since I just finished up on the dinner party series I thought an article on cooking for a crowd might be in order. Yes, our dinner was planned weeks ahead of time and was a bit labor intensive (but a labor of love) a meal for many doesn’t have to be hard work. Here are some tips for serving a large crowd.

There may come a time that you will be required to cook for a crowd. If so, there is no need to panic as it is a very ‘doable’ task… with the proper planning. The following tips will make your job an easier one.

Tip number one. Plan a prepare-ahead menu. Doing so will go a long way in eliminating added stress, which might otherwise occur, as the event draws near. The more that can be done in advance, the better you will feel.

Tip number two. Ask for help, if necessary. This will make the entire preparation process even easier. Most friends and family members will be more than happy to assist you. Match their tasks with the type of cooking they enjoy and excel at doing.

Tip number three. Serve the meal buffet style. You WON’T regret your decision. If space allows, consider setting up two tables as this will enable guests to go through each of the two lines more quickly. Designating ‘servers’ to distribute the main dishes with help with portion control.

Tip number four. Consider preparing dishes that can be cooked and served in crock pots. At mealtime they can all be plugged into a power strip and set to low power. This will ensure that these particular dishes will stay warm. (You should have no problem borrowing 3 or 4 crock pots, prior to the event.)

Tip number five. Make sure you have enough refrigerator/freezer space to accommodate your ingredients and prepared ahead dishes. You also need to make sure you have plenty of serving utensils. (There really is nothing worse than dishing out something with a small spoon.)

Tip number six. To keep cold foods cold, place serving dishes on large trays filled with ice. This will prevent spoilage and keep these foods fresher longer.

As you can see, cooking for a crowd can be quite simple if you plan it right and enlist the help of others to get it done quickly and easily.