Cook Talk

BBQ Wedding Reception
Catharine
06/26/07 		Hi Ellen, My husband and I were just recently married in Italy, and now that we are home we are throwing a BBQ reception in August for the rest of our friends and family that couldn't travel with us. At this point it seems that about 150 people will come, and I've never cooked for this many people! I'd like for most everything to be homemade (I have a lot of very generous friends who will be cooking with me)but I need a little reassurance that I'm on the right track. I've studied many of your responses to other similiar questions, but would really appreciate any suggestions!Here is my menu (it is going to need to feed roughly 125 adults and 25 children for 6 hours or so, plus enough for the late crowd to snack on):

snacks and appetizers:

8lbs Assorted Cheeses
6lbs Crackers
6lbs Chips
6pts Dips

15lbs Assorted Fruit Tray
15lbs Assorted Veggie Tray with Dip

4lbs Pub Snack Mix
3lbs Oriental Snack Mix

main course:

Pig Roast (enough to feed 90 pp)
Steamship Round Roast (enough to feed 90 pp)
Rolls?

side dishes:

6 gallons Macaroni and Cheese
4 gallons Potato Salad
1 recipe Caesar Salad (15 heads romaine)
w/ 2.5 qt Dressing
3 gallons Pasta Salad (includes 10lbs veggies)
Baked Beans?

suppliments and kid food:

100 Hot Dogs and Buns
100 Burgers and Buns
6lbs Sliced Cheese

desserts:

Cookies?
Very Large Chocolate Dipped Assortment
Almond Cake to feed 50 (recreation of our wedding cake)
Possible some Petit Fours or Cake

beverages:

1.5lbs Coffee
.5lbs Decaf
72 cans Pepsi
48 cans Ginger Ale or Lemon Lime Soda
40 Apple Juice boxes (for the kids)
280 Bottles of 16oz Water
1-2 gallons Homemade Mint Iced Tea
4 gallons Homemade Iced Tea
3 kegs Beer
3 cases Beer (backup- our family loves beer)!
12 bottles Wine

food service:

300 each Plastic Forks, Knives, Spoons
330 Paper Dinner Plates
225 Smaller Paper Plates (for desserts)
720 Plastic Cups
200 Hot Cups
Pack of 1200 Napkins
Ice

Does this seem too much? too little? Can you give me some ideas on amounts for desserts, or suggustions to add (super budget friendly, please)? Also, please advice on amount of rolls to be served with main course meats (if any), amount of baked beans, and amount of ice please. Thank you so much for your help!!!

ellen
06/27/07 		Wow, congratulations- I am surprised you aren't planning a spaghetti feast! Here are a few ideas.
You might want to add a gallon each of pasta and potato salad and 4 gallons of beans- could be baked, but do look at the borracho bean recipe I just posted.

Roast pig for 90 is 4 suckling pigs or 2 enormous ones- it is a 16 hour cooking affair- I STRONGLY recommend pulled pork or roast pork, maybe with one suckling pig for a table centerpiece if you are devoted to the idea.
I would add 1 24 pack of veggie burgers or another meatless sandwich idea.
I would get 2 smallish rolls or 1 1/2 largish rolls per person.
You want 4 pounds of ice per person for this long a summer party, PLUS 40 pounds per cooler for the chilling coolers.
I would probably skip the burgers- anyone who will eat burgers will eat roast beef- and upgrade the dogs to polish sausage or kielbasa. I might even switch to cold cuts- you have plenty of cooking going on...
I would probably add a green bean or broccoli casserole, or ask friends who want to "bring something" to bring a vegetable dish of some kind.
Add 2 cases of diet drinks- some caffeine free- and be sure to have splenda or sweet and low for some unsweetened tea.
Yes, you are short desserts- there is a dessert planning page that will help you - button at the top of the cook talk main page. I would add a second cake, or at least 150 cookies and bars.
Two make-ahead dishes you might consider are the artichoke-olive condite and the horseradish pickles on the chili page- unusual, easy, and tasty.

Catharine
06/27/07 		Thank you so much for all of your advice! I would never have had the confidence to even try to pull this off without your website!
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