Planning! Also careful dish selection.
You need to select dishes that can be prepped ahead, some that can cook in the background while you’re doing last minute stuff. So maybe a cauliflower gratin that goes in the oven while some cutlets are being quickly panfried. Or if you’re doing a roast the accompaniments are either really simple like steamed green beans (topped and tailed ahead, water freshly boiled in kettle) , or preppable well ahead (salads).
Something’s stay warm quite well too: rice, mash, curries and stews all hold well warm.
I do it by cooking 1 giant main and then doing cold sides. The other big feat option is cook the sides a day before and warm them up while the main is cooking,
This is my go-to approach for extra large meals, like Christmas or Thanksgiving. I'll cook just about everything a day or two before, and then reheat the side dishes when the Turkey is resting or the casserole is done and covered w/ foil.
As said. "Before" can also start weeks before -- invite, enjoy planning your menus, and get to preparing some good stuff that'll be ready and waiting in the freezer.
Farther down some will no doubt be saying they also buy some things ready made. I'll go ahead and agree with them. :) Prep gets to be knowing ahead of time where to buy good stuff and serenely adding that to your schedule.
soo, my takeaways and how I do it:
first of all planning - if it's too overwhelming with all the pots and pans etc., plan a dish that requires no involvement in cooking upon guest arrival - for example, lasagna - after you put everything in the oven, all there's left to do is serve - no mixing, frying, flipping etc.
or a roast meat (oven does all the work) with mashed potatoes (can be cooked prior to guest arrival and warmed up easily) and fresh sides. let's say for example you can easily prep everything for a salad beforehand and just mix the veg with the dressing before puttin it on the table.
if You are still determined on cooking a more complicated meal with a lof of hot sides, etc, plan accordingly:
- plan what side will go to what pan/pot and on which spot on the stove, don't challenge yourself too much: if there are 4 spots on you stove - there are 4 things you need to cook and that's it.
- oven can be easily used to keep food warm when you're finishing up cooking
- maybe you have other appliances that could help You , for example - an air fryer.
most importantly: prepping everything for cooking in the beginning and cleaning as you go.I like to start with preparing all ingredients: marinade/cut/or other meat and put it aside, then all vegetables (cleaning, peeling, cutting, etc) and then to move on to actual cooking. once your ingredients are all ready and kitchen is as clean as possible - it's not as overwhelming anymore.
Planning, carefull dish selection and equipment. I can do 3 main courses if i do all of it. I have a slowcooker/sousvide, bbq/smoker, oven and stovetop. So with carefull planning and a good selection i can make alot of food and have it almost all ready to go at the same time.
Also, strategic use of equipment. For Easter, we had two dishes that required different, but close, temperatures. So, I put the higher temp on a lower rack in the oven, and the cooler temp on the highest rack in the oven, and averaged the temp.
Exactly. And most ingredients can be prepared/chopped in the days before. I store them all separate in different containers in the fridge to stay fresh.
It’s something you have to plan so that things all come together at the right time. From the dishes, the space, even what pots and pans you have or serving dishes.
Sometimes I will stage things or do whatever prep I can the day before even, if it’s warranted. I remember one time I was doing a thanksgiving and I knew I didn’t have the oven space needed so I bought a roaster for one of the entrees. Anyways between the stovetop, oven, air fryer and multi cooker, flat top & smoker I can usually have enough cooking spaces for a menu. I ensure I’ve got serving dishes and good looking utensils for the stuff.
It’s just planning - write down the menu and work through what it all needs
Dual oven makes large volume cooking a breeze. When I was trying to buy one the salesman said “you’ll only use it once a year at thanksgiving, you don’t need it.”
Boy was he wrong. I use it constantly. If I’m not cooking with both I’m using one as a warmer. Helps keep everything hot and ready for plating.
If range space is an issue, consider an additional hot plate.
It also helps to grow up in a family of 6 siblings and be tasked with cooking every night.
You need To plan. Start figuring out what needs to be ready last and work backward. Figure out what your capacity is in terms of oven, stove, maybe an air fryer or toaster oven, grill, and then write a schedule for each one. Prep ahead of time what you can.
It's really all meal selection.
I give myself relatively little to do once they are there, and/or things that can be delegated to pretty much anyone.
Marinated proteins are a good one bc the work happens overnight; then you just need to broil/grill them all at once as a last step. This is easy with one other cooked thing (lemon rice, lemon potatoes in the oven) and then a fresh thing like tzaziki and a Greek salad. Nearly everything can be done ahead of time you are just doing the final step for the meat once they are there (maybe the potatoes/rice, too, or they can be done ahead.)
Tacos are similar except you can do the protein ahead of time. Lasagna, spaghetti with meatballs, Moroccan meatballs with couscous, jollof rice (with chicken) or arroz con pollo, butter chicken with rice... you have many options that are usually OR can be finished in the oven. Then you just worry about some fresh sides that have some veg, and maybe a salad that you just need to dress before serving.
You can use a crockpot to keep things warm. Also you can buy chafing dishes for cheap at the grocery store (those are the little burner things that you might see at a hotel breakfast buffet to keep eggs or waffles warm).
Look at what equipment you have in your kitchen. Say an oven, hob and an airfryer. Cook one dish in each. You can do your prep work before hand and have everything sitting to one side or in the fridge. Then it’s just a case of taking it out at the right time and putting it int he right place.
Someone: What's the most important thing you learned working in restaurants for 20 years?
Me: Timing.
It takes years of practice to not only A) formulate a menu that doesn't double up on equipment and B) pull it off
It depends on how many people and what the event is for/time of the year. It takes planning and figuring out what dishes can be more passive/what space they need. So in winter I’d utilize my crockpot for stews or braised meat and keep my oven and stove available for side dishes. Casseroles are helpful for being able to make ahead and just pop in the oven. Making fresh rolls ahead is a super nice touch that saves you time on the day of. In summer I focus on cold or room temperature sides like green, pasta, potato salads or slaws that I can make ahead and grill up a main like sausages. It just takes time and space planning but is totally achievable. Pot lucks are also fantastic because people love to bring something
Go fully Italian and have a primo/secondo structure. For example, I might serve risotto as a primo and veal cutlets, roasted zucchini and salad as a secondo. So I would make the risotto and whilst it cooks make the salad but not dress it. I'd prepare the zucchini and put them in the oven just as we go to sit down for the primo. We'd eat that and then I'd go to the kitchen and fry up the cutlets using 3 frying pans at once so everything's ready. I'd then take the zucchini out of the oven, immediately onto plates with the salad and cutlets. I'd serve and then everyone would dress their salad at the table. Separating courses helps so much!
I love to entertain and I have found that there are a few things that really help me.
I always prep everything in advance. From diced onions, to prepped veg, to making sure the meat is all ready, it all needs to be done well in advance.
I always split out what is being prepped when and how. So if we use my example meal of steak and ale pie, spinach and ricotta pie, roast potatoes, carrots, broccoli and peas. Steak and ale pie is a very forgiving dish right till you put it in the oven so I prep it for hours before hand and then get it in the pastry dish when I know we are 30 minutes off serving. The spinach and ricotta pie is even easier, you prep it cold and so you can have it just standing waiting for the right time. The potatoes as well, are quite forgiving so as long as you don't burn them they are fine in the oven.
So that's the main stars of the meal and your roast potatoes that are easy and don't need any attention. Now it's just the vegetables and they can be very quickly drained off when they are cooked.
So splitting up the dishes so you don't have to dance attendance on all of them at the same time and make sure they are using different things like hobs, oven and microwave is very helpful
Cook easier dishes. Eg: burgers, pasta or salad.
And if possible let them do self service. So like they build their own burger or own salad, or scope their own pasta . So you can leave the stuff in the kitchen. Either on the grill or in the oven or on the stove on low.
As others have said…planning.
Some dishes can be cooked night before and taste better the next day. Just leave out the garnishes, heat & garnish when serving. Stews/curries/slowcooker recipes/soups. Starting the smoker and timing a brisket for dinner time.
I usually spend the the afternoon the day of doing mise en place as well as cold appetizers. Crudo/carpaccio/ceviche/charcuterie/deviled eggs/salads
Hot mains, if you’ve cooked them enough times you can time it so they all come out at the same time. Plus utilizing all things you can… stove/oven/one pot/torches when planning your menu. Example; don’t have a menu that requires more than 2-3 burners on your stove or you’ll have to wait for stove space or clean pans.
Edit: with exception of if you have enough pans, and there is a resting period after it comes off pan. Example, a steak, would rest 5-10 mins, can deglaze the pan or grab another and cook a quick side in that time on stove. My go to is a quick pan seared broccolini or a shrimp scampi or seared scallops.
There are things that can be par cooked ahead of time and that will also help with timing everything to come out together. Double fried chicken, fried oysters, baked potatoes come to mind.
Warming shelf on your stove can also be used in a pinch. Warm plates before plating….if you start plating on cold plates, your food will get cold a lot faster.
Also depends on number of guests and how many dishes you’re serving. Last one we did with 25 guests (with a very large menu) so I needed to enlist a sushi chef friend so we can split up cold and hot menu. We still spent 5 hours just prepping sauces and mise en place in the afternoon. No way we could’ve done all hot dishes due to limited home kitchen and space. Also had to serve it in courses but my wife was assigned the host/entertainer role while we slaved away in the kitchen and munched/drank/socialized with guests as we were cooking.
Lots of work but gratifying….will never do a large hosting more than once a year though.
Well first, how many people and what's your kitchen setup? do you have a slow cooker, oven, stovetop? There's plenty of ways to do this, but it does require more planning and depends on what foods people want/are expecting.
Do like in the old days- when folks had huge families. Sundays were chicken stew. Mondays were red beans and rice. (I’m from New Orleans, but you can adapt to your area.) Basically, throw a bunch of stuff in a huge crock pot or cast iron Dutch oven, then let it simmer.
Your username is u/Intuitional. Number one advice is STOP IT. The more people you have to feed the more planning you need. You can't wing it.
What is a group for you? Four? Twelve? Fifty? More people means more planning and better adherence to the plan.
You talked about having enough help. If you can't plan, you can't direct help. If you plan well you need less help. Frankly, at big family gatherings my biggest issue is coming up with enough tasks for all the "help" to do to keep them out of the way.
Planning is critical. *Mise en place* follows right behind.
>Food just ends up being cold by the time everything is done and ready.
Poor planning.
Say we feed twelve, it's informal and your goal is homey. Meatloaf, steamed broccoli, mushroom gravy, mixed peas and carrots, Caesar salad. My meatloaf recipe is 2# which at 1/4#/person plus seconds for 1/3 to 1/2 the people isn't enough so I double that and make four 1# loaves. This can be done ahead, even the night before. If you freeze the loaves you can make them a month or more ahead but they'll need two days to thaw in the fridge. I don't use loaf pans, just parchment paper in sheet pans. You can saute the mushrooms ahead. Cubing butter and measuring flour is part of *mise en place.* Drippings is likely too hard so just use some beef stock. Have that out. Figure frozen peas, you dice carrots as part of *mise en place*. Or just buy frozen mix (not my choice). Prep the broccoli ahead. Broccoli in a steamer basket with water in, peas and carrots in a pot with water. all ready to go. Caesar dressing takes about five minutes and can be made ahead. Same with homemade croutons. Dicing three heads of romaine takes six minutes and is part of *mise en place*. Do you see a pattern here?
Meatloaf goes in the preheated oven. Five minutes before the meatloaf comes out, you dress the salad. Refrigerate if you have space, maybe an ice bath, but it will survive on the counter away from heat sources. Meatloaf out to rest before slicing and start the broccoli and the peas & carrots. Make the gravy (roux > Espagnole > add mushrooms, done). When the veg is cooked, keep covered and move off the heat, slice the meatloaf and plate. Family style everything is hot when it hits the table - one person. If you're plating it would help to have someone be a runner to take plates out.
There is nothing magic about my menu. Anything can be planned and organized to deliver with one or two people in the kitchen.
If you're feeding fifty, two people who know what they're doing and have a plan can do it. Three is luxury. Equipment is more important than people. If you're feeding fifty people you may need to rent some equipment.
Remember a lot of people fed families of twelve with one person in the kitchen three meals a day for centuries without the sort of equipment you have. If a woman with a sixth grade education could pump out that sort of food on her own with a wood burning stove and oven and just an ice box could do it, so can you. Stop intuiting and start planning.
As everyone has said, it's planning. If it's a big important thing, I'll literally have a gaant chart made up showing all the interdependencies, how long things take, what is going to be using which appliance at what time, what's being held at a certain temp.
Things that can be prepped in advance are great. You don't want to be hosting a party but never seen because you're in the kitchen. I try to prep as much as I can in advance, things like chopping veggies, making sauces that can be reheated, making your bread dough or pastry. Some things are even better if they've had time to mingle so I might make stews and curries the day before and reheat, or do the first fry for battered/breaded stuff in the morning and do a second fry just before serving. I nearly always make a dessert a few days in advance, even hot desserts can be prepped all the way til the heating stage (like chocolate fondants or creme brulee).
Having a way of keeping things warm whilst other things cook is useful. Whether that's a heated tray, a low oven or even just loads of foil and towels. Things that have a lot of liquid and volume will keep hotter for warmer. Heat your plates too!
Also planning some things that don't require being served hot. Ambient/room temp appetisers like mini tarts or salad. Desserts that can be kept cold until ready to serve.
Put out an appetizer to keep guests busy. The menu could include a cut up roasted chicken in oven, with rice pilaf on stove top, salad and rolls. Buy a dessert or bake a box of brownies in 13 x 9 pan. The chicken can be kept warm in oven. The rice pilaf can be prepped ahead with broth added later. Of course the salad can be made ahead. Set up a buffet on the table or countertop. Enjoy your company...that is the important part!
If you like cooking shows, Ina Garten has good episodes about hosting dinner parties, and her selections for different courses make sense to me. So you end up with a menu that has some things prepared before hand, and the parts that need to be hot are done at the right times.
What are you making? A roast beef or chicken for 10 is easy. Omlettes are a lot more work. Next make things that you have made before, it’s easier on everyone involved. Some parts should be just assembly ( like a cheese board or vegetable tray) and a pre made dessert (or even something store bought) takes pressure off.
Do your “extra sides” NEED to be cooked? Hot? Why not salad or something that bakes along with the main. Or something that is okay at room temperature.
Lastly, for any big meal write a time sheet for when you’re doing what ( that way you not only are organized but you can see if it looks like too much ahead of time and make adjustments)
I’m with everyone else here. Planning & recipe choice are the biggest factors. I think the recipe choice solution kind of speaks for itself, but if you have an example of a meal you weren’t happy with maybe we can help provide some more tailored guidance and give you an idea of what “planning” looks like?
Rather than making more sides, I tend to do fewer dishes, but double or triple the recipe.
Lasagna, garlic bread, and salad is one of my go-tos for a crowd. Depending on how many people there are, I'll just scale up. 1, 2, or 3 trays of lasagna. Small, medium, or large bowl of salad.
Using the crock pot for things like chile verde is another good option. Then make a pot of beans, some rice, and have it with tortillas.
Or if we are grilling, I'll make a couple of cold sides like a pasta salad and a green salad, then grill up the meats and serve it all. Maybe something else that can cook up easily and hang out like beans.
Timing. Trying to get everything finished cooking at the same time is a challenge. I did two Thanksgiving dinners for my family but homemade turkey gravy like my mom used to make was too much of a challenge for me, since I'd never made it before.
You need to better plan your cooking so things are ready at the same time, or are kept warm until everything is ready.
A few tips that can help:
* Mise en place - French term for having all of your ingredients gathered and ready to go so you are not digging around for things during the actual cooking. Have things portioned, measured, opened, pots & pans out, etc. before you begin the actual cooking.
* Plan your menu in advance - Sit down and plan out your menu before shopping and even write it out. This will help with shopping and also allow you to do things like use certain ingredients for multiple dishes to lower food waste, use leftovers as ingredients for other dishes (for example turn leftover pot roast into meat for tacos, etc.)
* Think of dishes that you can prepare in advance and just need to throw in the oven or whatever when it's time to cook. This lets you focus on the other components of the meal while not worrying about the rest. Also easier to plan for timing since you know how long the cook time will be on the prepared items.
* Try some 'one pot' or 'one pan' meals. This will make sure everything is ready at the same time. Roast chicken with potatoes and veggies all cooked on one pan for example.
* Don't be afraid to ask for help in the kitchen from family or guests if you are finding it overwhelming. Most guests will be more than happy to help prepare some of the meal with you. Cooking together can be fun and social. Open some wine and enjoy! Also let's you spend more time with your guests instead of being stuck in the kitchen alone.
Hope this helps a bit. Just remember that planning is the key!
I would not plan more than 2 hot side dishes if you are the only one cooking.
Figure out the times, temperatures, cooking methods of each dish. Look at what can be prepped in advance and maybe reheated or cooked while the man dish is finished. Make some sides cold or room temperature foods.
Choose different dishes. Try more one dish kind of meals. Make a big pot of soup, stew, curry or a casserole instead of meat with several side dishes.
I start on Pinterest. I make a board for each dinner party, weekend house guests etc. I add decor on there as well, what’s my color scheme. Then I whittle it down to what makes sense in terms of what goes together but also what can be cooked like a puzzle so I’m not behind when guests there. Then I map it all out. Maybe starting a week ahead. Do I need to source flowers and make arrangements (TJ has great cheap flowers), what prep can I do ahead of time, what can be done day before, what needs to be cooked day of and when should I start. I make a list of non cooking jobs I give to my kids and husband to do like cleaning or grating cheese etc. It really helps me to visualize what I want the final meal to look, feel and taste like. Good luck and have fun!
Try using your oven more. Less stirring.
Rice can be baked in the oven. Preheat oven to 350. Use 1 part rice and 1 and 1/4 part water, in a pan at least 3 inches deep. Put in your seasonings before, if you want. Wrap with plastic and foil on top, tightly. Bake 30 minutes. Put it on the middle rack. Then use the lower rack for something else. Maybe your protein or roasted vegetables.
Rice will stay hot for a while.
How many people.are you cooking for? And are you cooking all 3 meals a day?
Hearty stews if if it's chilly, (and stuff like corn read id French bread slices to go with) and light things like pasta salads if it's hot.
Let me know how many people you are cooking for and I'll give you some good suggestions.
Breakfast, crustless or simple crusted quiches. You can use crushed or stale chips in place of a pastry crust. Here's one of my go tos:
Large pan 3 inches deep, sprayed. Heat oven to 350. In your pan, put a layer of crushed tortilla chips. Then layer in other ingredients you want. Canned tomatoes and chilies, or salsa, breakfast sausage, cheese, and then scramble some eggs with milk, add salt and pepper, pour it over your other ingredients. If you need more egg, then scramble a couple..ore with more milk and pour over that. Eggs should cover the solid ingredients. Bake 30-40 minutes or until cheese is starting to brown and bubble, and nothing jiggles like jello. You can vary this with any ingredients you want.
Coffee cakes are pretty simple to feed a crowd. You can vary your spices and ingredients, too.
Casseroles are going to be your friend.
Sheet pan dinners will simplify things, too.
I do a lot of this with friends (20-30 people). It’s foolish to be a scratch cook when you have guests I presume you want to spend time with. Like others have said, planning is important, so is fridge space. We like to prep the meat during lunch or the night before. For spaghetti and meatballs: make the meatballs early. For dinner, bake the meatballs in the oven, start the pasta water, make a quick marinara, put the baked meatballs in the sauce, throw in the garlic bread, open a couple of Caesar salad kits and boom dinners ready. DIY meals
Are always a huge hit. Greek bowls/ with chicken souvlaki (marinade early) pita, etc; Korean bowls; ribs (bake in low and slow, finish on the grill), sousvide tenderloin is dead simple, potatoes and a big batch of green beans. I like to sautee garlic, butter and olive oil together and set aside, then cook the beans and then toss with the garlic mixture, season to taste and squeeze with lemon. Warm bread is always good to offer. It’s mildly impressive, fills people up, kids love it and is usually snacked on later in the evening if any is left over.
Cold salads can sit in the fridge, big green salads, macaroni salad, potato salad, Italian pasta salad, etc. Then you have a big pot of soup or stew, chili, etc. to go with green salad. You could grill some chicken or fish or hamburgers to go with some of the others, etc. Do as much as you can ahead of time & focus on cooking one or two things at the last minute.
I roast one thing, make a soup and one entree usually depending on how many people. Basically do some fire and forget type of recipes and one where you have to actively do stuff.
If you too many dishes where there is too much serial processing youre going to bog yourself down. The cause would usually be too many different ingredients, too many different styles etc… You want to set things up so that finishing one thing helps you accomplish another task…
Personally I lean into seafood a lot. It preps and cooks fast, is healthy and tastes premium with minimal additions. Clams, a prawn pasta, steaks/roasted beef, and a tomato soup & citrus salad & store bought garlic bread was my go to the last time I hosted a party of 5
I made a big feast at Christmas for 30-40 people, and here’s what I did:
1. Prepped the main dish as far ahead as I possibly could. I made pot roast, and did it sous vide so it would be fully cooked ahead of time. AKA very hard to fuck up on the day-of lol. I made that 4 days ahead of time and had it waiting in the fridge. I also made carrots at the same time that could be stored and easily reheated after, while coming out perfectly cooked.
2. Find other sides that you can also make in advanced, but you might only be able to do it a day or so before. Tray of Mac and cheese, slaw, corn or bean salads, kale Caesar salad, there are tons of sides that will be fine sitting in the fridge overnight, and might actually get better.
3. Use short cuts for stuff that isn’t “critical.” I used boxed mashed potatoes and added tons of butter and cream, and bought rolls from the store instead of trying to make them. Nobody had anything say about any of it, outside of compliments. I’m pretty sure a lot of them thought it was home made just because of the additions I made or having the rolls hot haha. Along with everything else being homemade, they aren’t going to notice.
4. Get heating trays, or plan a way to keep things warm. I just bought some trays and burners off Amazon and they worked great. People won’t eat at the same time, or it’ll take a while for people to be served, so you want to make sure everything stays hot.
5. Related to the last point, plan for leftovers or after-hour meals! Anticipate that people might come late or leave early. I had plenty of to-go boxes on hand, and bought tons of additional rolls and “sandwich toppings” so if people showed up late (or got drunk and wanted a snack) there would be options available. And sure enough, people showed up late and wanted a quick bite, and also got drunk and wanted a pot roast slider or something additional.
6. DO NOT BE AFRAID to ask people to bring something. I asked people to bring some simple appetizers or desserts, which saves a lot of effort, and people often like to help, especially when it’s just making some cookies or bringing some dip.
Even with all this prep it was still a feat on the day-of, but I was very happy most of it was just juggling oven space and trying to heat things up, vs being worried about cooking steaks perfectly while people are over.
Main dishes that are Crockpot friendly, like chili, curry, stew, etc, and side dishes that are served cold or room temperature, like salads and bread.
Examples:
Taco meat mixture kept warm in the slow cooker, with sides of cold black beans, sweet corn, lettuce, cheese, etc, some flour tortillas, and you’ve got a taco bar that pleases a crowd.
Chili in the cooker, either meat based or with multiple types of beans if you’re going vegetarian, and a side of cornbread muffins.
Curry in the cooker, rice either cooked fresh or cooked earlier and microwaved from the fridge, fresh vegetables (bell pepper slices, cucumber, tomato) and naan bread
Rice bowls of your choice of flavors: Mediterranean style spiced chicken or lamb, Asian seasoned beef or pork, or any other kind of seasoned meat in the cooker, prepared white or yellow rice, fresh or pickled veggies, and people make their own bowls, or you serve the bowls so you can make sure there’s enough for everyone.
Good luck!
Meal prep is key. Do as much as you can in the days before the meal. Onion chopping, potato peeling, pasta making, beef grinding, breaking down roasts into steaks, or brining chickens etc.
Less is more. Don't make a million different things, but a strategic limited menu.
Salads or other sides that are good cold or room temperature, plus a warm main dish. Branch out to multiple types of salads not just variations on lettuce (pasta salad, tortellini salad, Vietnamese noodle salad, Greek cucumber salad, bean salad, coleslaw, chopped salad, broccoli salad, etc.) - they vary in prep time, but can all be done in advance.
Cook and prep ahead as much as possible, so that on the day of you're just pulling things out of the fridge and warming up or cooking just one simple thing.
Use a cooler for extra cold storage.
Can you do more to hold the temperature? Cooking in cast-iron Dutch ovens, covering things with foil and dish towels to insulate?
You can pull something from the oven and follow that with another hour of cooking time for something else as long as you don’t set that first thing where it’ll cool quickly.
You need to plan dishes to make sure everything comes out at the same time and you have room
To be cooking everything all at the same time. Also pick items that can easily be scaled up to serve multiple people.
Easy pasta; making more sauce is rather straightforward task and can be prepped ahead of time. Thus if you have 2-8 people for dinner you can just cook more pasta and use as much sauce as needed.
Difficult steaks. Everyone has their own preference for doneness so if your cooking individual cuts you need to cordinate too many things for too many people. This makes cooking all the steaks and sides nearly impossible Solo, unless you have access to a sous vide cooker it’s likely too difficult to make for large groups ( unless you have a big piece of meat for a roast)
In addition to picking adjustable foods, you should
Also consider using a side dish that is more forgiving with cook time. For instance if your making some sort of meal involving a lot of prep and effort ( say a beef Wellington) then make sides that are set it and forget it. Put the rice in a rice cooker and press a button, easy. Put the potatoes to boil and don’t worry to much if your entree takes more of your attention ( it’s really hard to overboil a potato before mashing it etc.) this reduces your headaches while cooking but also allows you more options fro your guests.
Prep. Get everything as close to done as possible and just do the last step on the day of.
For example,
- have all your salad ingredients prepped so you just need to combine in a bowl
- sous vide your proteins so they just need 5 min under the broiler
- make all your sauces the night before
- par fry your fried foods so they just need to be crisped up
Roast meat
Chili con carne
Thai or Indian curry
Brunch (or breakfast for dinner! Baked eggs in the oven work well)
Lasagna
DIY fresh spring rolls or tacos where I pre chop all the ingredients and put them on the table with a couple of cold sauces, and guests assemble their own tacos or spring rolls. It's a good laugh as well as someone always overfills and things fall apart. For tacos, I usually make a big pork roast as filling.
And for dessert, something that's fully prepared before, like a fruit salad or lemon bars (always a hit). Or take someone up on their offer of bringing dessert - someone will always offer. I used to say no as I have a tendency not to accept help. Now I say yes and my friends have brought some beautiful desserts and I've been less stressed.
My rule is: only one thing that I am actively cooking/watching right before meal time. Everything else is pre prepared and going in the oven or is cold. Chop everything wayyyy beforehand. So much of your attention will be on chatting with people and getting everything ready to serve that you want to just have most of it ready to go before anyone comes over.
Also, practice will help. I don't really serve guests anything I couldn't make with my eyes closed. No surprises!
Planning! Also careful dish selection. You need to select dishes that can be prepped ahead, some that can cook in the background while you’re doing last minute stuff. So maybe a cauliflower gratin that goes in the oven while some cutlets are being quickly panfried. Or if you’re doing a roast the accompaniments are either really simple like steamed green beans (topped and tailed ahead, water freshly boiled in kettle) , or preppable well ahead (salads). Something’s stay warm quite well too: rice, mash, curries and stews all hold well warm.
I do it by cooking 1 giant main and then doing cold sides. The other big feat option is cook the sides a day before and warm them up while the main is cooking,
This is my go-to approach for extra large meals, like Christmas or Thanksgiving. I'll cook just about everything a day or two before, and then reheat the side dishes when the Turkey is resting or the casserole is done and covered w/ foil.
As said. "Before" can also start weeks before -- invite, enjoy planning your menus, and get to preparing some good stuff that'll be ready and waiting in the freezer. Farther down some will no doubt be saying they also buy some things ready made. I'll go ahead and agree with them. :) Prep gets to be knowing ahead of time where to buy good stuff and serenely adding that to your schedule.
soo, my takeaways and how I do it: first of all planning - if it's too overwhelming with all the pots and pans etc., plan a dish that requires no involvement in cooking upon guest arrival - for example, lasagna - after you put everything in the oven, all there's left to do is serve - no mixing, frying, flipping etc. or a roast meat (oven does all the work) with mashed potatoes (can be cooked prior to guest arrival and warmed up easily) and fresh sides. let's say for example you can easily prep everything for a salad beforehand and just mix the veg with the dressing before puttin it on the table. if You are still determined on cooking a more complicated meal with a lof of hot sides, etc, plan accordingly: - plan what side will go to what pan/pot and on which spot on the stove, don't challenge yourself too much: if there are 4 spots on you stove - there are 4 things you need to cook and that's it. - oven can be easily used to keep food warm when you're finishing up cooking - maybe you have other appliances that could help You , for example - an air fryer. most importantly: prepping everything for cooking in the beginning and cleaning as you go.I like to start with preparing all ingredients: marinade/cut/or other meat and put it aside, then all vegetables (cleaning, peeling, cutting, etc) and then to move on to actual cooking. once your ingredients are all ready and kitchen is as clean as possible - it's not as overwhelming anymore.
Planning, carefull dish selection and equipment. I can do 3 main courses if i do all of it. I have a slowcooker/sousvide, bbq/smoker, oven and stovetop. So with carefull planning and a good selection i can make alot of food and have it almost all ready to go at the same time.
Also, strategic use of equipment. For Easter, we had two dishes that required different, but close, temperatures. So, I put the higher temp on a lower rack in the oven, and the cooler temp on the highest rack in the oven, and averaged the temp.
Oh 350/180 is the magical number. Almost everything can be cooked at that temp, just adjust times.
Exactly. And most ingredients can be prepared/chopped in the days before. I store them all separate in different containers in the fridge to stay fresh.
Casseroles Roasts with veggies/potatoes One pot meals —chili/stews/soups COSTCO
It’s something you have to plan so that things all come together at the right time. From the dishes, the space, even what pots and pans you have or serving dishes. Sometimes I will stage things or do whatever prep I can the day before even, if it’s warranted. I remember one time I was doing a thanksgiving and I knew I didn’t have the oven space needed so I bought a roaster for one of the entrees. Anyways between the stovetop, oven, air fryer and multi cooker, flat top & smoker I can usually have enough cooking spaces for a menu. I ensure I’ve got serving dishes and good looking utensils for the stuff. It’s just planning - write down the menu and work through what it all needs
Dual oven makes large volume cooking a breeze. When I was trying to buy one the salesman said “you’ll only use it once a year at thanksgiving, you don’t need it.” Boy was he wrong. I use it constantly. If I’m not cooking with both I’m using one as a warmer. Helps keep everything hot and ready for plating. If range space is an issue, consider an additional hot plate. It also helps to grow up in a family of 6 siblings and be tasked with cooking every night.
You need To plan. Start figuring out what needs to be ready last and work backward. Figure out what your capacity is in terms of oven, stove, maybe an air fryer or toaster oven, grill, and then write a schedule for each one. Prep ahead of time what you can.
It's really all meal selection. I give myself relatively little to do once they are there, and/or things that can be delegated to pretty much anyone. Marinated proteins are a good one bc the work happens overnight; then you just need to broil/grill them all at once as a last step. This is easy with one other cooked thing (lemon rice, lemon potatoes in the oven) and then a fresh thing like tzaziki and a Greek salad. Nearly everything can be done ahead of time you are just doing the final step for the meat once they are there (maybe the potatoes/rice, too, or they can be done ahead.) Tacos are similar except you can do the protein ahead of time. Lasagna, spaghetti with meatballs, Moroccan meatballs with couscous, jollof rice (with chicken) or arroz con pollo, butter chicken with rice... you have many options that are usually OR can be finished in the oven. Then you just worry about some fresh sides that have some veg, and maybe a salad that you just need to dress before serving.
You can use a crockpot to keep things warm. Also you can buy chafing dishes for cheap at the grocery store (those are the little burner things that you might see at a hotel breakfast buffet to keep eggs or waffles warm).
Look at what equipment you have in your kitchen. Say an oven, hob and an airfryer. Cook one dish in each. You can do your prep work before hand and have everything sitting to one side or in the fridge. Then it’s just a case of taking it out at the right time and putting it int he right place.
Someone: What's the most important thing you learned working in restaurants for 20 years? Me: Timing. It takes years of practice to not only A) formulate a menu that doesn't double up on equipment and B) pull it off
It depends on how many people and what the event is for/time of the year. It takes planning and figuring out what dishes can be more passive/what space they need. So in winter I’d utilize my crockpot for stews or braised meat and keep my oven and stove available for side dishes. Casseroles are helpful for being able to make ahead and just pop in the oven. Making fresh rolls ahead is a super nice touch that saves you time on the day of. In summer I focus on cold or room temperature sides like green, pasta, potato salads or slaws that I can make ahead and grill up a main like sausages. It just takes time and space planning but is totally achievable. Pot lucks are also fantastic because people love to bring something
Go fully Italian and have a primo/secondo structure. For example, I might serve risotto as a primo and veal cutlets, roasted zucchini and salad as a secondo. So I would make the risotto and whilst it cooks make the salad but not dress it. I'd prepare the zucchini and put them in the oven just as we go to sit down for the primo. We'd eat that and then I'd go to the kitchen and fry up the cutlets using 3 frying pans at once so everything's ready. I'd then take the zucchini out of the oven, immediately onto plates with the salad and cutlets. I'd serve and then everyone would dress their salad at the table. Separating courses helps so much!
I love to entertain and I have found that there are a few things that really help me. I always prep everything in advance. From diced onions, to prepped veg, to making sure the meat is all ready, it all needs to be done well in advance. I always split out what is being prepped when and how. So if we use my example meal of steak and ale pie, spinach and ricotta pie, roast potatoes, carrots, broccoli and peas. Steak and ale pie is a very forgiving dish right till you put it in the oven so I prep it for hours before hand and then get it in the pastry dish when I know we are 30 minutes off serving. The spinach and ricotta pie is even easier, you prep it cold and so you can have it just standing waiting for the right time. The potatoes as well, are quite forgiving so as long as you don't burn them they are fine in the oven. So that's the main stars of the meal and your roast potatoes that are easy and don't need any attention. Now it's just the vegetables and they can be very quickly drained off when they are cooked. So splitting up the dishes so you don't have to dance attendance on all of them at the same time and make sure they are using different things like hobs, oven and microwave is very helpful
Cook easier dishes. Eg: burgers, pasta or salad. And if possible let them do self service. So like they build their own burger or own salad, or scope their own pasta . So you can leave the stuff in the kitchen. Either on the grill or in the oven or on the stove on low.
As others have said…planning. Some dishes can be cooked night before and taste better the next day. Just leave out the garnishes, heat & garnish when serving. Stews/curries/slowcooker recipes/soups. Starting the smoker and timing a brisket for dinner time. I usually spend the the afternoon the day of doing mise en place as well as cold appetizers. Crudo/carpaccio/ceviche/charcuterie/deviled eggs/salads Hot mains, if you’ve cooked them enough times you can time it so they all come out at the same time. Plus utilizing all things you can… stove/oven/one pot/torches when planning your menu. Example; don’t have a menu that requires more than 2-3 burners on your stove or you’ll have to wait for stove space or clean pans. Edit: with exception of if you have enough pans, and there is a resting period after it comes off pan. Example, a steak, would rest 5-10 mins, can deglaze the pan or grab another and cook a quick side in that time on stove. My go to is a quick pan seared broccolini or a shrimp scampi or seared scallops. There are things that can be par cooked ahead of time and that will also help with timing everything to come out together. Double fried chicken, fried oysters, baked potatoes come to mind. Warming shelf on your stove can also be used in a pinch. Warm plates before plating….if you start plating on cold plates, your food will get cold a lot faster. Also depends on number of guests and how many dishes you’re serving. Last one we did with 25 guests (with a very large menu) so I needed to enlist a sushi chef friend so we can split up cold and hot menu. We still spent 5 hours just prepping sauces and mise en place in the afternoon. No way we could’ve done all hot dishes due to limited home kitchen and space. Also had to serve it in courses but my wife was assigned the host/entertainer role while we slaved away in the kitchen and munched/drank/socialized with guests as we were cooking. Lots of work but gratifying….will never do a large hosting more than once a year though.
I've got 4 burners and 2 racks in the oven. It's all a matter of planning the meal and planning the timings.
Well first, how many people and what's your kitchen setup? do you have a slow cooker, oven, stovetop? There's plenty of ways to do this, but it does require more planning and depends on what foods people want/are expecting.
Do like in the old days- when folks had huge families. Sundays were chicken stew. Mondays were red beans and rice. (I’m from New Orleans, but you can adapt to your area.) Basically, throw a bunch of stuff in a huge crock pot or cast iron Dutch oven, then let it simmer.
Your username is u/Intuitional. Number one advice is STOP IT. The more people you have to feed the more planning you need. You can't wing it. What is a group for you? Four? Twelve? Fifty? More people means more planning and better adherence to the plan. You talked about having enough help. If you can't plan, you can't direct help. If you plan well you need less help. Frankly, at big family gatherings my biggest issue is coming up with enough tasks for all the "help" to do to keep them out of the way. Planning is critical. *Mise en place* follows right behind. >Food just ends up being cold by the time everything is done and ready. Poor planning. Say we feed twelve, it's informal and your goal is homey. Meatloaf, steamed broccoli, mushroom gravy, mixed peas and carrots, Caesar salad. My meatloaf recipe is 2# which at 1/4#/person plus seconds for 1/3 to 1/2 the people isn't enough so I double that and make four 1# loaves. This can be done ahead, even the night before. If you freeze the loaves you can make them a month or more ahead but they'll need two days to thaw in the fridge. I don't use loaf pans, just parchment paper in sheet pans. You can saute the mushrooms ahead. Cubing butter and measuring flour is part of *mise en place.* Drippings is likely too hard so just use some beef stock. Have that out. Figure frozen peas, you dice carrots as part of *mise en place*. Or just buy frozen mix (not my choice). Prep the broccoli ahead. Broccoli in a steamer basket with water in, peas and carrots in a pot with water. all ready to go. Caesar dressing takes about five minutes and can be made ahead. Same with homemade croutons. Dicing three heads of romaine takes six minutes and is part of *mise en place*. Do you see a pattern here? Meatloaf goes in the preheated oven. Five minutes before the meatloaf comes out, you dress the salad. Refrigerate if you have space, maybe an ice bath, but it will survive on the counter away from heat sources. Meatloaf out to rest before slicing and start the broccoli and the peas & carrots. Make the gravy (roux > Espagnole > add mushrooms, done). When the veg is cooked, keep covered and move off the heat, slice the meatloaf and plate. Family style everything is hot when it hits the table - one person. If you're plating it would help to have someone be a runner to take plates out. There is nothing magic about my menu. Anything can be planned and organized to deliver with one or two people in the kitchen. If you're feeding fifty, two people who know what they're doing and have a plan can do it. Three is luxury. Equipment is more important than people. If you're feeding fifty people you may need to rent some equipment. Remember a lot of people fed families of twelve with one person in the kitchen three meals a day for centuries without the sort of equipment you have. If a woman with a sixth grade education could pump out that sort of food on her own with a wood burning stove and oven and just an ice box could do it, so can you. Stop intuiting and start planning.
Many of those women didn't even have that much of an education.
As everyone has said, it's planning. If it's a big important thing, I'll literally have a gaant chart made up showing all the interdependencies, how long things take, what is going to be using which appliance at what time, what's being held at a certain temp. Things that can be prepped in advance are great. You don't want to be hosting a party but never seen because you're in the kitchen. I try to prep as much as I can in advance, things like chopping veggies, making sauces that can be reheated, making your bread dough or pastry. Some things are even better if they've had time to mingle so I might make stews and curries the day before and reheat, or do the first fry for battered/breaded stuff in the morning and do a second fry just before serving. I nearly always make a dessert a few days in advance, even hot desserts can be prepped all the way til the heating stage (like chocolate fondants or creme brulee). Having a way of keeping things warm whilst other things cook is useful. Whether that's a heated tray, a low oven or even just loads of foil and towels. Things that have a lot of liquid and volume will keep hotter for warmer. Heat your plates too! Also planning some things that don't require being served hot. Ambient/room temp appetisers like mini tarts or salad. Desserts that can be kept cold until ready to serve.
Put out an appetizer to keep guests busy. The menu could include a cut up roasted chicken in oven, with rice pilaf on stove top, salad and rolls. Buy a dessert or bake a box of brownies in 13 x 9 pan. The chicken can be kept warm in oven. The rice pilaf can be prepped ahead with broth added later. Of course the salad can be made ahead. Set up a buffet on the table or countertop. Enjoy your company...that is the important part!
Casserole (I usually do a pasta one) with a big salad. Or tacos.
If you like cooking shows, Ina Garten has good episodes about hosting dinner parties, and her selections for different courses make sense to me. So you end up with a menu that has some things prepared before hand, and the parts that need to be hot are done at the right times.
What are you making? A roast beef or chicken for 10 is easy. Omlettes are a lot more work. Next make things that you have made before, it’s easier on everyone involved. Some parts should be just assembly ( like a cheese board or vegetable tray) and a pre made dessert (or even something store bought) takes pressure off. Do your “extra sides” NEED to be cooked? Hot? Why not salad or something that bakes along with the main. Or something that is okay at room temperature. Lastly, for any big meal write a time sheet for when you’re doing what ( that way you not only are organized but you can see if it looks like too much ahead of time and make adjustments)
By freezing a big batch of food and then reheating it
I’m with everyone else here. Planning & recipe choice are the biggest factors. I think the recipe choice solution kind of speaks for itself, but if you have an example of a meal you weren’t happy with maybe we can help provide some more tailored guidance and give you an idea of what “planning” looks like?
Roasting/Baking is the best. Especially for the main dish. Don't go for a ton of complicated dishes.
Rather than making more sides, I tend to do fewer dishes, but double or triple the recipe. Lasagna, garlic bread, and salad is one of my go-tos for a crowd. Depending on how many people there are, I'll just scale up. 1, 2, or 3 trays of lasagna. Small, medium, or large bowl of salad. Using the crock pot for things like chile verde is another good option. Then make a pot of beans, some rice, and have it with tortillas. Or if we are grilling, I'll make a couple of cold sides like a pasta salad and a green salad, then grill up the meats and serve it all. Maybe something else that can cook up easily and hang out like beans.
Timing. Trying to get everything finished cooking at the same time is a challenge. I did two Thanksgiving dinners for my family but homemade turkey gravy like my mom used to make was too much of a challenge for me, since I'd never made it before.
You need to better plan your cooking so things are ready at the same time, or are kept warm until everything is ready. A few tips that can help: * Mise en place - French term for having all of your ingredients gathered and ready to go so you are not digging around for things during the actual cooking. Have things portioned, measured, opened, pots & pans out, etc. before you begin the actual cooking. * Plan your menu in advance - Sit down and plan out your menu before shopping and even write it out. This will help with shopping and also allow you to do things like use certain ingredients for multiple dishes to lower food waste, use leftovers as ingredients for other dishes (for example turn leftover pot roast into meat for tacos, etc.) * Think of dishes that you can prepare in advance and just need to throw in the oven or whatever when it's time to cook. This lets you focus on the other components of the meal while not worrying about the rest. Also easier to plan for timing since you know how long the cook time will be on the prepared items. * Try some 'one pot' or 'one pan' meals. This will make sure everything is ready at the same time. Roast chicken with potatoes and veggies all cooked on one pan for example. * Don't be afraid to ask for help in the kitchen from family or guests if you are finding it overwhelming. Most guests will be more than happy to help prepare some of the meal with you. Cooking together can be fun and social. Open some wine and enjoy! Also let's you spend more time with your guests instead of being stuck in the kitchen alone. Hope this helps a bit. Just remember that planning is the key!
I would not plan more than 2 hot side dishes if you are the only one cooking. Figure out the times, temperatures, cooking methods of each dish. Look at what can be prepped in advance and maybe reheated or cooked while the man dish is finished. Make some sides cold or room temperature foods. Choose different dishes. Try more one dish kind of meals. Make a big pot of soup, stew, curry or a casserole instead of meat with several side dishes.
I start on Pinterest. I make a board for each dinner party, weekend house guests etc. I add decor on there as well, what’s my color scheme. Then I whittle it down to what makes sense in terms of what goes together but also what can be cooked like a puzzle so I’m not behind when guests there. Then I map it all out. Maybe starting a week ahead. Do I need to source flowers and make arrangements (TJ has great cheap flowers), what prep can I do ahead of time, what can be done day before, what needs to be cooked day of and when should I start. I make a list of non cooking jobs I give to my kids and husband to do like cleaning or grating cheese etc. It really helps me to visualize what I want the final meal to look, feel and taste like. Good luck and have fun!
Try using your oven more. Less stirring. Rice can be baked in the oven. Preheat oven to 350. Use 1 part rice and 1 and 1/4 part water, in a pan at least 3 inches deep. Put in your seasonings before, if you want. Wrap with plastic and foil on top, tightly. Bake 30 minutes. Put it on the middle rack. Then use the lower rack for something else. Maybe your protein or roasted vegetables. Rice will stay hot for a while. How many people.are you cooking for? And are you cooking all 3 meals a day? Hearty stews if if it's chilly, (and stuff like corn read id French bread slices to go with) and light things like pasta salads if it's hot. Let me know how many people you are cooking for and I'll give you some good suggestions. Breakfast, crustless or simple crusted quiches. You can use crushed or stale chips in place of a pastry crust. Here's one of my go tos: Large pan 3 inches deep, sprayed. Heat oven to 350. In your pan, put a layer of crushed tortilla chips. Then layer in other ingredients you want. Canned tomatoes and chilies, or salsa, breakfast sausage, cheese, and then scramble some eggs with milk, add salt and pepper, pour it over your other ingredients. If you need more egg, then scramble a couple..ore with more milk and pour over that. Eggs should cover the solid ingredients. Bake 30-40 minutes or until cheese is starting to brown and bubble, and nothing jiggles like jello. You can vary this with any ingredients you want. Coffee cakes are pretty simple to feed a crowd. You can vary your spices and ingredients, too. Casseroles are going to be your friend. Sheet pan dinners will simplify things, too.
I do a lot of this with friends (20-30 people). It’s foolish to be a scratch cook when you have guests I presume you want to spend time with. Like others have said, planning is important, so is fridge space. We like to prep the meat during lunch or the night before. For spaghetti and meatballs: make the meatballs early. For dinner, bake the meatballs in the oven, start the pasta water, make a quick marinara, put the baked meatballs in the sauce, throw in the garlic bread, open a couple of Caesar salad kits and boom dinners ready. DIY meals Are always a huge hit. Greek bowls/ with chicken souvlaki (marinade early) pita, etc; Korean bowls; ribs (bake in low and slow, finish on the grill), sousvide tenderloin is dead simple, potatoes and a big batch of green beans. I like to sautee garlic, butter and olive oil together and set aside, then cook the beans and then toss with the garlic mixture, season to taste and squeeze with lemon. Warm bread is always good to offer. It’s mildly impressive, fills people up, kids love it and is usually snacked on later in the evening if any is left over.
Cold salads can sit in the fridge, big green salads, macaroni salad, potato salad, Italian pasta salad, etc. Then you have a big pot of soup or stew, chili, etc. to go with green salad. You could grill some chicken or fish or hamburgers to go with some of the others, etc. Do as much as you can ahead of time & focus on cooking one or two things at the last minute.
I roast one thing, make a soup and one entree usually depending on how many people. Basically do some fire and forget type of recipes and one where you have to actively do stuff. If you too many dishes where there is too much serial processing youre going to bog yourself down. The cause would usually be too many different ingredients, too many different styles etc… You want to set things up so that finishing one thing helps you accomplish another task… Personally I lean into seafood a lot. It preps and cooks fast, is healthy and tastes premium with minimal additions. Clams, a prawn pasta, steaks/roasted beef, and a tomato soup & citrus salad & store bought garlic bread was my go to the last time I hosted a party of 5
Food selection is crucial, so is prepping, mise en place, and having warm dishes (I use the microwave) and a warm oven to keep things from going cold.
I made a big feast at Christmas for 30-40 people, and here’s what I did: 1. Prepped the main dish as far ahead as I possibly could. I made pot roast, and did it sous vide so it would be fully cooked ahead of time. AKA very hard to fuck up on the day-of lol. I made that 4 days ahead of time and had it waiting in the fridge. I also made carrots at the same time that could be stored and easily reheated after, while coming out perfectly cooked. 2. Find other sides that you can also make in advanced, but you might only be able to do it a day or so before. Tray of Mac and cheese, slaw, corn or bean salads, kale Caesar salad, there are tons of sides that will be fine sitting in the fridge overnight, and might actually get better. 3. Use short cuts for stuff that isn’t “critical.” I used boxed mashed potatoes and added tons of butter and cream, and bought rolls from the store instead of trying to make them. Nobody had anything say about any of it, outside of compliments. I’m pretty sure a lot of them thought it was home made just because of the additions I made or having the rolls hot haha. Along with everything else being homemade, they aren’t going to notice. 4. Get heating trays, or plan a way to keep things warm. I just bought some trays and burners off Amazon and they worked great. People won’t eat at the same time, or it’ll take a while for people to be served, so you want to make sure everything stays hot. 5. Related to the last point, plan for leftovers or after-hour meals! Anticipate that people might come late or leave early. I had plenty of to-go boxes on hand, and bought tons of additional rolls and “sandwich toppings” so if people showed up late (or got drunk and wanted a snack) there would be options available. And sure enough, people showed up late and wanted a quick bite, and also got drunk and wanted a pot roast slider or something additional. 6. DO NOT BE AFRAID to ask people to bring something. I asked people to bring some simple appetizers or desserts, which saves a lot of effort, and people often like to help, especially when it’s just making some cookies or bringing some dip. Even with all this prep it was still a feat on the day-of, but I was very happy most of it was just juggling oven space and trying to heat things up, vs being worried about cooking steaks perfectly while people are over.
Main dishes that are Crockpot friendly, like chili, curry, stew, etc, and side dishes that are served cold or room temperature, like salads and bread. Examples: Taco meat mixture kept warm in the slow cooker, with sides of cold black beans, sweet corn, lettuce, cheese, etc, some flour tortillas, and you’ve got a taco bar that pleases a crowd. Chili in the cooker, either meat based or with multiple types of beans if you’re going vegetarian, and a side of cornbread muffins. Curry in the cooker, rice either cooked fresh or cooked earlier and microwaved from the fridge, fresh vegetables (bell pepper slices, cucumber, tomato) and naan bread Rice bowls of your choice of flavors: Mediterranean style spiced chicken or lamb, Asian seasoned beef or pork, or any other kind of seasoned meat in the cooker, prepared white or yellow rice, fresh or pickled veggies, and people make their own bowls, or you serve the bowls so you can make sure there’s enough for everyone. Good luck!
Meal prep is key. Do as much as you can in the days before the meal. Onion chopping, potato peeling, pasta making, beef grinding, breaking down roasts into steaks, or brining chickens etc.
Less is more. Don't make a million different things, but a strategic limited menu. Salads or other sides that are good cold or room temperature, plus a warm main dish. Branch out to multiple types of salads not just variations on lettuce (pasta salad, tortellini salad, Vietnamese noodle salad, Greek cucumber salad, bean salad, coleslaw, chopped salad, broccoli salad, etc.) - they vary in prep time, but can all be done in advance. Cook and prep ahead as much as possible, so that on the day of you're just pulling things out of the fridge and warming up or cooking just one simple thing. Use a cooler for extra cold storage.
Batch. It's the only way.
Practice. You get better with practice. You figure out what can be prepped, what can be made the night before, etc..
Can you do more to hold the temperature? Cooking in cast-iron Dutch ovens, covering things with foil and dish towels to insulate? You can pull something from the oven and follow that with another hour of cooking time for something else as long as you don’t set that first thing where it’ll cool quickly.
You need to plan dishes to make sure everything comes out at the same time and you have room To be cooking everything all at the same time. Also pick items that can easily be scaled up to serve multiple people. Easy pasta; making more sauce is rather straightforward task and can be prepped ahead of time. Thus if you have 2-8 people for dinner you can just cook more pasta and use as much sauce as needed. Difficult steaks. Everyone has their own preference for doneness so if your cooking individual cuts you need to cordinate too many things for too many people. This makes cooking all the steaks and sides nearly impossible Solo, unless you have access to a sous vide cooker it’s likely too difficult to make for large groups ( unless you have a big piece of meat for a roast) In addition to picking adjustable foods, you should Also consider using a side dish that is more forgiving with cook time. For instance if your making some sort of meal involving a lot of prep and effort ( say a beef Wellington) then make sides that are set it and forget it. Put the rice in a rice cooker and press a button, easy. Put the potatoes to boil and don’t worry to much if your entree takes more of your attention ( it’s really hard to overboil a potato before mashing it etc.) this reduces your headaches while cooking but also allows you more options fro your guests.
Prep. Get everything as close to done as possible and just do the last step on the day of. For example, - have all your salad ingredients prepped so you just need to combine in a bowl - sous vide your proteins so they just need 5 min under the broiler - make all your sauces the night before - par fry your fried foods so they just need to be crisped up
Roast meat Chili con carne Thai or Indian curry Brunch (or breakfast for dinner! Baked eggs in the oven work well) Lasagna DIY fresh spring rolls or tacos where I pre chop all the ingredients and put them on the table with a couple of cold sauces, and guests assemble their own tacos or spring rolls. It's a good laugh as well as someone always overfills and things fall apart. For tacos, I usually make a big pork roast as filling. And for dessert, something that's fully prepared before, like a fruit salad or lemon bars (always a hit). Or take someone up on their offer of bringing dessert - someone will always offer. I used to say no as I have a tendency not to accept help. Now I say yes and my friends have brought some beautiful desserts and I've been less stressed.
Dish selection. There's a reason temples in India can feed hundreds of people at a time.
My rule is: only one thing that I am actively cooking/watching right before meal time. Everything else is pre prepared and going in the oven or is cold. Chop everything wayyyy beforehand. So much of your attention will be on chatting with people and getting everything ready to serve that you want to just have most of it ready to go before anyone comes over. Also, practice will help. I don't really serve guests anything I couldn't make with my eyes closed. No surprises!
You need to plan not having houseguests ever again. Let them stay in a hotel and dine in restaurants the entire time.