Ideas for a large-crowd dinner?

[nancypantzie]

I Thought I would update my menu plans for the big party weekend this weekend. I posted before that we host an annual event in our home, with friends from all over the country. We typically prepare two meals a day and serve a continental breakfast. We will have 19 house guests this year and an additional 15 staying at a hotel.

Thursday dinner (10)

Smoked chicken enchiladas

Mexican pizzas

Fish tacos

Three cheese quesadilla’s

Refried black beans, homemade guacamole, roasted tomatillo sauce, & Pico de gallo

Friday dinner (29)

Whole boneless rib eye (14 lbs) cut into 2.5” steaks, spice rubbed, grilled with a bourbon basting sauce

Cheese potato casserole (brought by friend)

Roasted asparagus drizzled with browned butter and balsamic vinegar

Hearts of romaine salad with red onion, chick peas, homemade croutons & a homemade 1000 island dressing

White cake with white chocolate frosting, raspberry filling and coconut pressed on the sides, German Chocolate cake.

Saturday lunch (32)

Vienna beef hotdogs drug through the garden on poppy seed buns of course.

Cole slaw, Chips, Veggie tray

Saturday dinner (35)

Several crispy appetizer pizzas

Four cheese lasagna*

Spinach and Cheese Ravioli’s with pesto sauce & toasted walnuts

Penne Arrabiata* with Veal meatballs*

Rosemary garlic bread

Caesar salad with homemade dressing

Two cheesecakes

Sunday Brunch (34)

Blueberry pancakes

Sausage links, maple bacon

Egg casserole (brought by friend)

Hash browns

Eggs Benedict if I have good help in the kitchen and I have time to make the béarnaise sauce.

Mimosas

Sunday dinner (10)

Smoked pork shoulder sandwiches with vinegar sauce

Cornbread

Pineapple cheese casserole

Cole slaw

Monday lunch (8)

Opening day at Wrigley Field (It will be cold!) A hot dog and a Bob Chinn’s Mai Tai -- or two because I’m not driving and I don’t have any obligations!

Monday dinner

Hopefully I can convince people to eat leftovers, but one of our friends is determined to have Gino’s pizza on the way home from the game.

I feel compelled to note that we don’t always eat like this (heavy and cheesy). I often find that by the end of the weekend I don’t even sit down for dinner because I’m a little overwhelmed by the amount of time spent in the kitchen around that much food – I lose my appetite.

I have 34 bottles of various wines; I plan to pick up 15 more and 8 bottles of champagne, various sprits & beer.

Our friends are coming from west coast to east: So Cal (10), Phoenix (1), Denver (2), Houston (1) Kansas City (2), Iowa (5) Minneapolis (2), Chicago (6), DC (4) Tampa (1) I tallied for my own curiosity, so I’m adding the count here.

Thanks for everyone's input. I used as many ideas as I could accomodate, but mostly took he easy way out and prepared things I'm familiar with.

Edited March 25, 2008 by nancypantzie (log)