Dinner for 40

[srhcb]

Since I am making a roast chicken with sausage stuffing etc tonight....

does anyone ever do mini Thanksgiving dinners with turkey breast or roasted chicken 1/4s?

tracey

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I just did this last Saturday, (just for two), because I like the leftovers!

Turkey breast, stuffing, mashed potatoes/gravy, green beans. (Chocolate cake for dessert though)

Edited January 26, 2007 by srhcb (log)

[tammylc]

Tammy, have you ever done a taco meal?

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I have not. But taco and burrito bars are regular staples of other cooks, and while I could potentially do some more interesting fillings than the run of the mill, it's just not seemed worth the effort.

[Rebecca263]

Hi, Tammy! I always read this thread with interest, I love what you're able to do in the kitchen! Have you thought of an African styled meal? Maybe Ethiopian? I adore focusing on the many vegetable stews, making rices to accompany, and the easy African breads. We usually would include salad greens for some people to use as a 'base', instead of the starches, too. I think that most African cuisines are really delicious, fairly easy, inexpensive and healthy! Most people won't miss the meat at all, although you could make some as a side dish, too.

[tammylc]

Hi, Tammy! I always read this thread with interest, I love what you're able to do in the kitchen! Have you thought of an African styled meal? Maybe Ethiopian? I adore focusing on the many vegetable stews, making rices to accompany, and the easy African breads. We usually would include salad greens for some people to use as a 'base', instead of the starches, too. I think that most African cuisines are really delicious, fairly easy, inexpensive and healthy! Most people won't miss the meat at all, although you could make some as a side dish, too.

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As with the taco meal snowangel asked about above, I mostly haven't done this because there are is another cook who does it quite regularly. He lived in Senegal as a Peace Corps volunteer for a few years, and makes various Senegalese stews once every month or two. He may have also done an Ethiopian meal - I can't remember - I know he cooks Ethiopian at home, I just don't remember if he's ever done it for common meal.

I used to make a Moroccan Chick Pea and Carrot stew really regularly, but then it dropped out of my rotation. I was just thinking this morning about maybe adding it back in.

Ethiopian is definitely at interesting idea, but one that will have to wait until I have some time to devote to thinking it out. Making all the injera would be quite the time consuming challenge - I wonder how much the local Ethiopian places would charge me to buy it from them?

Do you have any favorite recipes to share? They should scale up easily.

[Rebecca263]

I'm so sorry, Tammy, most of my cookbooks are packed up right now, but I'll have a look at what's downstairs.

[snowangel]

Tammy, have you thought about Mafe (peanut stew)?

[tammylc]

Tammy, have you thought about Mafe (peanut stew)?

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My neighbor Tim (the one I talk about above, who did the Peace Corp gig in Senegal) makes it quite regularly, so I haven't tread there. I did, however, point him towards that cookoff thread, and he said that he'd picked up a few ideas for next time.

[CaliPoutine]

How about lasagna? Or maybe baked ziti?

I'd personally prefer to make my own sauce( and I'm sure you would too), but there are some good jarred sauces on the market( Muir Glen comes to mind). You could probably just get away with making them all vegetarian.

We make one at work that has sliced yellow and green squash and portabella mushrooms.

Ceasar salad( I'm fond of Giada De Laurentis's recipe) and garlic bread would be a nice accompanyment.

[tammylc]

How about lasagna?  Or maybe baked ziti?

I'd personally prefer to make my own sauce( and I'm sure you would too), but there are some good jarred sauces on the market( Muir Glen comes to mind).  You could probably just get away with making them all vegetarian. 

We make one at work that has sliced yellow and green squash and portabella mushrooms. 

Ceasar salad( I'm fond of Giada De Laurentis's recipe) and garlic bread would be a nice accompanyment.

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Lasagna seems like such a good idea, and many a cohousing cook has fallen into that trap. But unless the head cook wants to do a lot of work themselves, it doesn't work with the time constrains (ie. only getting assistant cooks at 4 pm). Many, many times I have seen lasagna come out underdone because people just haven't figured the math out - it should stand for 30 minutes before serving and has to cook for 1.5 hours (especially with multiple pans in the same oven), which means you have to basically have it ready to go in the oven before assistant cooks arrive. I just don't want to do that much work!

I've done pasta meals before (and other people do them quite regularly), but it might be time to rotate that back in. I do a nice pasta with spicy Italian sausage that I haven't cooked in a long time. Other people do standard spaghetti with garlic bread really frequently - probably 3 or 4 times a month - so if I'm going to do it, I like to be something a little unusual.

Pasta can be tricky too, because of the burner issue. We have 6 burners, but they're too close together, which means you can't boil water for pasta and have sauce on the stove. I've solved that problem in the past by letting the pasta sauce simmer in the oven. Workable, just requires a little extra planning!

I feel like I'm shooting everybody's ideas down, and that's totally not my intention! I really appreciate all the input! You've all inspired me to drag some old meals out from retirement, which is probably better than coming up with something totally new, since this way I'll already have some idea of how much stuff to buy!

[snowangel]

Pozole? Can be done with chicken, as well, and even without meat, I'd think.

[tammylc]

Pozole?  Can be done with chicken, as well, and even without meat, I'd think.

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Pork's fine around here. I'd have to come up with a vegetarian alternative, but I could figure that out. And then there are the spice wimps...

I've had pozole once or twice and adored it, so this is a very good idea. I'd have to try making a homesize batch first for sure, since I don't have a good feel for it. Do you have a recipe to share?

[CaliPoutine]

Yesterday I was watching America's Test Kitchen and they prepared Chicken teryiaki. It looked really good and not that difficult. They made the sauce from scratch( natch) and used chicken thighs.

Do you subscribe to the CI website? If not, I can get you the recipe.

[tammylc]

I have been a subscriber in the past, and just haven't gotten around to re-upping my subscription. I had noticed that chicken teriyaki recipe and pondered it in the past - it does look good, doesn't it? I'll have to revisit. Thanks.

[dockhl]

tammy~

snowangel links to the Pozole Cookoff thread in her post (look there for ideas and recipes)

also, the CI website has the recipe for no stuff manicotti, where you roll your filling in softened no-boil lasagna noodles. sounds like something that could be made well in advance1

[tammylc]

Long time no post. I've been busy, busy, busy starting my own business, so all of my creative juices have been flowing that way and I've strictly been sticking to reruns for common meal.

However... last time I cooked I did the korean-style pork tenderloin, and got a great price on the tenderloin. So while the price was still good, I figured I'd put it on the menu again. Brainstorming around what flavors I like with pork, I decided on a maple-mustard glazed pork tenderloin with sage, to be served with mashed sweet potatoes, broccoli and salad. Should be a pretty easy meal to put together, with one caveat - I've never actually made maple-mustard glazed pork tenderloin before!

But lots of other people on the net have, or at least so Google tells me. My plan - season with salt and pepper, sear on all sides. Make a sauce/glaze out of the maple syrup, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, sage, and rub that all over the meat. Finish in the oven, slice and serve, maybe with some sort of pan sauce if I have enough drippings. I'd marinate the meat in the glaze, but I'm concerned about the maple syrup burning during searing. Any thoughts on times and temperatures once I get it into the oven? They are likely to be a wide variety of sizes, although I will sort them on pans according to size to help ensure that they finish at the same time. 350? 400?

I'd like to get some garlic in there, but not sure what the right method would be. One recipe calls for rubbing the meat down with a cut clove. I could mince it fine and put it in the glaze, but I'm worried it might not have enough oven time to cook. Thoughts?

I have to leave to go shop and cook in 2 hours, so any advice or ideas before then would be most welcome!

[snowangel]

I'd like to get some garlic in there, but not sure what the right method would be.  One recipe calls for rubbing the meat down with a cut clove.  I could mince it fine and put it in the glaze, but I'm worried it might not have enough oven time to cook.  Thoughts?

I have to leave to go shop and cook in 2 hours, so any advice or ideas before then would be most welcome!

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Tammy, I hope I'm not too late, but what about cooking the glaze with the garlic in it for a few minutes before you apply the glaze?

[kbjesq]

[i have to leave to go shop and cook in 2 hours, so any advice or ideas before then would be most welcome!

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[tammylc]

I'd like to get some garlic in there, but not sure what the right method would be.  One recipe calls for rubbing the meat down with a cut clove.  I could mince it fine and put it in the glaze, but I'm worried it might not have enough oven time to cook.  Thoughts?

I have to leave to go shop and cook in 2 hours, so any advice or ideas before then would be most welcome!

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Tammy, I hope I'm not too late, but what about cooking the glaze with the garlic in it for a few minutes before you apply the glaze?

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That would have been a good idea. But I didn't bother with the garlic and it was really good anyway. I'll keep your suggestion in mind for next time!

[tammylc]

Hi kbjesq, welcome to eGullet! Thanks for the suggestion - Cook's Illustrated is usually my go-to place for things like this, but I've let my website subscription lapse. I'll probably re-up soon, though, and will check out the recipes you mention.

[tammylc]

Dinner was good, and easy. The apple cider vinegar is key - it ensured that the sauce wasn't too sweet. For the sauce, I used a ratio of 2 parts mustard to 2 parts maple syrup to 1 part cider vinegar. With some chopped sage thrown in. I mixed that all up like a vinaigrette. It was pretty liquidy, so I just rubbed down the seared tenderloins with it and put them in the oven. I used about half of what I made on the tenderloins. I made a sauce out of the rest. First I deglazed the pans I'd seared the meat in with more cider vinegar, then mixed that with the leftover sauce. Once the meat was done, I put the pan drippings in with it too, and reduced it by about a third. I sliced up the tenderloin, then ladled some hot sauce over it all and served it. Tasty.

For the vegetarians, I sliced up some granny smith apples and put them in the bottom of baking dish, put slices of tofu on top of that, then topped it off with the sauce. Baked it for a while, took it out, and drizzled a little more sauce on top. Covered it with foil to keep warm, and served it topped with toasted pecans. The veggies really liked it.

I used 12 lbs of tenderloin and 6 lbs of tofu. Sides were mashed sweet potatoes (20 lbs), broccoli (florets from 9 bunches), and salad (2 lbs) - all organic. Breyer's ice cream for dessert. I made some mac and cheese for the kids.

Total cost was $187 for 66 people - 36 meat eating teens/adults, 15 veggies, and 15 kids. So that's $3.93 for an adult. Pretty darn good!

[kbjesq]

Hi kbjesq, welcome to eGullet!  Thanks for the suggestion - Cook's Illustrated is usually my go-to place for things like this, but I've let my website subscription lapse.  I'll probably re-up soon, though, and will check out the recipes you mention.

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I'm so embarrassed - my first post and I already steered you wrong. The recipe in New Moosewood Cookbook is for Cuban Black Beans and Rice, not Arroz con Pollo. (Still a great recipe, though!) I should have noticed that mistake right away since the Moosewood doesn't have chicken recipes . . . .sorry! But here is the Arroz con Pollo recipe from Cook's Illustrated . . . when I make it in big batches, I use boneless chicken thighs to speed up the process (I don't have any helpers!)

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ARROZ CON POLLO

To keep the dish from becoming greasy, it is important to remove excess fat from the chicken thighs and trim the skin. To use long-grain rice instead of medium-grain, increase the water to 3/4 cup in step 2.

Serve 4 to 6

6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)

Table salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons

Ground black pepper

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)

1 small green bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about 3/4 cup)

1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup water

3 cups medium-grain rice (see note above)

1/2 cup green olives (manzanilla), pitted and halved

1 tablespoon capers

1/2 cup jarred pimentos , cut into 1/4 by 2-inch strips

Lemon wedges , for serving

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl; using rubber spatula, mix to make smooth paste. Add oregano, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to garlic-salt mixture; stir to combine. Place chicken in bowl with marinade. Coat chicken pieces evenly with marinade; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, green pepper, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro; stir to combine. Push vegetables to sides of pot and increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to clearing in center of pot, skin side down, in even layer. Cook, without moving chicken, until outer layer of meat becomes opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. (If chicken begins to brown, reduce heat to medium.) Using tongs, flip chicken and cook on second side until opaque, 2 to 4 minutes more. Add tomato sauce, broth, and water; stir to combine. Bring to simmer; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Add rice, olives, capers, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Bring to simmer, cover, and place pot in oven. After 10 minutes, remove pot from oven and stir chicken and rice once from bottom up. Return pot to oven. After another 10 minutes, stir once more, adding 1/4 cup water if rice appears dry and bottom of pot is beginning to burn. Cover and return pot to oven; cook until rice has absorbed all liquid and is tender but still holds its shape and temperature of chicken registers 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes longer.

4. Using tongs, remove chicken from pot; replace lid and set pot aside. Remove and discard chicken skin; using 2 spoons, pull meat off bones into large chunks. Using fingers, remove remaining fat or dark veins from chicken pieces. Place chicken in large bowl and toss with remaining tablespoon olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, and pimentos; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on top of rice, cover, and let stand until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.

[tammylc]

Can you describe your process to me for making this in big batches? Are you just using a few larger pans? I've always shied away from upsizing dishes where the rice and everything else cooks in one pot, for fear that the bottom will burn and the rice in the middle won't get done. I've modified the Cook's Illustrated jambalaya recipe so that I cook the rice separately in our big rice cooker, then combine it the the meat, vegetables and liquid shortly before serving. Seems like a similar adaptation might work well for this recipe too, although I would like to hear about your strategy. Typically I'm cooking for about 32 meat eating adults plus some kids, so I'd need to do at least 6 batches of the recipe you give.

[kbjesq]

Can you describe your process to me for making this in big batches?  Are you just using a few larger pans?  I've always shied away from upsizing dishes where the rice and everything else cooks in one pot, for fear that the bottom will burn and the rice in the middle won't get done.

Sorry it took a few days to get back here. How I prepare this recipe for a large crowd is to follow the concept of the recipe but simplify it a bit (because I usually don't have any helpers).

I buy boneless chicken thighs and remove the skin, then I marinate for an hour or so as directed in the recipe. (I think this marinade is the secret to the recipe). While the chicken is marinating, I saute the onions, bell pepper, etc. Next, I use a large non-stick saute pan to brown the thighs (in batches) in a bit of olive oil.

I mix the browned chicken with the veggies and rice, olives, capers, salt, cilantro, etc. together in big hotel pans - stir everything together. Then add the broth/tomato juice/water to the pans, stir just a bit, and cover with foil. Pop in the oven at 350 degrees. Then check every 10 -15 minutes to see how it's coming along. If the rice seems dry, I add more water, if the rice seems like its done but the dish is too moist, I remove the foil covers. The total cooking time should be around 40 minutes in the oven. This is a very forgiving dish and once you make it a time or two, you will get the hang of it. I have never had any problem with the rice sticking on the bottom and I do not follow the recipe's instructions about stirring periodically while the dish is baking. (I tried that once and it ruined the texture of the rice). I likewise have not had any problem with the middle not cooking through.

I also simplify the end of the recipe by serving directly from the hotel pans (add a sprinkling of fresh, chopped cilantro for color and taste) and passing freshly made mojo sauce on the side.

This is very odd (to me) but there are some Cubans in my family and they claim that the proper way to eat this dish is to to dab mayonnaise on it at the table!

I hope that this helps. This is an inexpensive and delicious meal! Just add some cornbread and a salad.

Happy cooking!

KBJ

[Jujubee]

Hi Tammy, I've just found this thread and am very much enjoying reading about your experiences. I have a question though: for the Burnished Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips that you cooked about a year ago (from Fine Cooking), what was the ratio of Chicken Thighs/Mustard/Vinegar in the original recipe? Thanks!

[tammylc]

Hi Tammy, I've just found this thread and am very much enjoying reading about your experiences.  I have a question though: for the Burnished Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips that you cooked about a year ago (from Fine Cooking), what was the ratio of Chicken Thighs/Mustard/Vinegar in the original recipe?  Thanks!

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The original recipe calls for 8 chicken thighs, 3 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard, 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper for the marinade.