Food for Fifty

Sacramento Salad

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Feel free to vary the lettuce type and the kind of nuts, maybe even use pears or cantaloupe for the fruit.  Salads are usually built by inspiration and what is on hand.

Ingredients: 

  • 3 heads Romaine lettuce
  • 1/2 lb (8 oz) blue cheese chunks
  • 6 whole red apples, cored and sliced very thin
  • roasted walnuts
  • 1 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 c  Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 c honey
  • 1/4 c wine vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Spread nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  3. Roast for 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. Toss the nuts around occasionally to ensure even cooking. Nuts are done when they appear a shade darker and smell toasty.
  5. Add the greens, cheese and apples into a large salad bowl.
  6. Mix the olive oil, Dijon,  honey and vinegar in a small jar and sprinkle with and salt
    and pepper.
  7. Put the lid on the jar and shake well to mix.
  8. Pour a little of the salad dressing over the top of the salad and toss to combine. Taste the salad and add more dressing to taste.
  9. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Serves:  20 – 25

Source:  Lost the recipe.  These are the ingredients on the prep list.

Margie’s Southwest Soup (for 50)

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This is the original Margie’s Southwest Tomato Soup.  It also on the blog in a smaller version.  You can easily add cooked chicken or beef (ground or diced) or fish/shrimp at the end.  Ingredients for 30 in parentheses.

Ingredients:

  • 4 – 5 lb. box of tomatoes (2 lb)
  • 6 red/yellow peppers (3)
  • 1 lb. frozen corn
  • 2 large yellow onions, chopped (1)
  • 3 quarts vegetable broth
  • 48 oz. salsa, medium heat (24 oz)
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 5 Tab (1 oz) cumin (2 Tab)
  • 5 Tab garlic salt (2 Tab)
  • 2 Tab (0.5 oz) paprika (2 Tab)
  • 2 Tab (0.5 oz) smoked paprika (2 Tab)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil

Directions:

Prep Tomatoes
1. Split tomatoes across the middle (equatorially).
2. Loosely seed over a strainer; retain the juice.
3. Put on a baking sheet (teflon), face down. Spray cooking oil on top.
4. Roast at 400° for about 30 minutes, until dark brown or black skin (not quite charred)
5. Cool, remove skins, crush flesh and mix with juice from seeding.

Prep Peppers
1. Split peppers in half.
2. De-seed peppers.
3. Put peppers face-down on teflon baking sheet; spray cooking oil on top.
4. Roast at 400° for about 30 minutes.
5. Peel skins, dice.

Prep Corn (optional)
1. Brown frozen corn. This can be done in a frying pan, or on a baking sheet with a creme brulee torch. The idea is to get a little char on it for flavor.

Make Soup
1. Sautee onions in olive oil to golden brown.
2. Dump everything into a pot — tomatoes, peppers, salsa, vegetables, broth.
3. Bring to a simmer; season to taste.

Serves:   50

Source:   Margie Kleerup

Stuffed French Toast

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This recipe is for two – don’t be silly! No one ever makes breakfast like this for just two people.  Below are the quantities for 40.  Anything in between – figure it out.  Make life easier – do it in a casserole and let it sit overnight.  No frying necessary. See Stuffed French Toast Casserole on the Blog.

Ingredients: 

  • 4 slices bread, use french bread sliced 2 inches thick, Texas Toast, or cinnamon swirl bread sliced thick.
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 c milk
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 6 Tab cream cheese (6 oz)  (plain or with fruit – strawberry, blueberry, etc.)
  • 1 pinch cinnamon
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • butter

Toppings:

  • cinnamon sugar
  • 1/2 c sour cream
  • 1/2 c strawberry, cut up
  • jam
  • syrup

Directions: 

  1. Cut each slice of bread in half.
  2. Beat eggs with milk and pinch of salt.
  3. In separate bowl, mash cheese until smooth with cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla, adjusting to taste.
  4. Spread one-fourth of cheese filling evenly over four half slices of bread.
  5. Top with unspread slices of bread to form half-sandwiches.
  6. Dip and soak each sandwich in egg-milk mixture, turning so both sides of each sandwich absorb liquid.
  7. Let excess drip off.
  8. Heat butter in 10 inch skillet, and when hot but not brown, add sandwiches.
  9. Reduce heat and fry slowly for 5 to 7 minutes, or until first side is golden.
  10. Turn and brown second side over low heat.  If sandwiches fry too quickly, filling will not be warm.
  11. Serve immediately, allowing 2 halves to each portion.
  12. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar and top with sour cream and strawberries.  Or serve with various syrups or jam.

Serves:   2

Source:  Genius Kitchen

Large Quantity:

  • 6 loves of bread (a loaf of Texas Toast has 15 slices including heels)
  • 18 eggs
  • 1/2 gal milk
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 1 Tab cinnamon
  • 4 lb cream cheese
  • 1/4 c vanilla
  • 1 lb butter (at least)

 

 

Grandmother”s Baked Beans

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This grandmother was a teetotaler but her baked beans always got raves.  Then we found out why – the secret ingredient she would sneak in when no one was looking – bourbon!  This is a quick update on the many ingredients and long preparation of her generation.

Ingredients:

  • 1 #10 can of baked beans
  • 1/2 c brown sugar
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 c dried onions
  • a good slug of bourbon

Directions:

  1. Mix everything but the bourbon.
  2. Heat
  3. Send everyone away and add the bourbon.

Serves:  25 – 40 (You know how people are about beans)

Source:  Let’s go for easy!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup (for 50)

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It tastes like you had been simmering it all day!  Great for dinner in the middle of a snow storm. Quantity for 30 in parenthesis.

Ingredients:

  • 4 large yellow onions, chopped (2)
  • 5 stalks celery, chopped (2)
  • 6 quarts chicken broth (6)
  • 5-6 lbs. chicken meat, cooked  (Costco for the win!) (2 – 3)
  • 1 lb. mixed frozen vegetables
  • 1 lb. frozen peas
  • 2 pkgs refrigerated hash browns / skillet potatoes
  • 1 c flour (1/2)
  • 3 sticks butter (1 c)
  • 2-3 Tab olive oil
  • 4 Tab poultry seasoning (1 1/2 Tab)
  • 1 Tab black pepper (2 tsp)
  • 1 Tab garlic salt (2 tsp)
  • 4 oz chicken bouillon (1 oz)
  • 4 oz vegetable bouillon (1 oz)

Directions: 

  1. Saute onions in olive oil to light brown.
  2. Add butter, flour; simmer.
  3. Add chicken broth.
  4. Add poultry seasoning, pepper, garlic salt, bouillon.
  5. Bring to boil.
  6. Add vegies, potatoes, etc.
  7. Bring to boil.
  8. Season to taste.
  9. Throw in chicken; serve when chicken is hot.

Serves:  50

Source:   Margie

Fajitas

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Fajitas, like many old, hand-me-down recipes, has many “true” recipes.  This is not one of them.  Fajitas mixes work just fine – especially when you are in a hurry or doing something for fun.  This recipe is for a large, co-operative group that will help slice and cook.  We like everything on it – salsa, sour cream, guacamole, grated cheese, cilantro, hot sauce.  Messy to eat, but soooo good.

Ingredients:

  • 3 c vegetable oil, divided
  • 8 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 18 medium onions sliced thin
  • 12 small tomatoes – cut in 1/4
  • 6 pound medium shrimp – peeled, no tails
  • 6 lb chicken breast, sliced – or chicken tenders
  • 6 lb beef  – sirloin, sliced 1/4 inch thick by 3 inches long (same size as shrimp/chicken)
  • 1 1/4 c taco seasoning mix
  • water as directed on mix label
  • 9 dz flour tortillas, warmed
  • 6 dz corn tortillas, warmed

Directions:

  1. In a saucepan mix the fajitas seasoning with the water required.
  2. Heat .
  3. Heat half of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Add  green bell peppers, and onion.
  5. Cook, stirring frequently until peppers are hot, but still slightly crisp, about 5 minutes.
  6. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
  7. Pour   1/3 of the remaining oil into the skillet, and add the shrimp.
  8. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and opaque.
  9. Reduce heat to low, and return 1/3 of the peppers and onion to the skillet.
  10. Stir in 1/3 of taco seasoning and tomato so that everything is evenly coated.
  11. Simmer until  heated.
  12. Repeat with the chicken.
  13. Repeat with the beef.
  14. Serve in warm tortillas and toppings.

Serves:  50

Source:  A lot of margaritas at our favorite Mexican restaurant.

Caribbean Salsa

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This is a no-tomato salsa.  A nice variation for those who have an aversion to tomatoes.  Make it as spicy as you like.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 c olive oil
  • 3 onions, diced (you can buy that you know!)
  • 5 garlic cloves -minced (you can buy that you know)!
  • 5 Tab chives – minced
  • 1/c c diced chilies (the canned ones)
  • 1 1/4 c lime juice  (find it in a bottle)
  • 1 tsp – 1 Tab chipolte – ground (on the spice shelf)

Directions:

  1. Mix
  2. Let age a couple of hours in the frige.

Serves:  a lot – 4 – 5 cups

Source:  I have the list of ingredients but cannot find where I got it.

Pasta Bar for 75

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The clue for figuring meat for a crowd:  1/4 to 1/3 a pound per person.  However, the truth is meat does not come packaged that way.  So, guesstimate what is going to be most popular and go heavy on that product.  People will, of course, take a little of several things.  Trust me, no one will go away hungry!

4# pasta – mixed
3# angel hair pasta
marinara – 1#10 marinara + 1 qt
Alfredo  – ½ gal cream + 1 ½ # Parmesan cheese + ½  # butter (or check out               the *Fake Quattro Formaggi Sauce)
pesto  – 2 jars pesto
180 cooked shrimp – medium
10# chicken – cooked, sliced (or chicken tenders)
126 frozen meat balls – heated
5# Italian sausage – browned and drained
2# mushrooms sautéed
1 jar sun dried tomatoes
½ bag pine nuts
2# parm cheese
1 fresh basil (buy the plant – it will last longer if camping)

The trick is to lay everything out in a logical order.

Start with the bowls – large, or rimmed plates.
Next the pastas.
Then the meat choices.
Now you are ready for the sauces.
Finally the add-ons.
Last the cheese on top of everything.

For a large group arrange the set-up so it can be reached from both sides of the table.  Two lines – twice as fast!

Antipasto Bar

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Antipasto (plural antipasti) is the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal. Typical ingredients of a traditional antipasto include cured meats, olives, peperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses (such as provolone or mozzarella), pickled meats, and vegetables in oil or vinegar.  In other words – choose what you like to nosh on and put it out!  And guess what – it could even be dinner.

  • 1 bx cherry tomatoes
  • 1 *Spiced Vegetables – carrots
  • 3 *Spiced Vegetables –  beets
  • 1 lb *pickled mushrooms
  • 1 head *marinated cauliflower
  • 1 large jar marinated artichoke hearts
  • 2 jars pickled asparagus
  • 1 ½# salami – thinly sliced
  • 1 lb mortadella
  • 1 pk provolone cheese (cut in 1/4th)
  • 1 jar pepperocini
  • 5 jars assorted olives ( or fresh)
  • 1 lb Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese cubes
  • 1 tin anchovies
  • 2 tin sardines
  • 2 bunches parsley (decoration)
  • many flat breads
  • 4 bx bread sticks
  • 1 bag garlic bagel chips
  • 2 lbs grapes
  • *Italian Cheese Triangles

Just open cans, and arrange contents artfully, garnishing with parsley and grapes.

The * items can be prepared a couple of days in advance.  The Cheese Triangles freeze.

Serves:  This quantity was an appetizer for 75 people.  You can scale it down for a smaller group.

Chicken Piccata – Large Quantity

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Chicken tenders are a cheater way to do this, but for a crowd – with choices of sauce, it is the way to go.  Keep the sauce separate so people can choose what to put on the pasta with the chicken.  See Pasta Bar.  If you want to do this for a smaller number of people – just do a little long division.  (Of course, you remember fractions from fourth grade. . . . )

Ingredients:

  • 19 lb chicken tenders
  • 1 lb butter, room temperature
  • 4 c flour
  • 1 1/2 c olive oil
  • 3 c dry white wine
  • 2 1/4 c fresh lemon juice
  • 3 c chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 c drained capers
  • 1 1/2 c chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

  1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
  2. Mix 12 tablespoon butter (1 1/2 sticks) and 6 tablespoons ( about 1/3 cup) flour in small bowl until smooth.
  3. Place additional flour in shallow baking dish.
  4. Dip chicken into flour to coat.
  5. Shake off excess.
  6. Heat some oil in a heavy large skillet.
  7. Add some chicken tenders.
  8. Cook until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.  Do no crowd them or they will not brown.
  9. Transfer chicken to platter.
  10. Repeat, adding oil as necessary, until all chicken has been cooked.
  11. Tent with foil to keep warm.
  12. Bring wine, lemon juice and broth to boil in the skillet over medium-high heat.
  13. Whisk in butter-flour mixture.
  14. Boil until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
  15. Stir in capers, parsley and remaining  butter.
  16. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
  17. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Serves:   50 – 60

Source:  Epicurious and a lot of math