Good Meals for a Big Gang

[Fishindude77]

Went out to supper to one of the better restaurant / bars in our town last week. Didn't have anything special, just good specialty sandwiches with sides and a few beers for me and cocktails for my spouse, total bill after the tip was $72.

We're having a gang over this evening, (8) total and doing a baked potato bar with all the toppings; bacon, cheese & broccoli, sour cream, chili, chives, etc., etc. and I'll bet we feed everyone for less than our dinner for (2) the other night.
Plus it will be more relaxed, no waiting on anything, prep things like you like them, etc.

Let's hear some other good ideas for meals when you get a crew together?

[disneysteve]

We've done a pizza spread a few times and that's always a hit. DW makes fresh pizza dough. I roll it out on large cookie sheets and do 2 pizzas per sheet and make each one unique. A veggie pizza. A meatball pizza. A bbq chicken pizza. A plain sauce and cheese pizza. A white pizza. Whatever varieties you want.

We've also done a build-your-own pizza spread. I'll roll out smaller personal pizzas and set up a toppings bar with a couple of different sauces, a bunch of veggies, chicken, meatball, pepperoni, different cheeses, spices, etc.

The only downside to this is they can't all be baked at the same time, but nobody ever minds that.

And you're absolutely right about it being cheaper than going out. And you can always ask guests to bring appetizers or drinks or desserts and you just provide the main course.

[Jluke]

Pizza and two hoagies for takeout = $40.

your restaurant dinner seems like a good deal.

location, location, location

[kork13]

First off, I think we have different definitions of a "big gang." On any given night, I typically make 6-8 servings of any meal for my family of 5 (2 adults, 3 kids aged 2-7). "Big" doesn't even start until 10-12 people! In a normal kitchen, I've cooked a meals for as many as 40 people (mostly, those numbers were holiday ski trips with my team in college). Out of an industrial kitchen, I've once fed as many as 120 people.

And as for what *I* do? Curry. It's a personal specialty, and my entire extended family (plus many co-workers) knows me by it, and loves it. It can be alot of work, and that much chicken, coconut milk, & other ingredients isn't exactly cheap... But I love cooking! So I'll make a double or triple batch plus a bunch of rice all at once, enough to easily feed 5-6 people per batch (so 15-18 servings for a triple). That triple batch probably costs me at least $40 for the ingredients, but still, at $2-$3 per serving, that's pretty good. And as I said, it's ALWAYS a hit. Another favorite is a family recipe, Honey-Ginger Chicken, with rice & veggies. It's basically a lightly floured/seasoned chicken breast, mostly baked, then quasi-braised in a sweet/savory/spicy sauce to finish. Again more expensive with the large amount of chicken required ($2-$3/serving), but very easy to scale up/down as required.

Other ideas that are less involved ..... Chili. Easy to make in huge batches, and another crowd pleaser. Customizable with toppings. .... Taco bar. Similar to the potato bar for buffet-style simplicity, relatively low cost, and customizable by the masses. .... Pasta. In all its many variations, this is always an easy answer for big groups. .... Soups/Stews. Similar to chili, it all just goes in the pot & stews for a little while. .... Hamburgers/hot dogs/brats. If you've got a decent-sized grill, this is a fast choice (though brats should boil before the grill). But they're easy to mass-produce, and some of the cheapest meats you'll find.

I love to cook for people, and have alot of experience cooking for big groups. I could seriously go on & on... Lots of great options abound -- you're really only limited by your creativity, budget, and time.

[bjl584]

Anything in a crock pot is usually a good option.
I've done meatballs and kielbasa for superbowl parties and other large gatherings

[riverwed070707]

My go-tos for a crowd are taco bar and pulled pork hoagies. For both, the meat can go in a crockpot to stay warm after cooked so its great for grazing in a party setting. Supplement with a meat and cheese tray and a veggie tray. Also love to do any kind of soup in the crockpot - zuppa toscana, chili and minestrone are a few of my crowd favs.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

lasagna or baked pasta dish or any pasta dish

soups or stews or curries work great

taco bars I found is easy to make as well. Ribs also making a huge batch can easy feed many people, not cheap though

turkey like thanksgiving

[ua_guy]

Burger bar...when it's nice and you can grill outside. Add brats, hotdogs, potato salad (straight from the fridge!) and all the fixins.

We've fed crowds with Chili before. Goes well with batches of corn muffins...super cheap.

We've done the individual pizza bar thing with good results. We actually did them on a gas grill outdoors and made the dough from scratch.

"Thanksgiving dinner" is cheap and cheerful. BBQ the turkey if you want to do THAT outdoors. Thanksgiving in...June? Totally acceptable for a gathering of people.

Lasagna, salad, bread is also a big hit. Sub spaghetti and meatballs if lasagna is too heavy.

We did soup night once, with the individual sourdough bowls. The soup was a potato-cheddar variety, not too rich. Add green onions and bacon chunks.

Tacos...yep...always a good go-to when feeding a crowd.

Curry is another good option. I don't think mine is as good as Kork's though, and I've deviated my recipe far from anything authentic. The gist is a Golden Curry kit (it's a specific brand of curry cubes, usually mild or HOT) cooked with red and green peppers, white onion, and served over white rice.