[cook-e]

Everyone - I'm having a house party for about 50, looking for ideas of a really nice  chicken or beef entrée that can be rounded out with sides, and one that can be scaled up. Something above and beyond the usual banquet stuff...   Any suggestions?

 

[meezenplaz]

Individual pastry wrapped beef wellingtons.
Baked chicken cordon bleu. Or phyllo wrapped stuffed chicken breast.

 

[cerise]

Chicken Marsala, Piccata, Francaise or Paillard. Or a dish like Beef Bourguignon or Chicken Vesuvio, is another way to go, i.e.

http://www.great-chicago-italian-recipes.com/chicken_vesuvio.html

 

[lagom]

a small roasted pig or a lamb works wonders for a group that size.

 

[millionsknives]

+1 for big roasts.  Instead of doing many separate orders, you cook one or two big things, either whole animals or beef roasts, then slice and serve.  You just need to focus on cooking the one thing and sides you can do mostly in advance.  Additionally, carving looks cool.

 

[meezenplaz]

+1 for big roasts. Instead of doing many separate orders, you cook one or two big things, either whole

animals or beef roasts, then slice and serve.

A viable point as well. And let us note that Beef Wellington also lends itself to that end, when you sear,

coat and wrap the entire tenderloin, creating a slant cut "skip-crust" or a lattice and bake it as a whole,

it presents beeeautifully.

 

[panini]

As @Lagom suggests:

In the summer, I like to have a one size protein. piggy,lamb,goat, etc. This way you can utilize your grill, and the home A/C is not battling the constant heat coming from the oven. Even if it has to be make inside, I would hold it on the grill.

If your gathering is summer casual, shorts, tees, any of those puppies I mentioned work great. Mostly because you can enlist some of your guests to help with the carving and serving.

Last week we attended a gathering, mostly strangers, they did up a grilled goat. All Mexican sides. Borracho Beans outside on the Bayou Broiler.

When they served we jumped in to help and it lead to guests loosing up. just sayin

 

[cerise]

+1 for big roasts. Instead of doing many separate orders, you cook one or two big things, either whole animals or beef roasts, then slice and serve. You just need to focus on cooking the one thing and sides you can do mostly in advance. Additionally, carving looks cool.

I'm liking the suggestions for cooking/roasting a big animal or two.

Other ideas - Tri-tips (with Romesco sauce) or stuffed beef tenderloins. Butterfly, open like a book, roll up jellyroll style, tie and cook. Fill/stuff with what you like. i.e.

Rosa di Parma

http://relish.com/recipes/rosa-di-parma-filled-beef-tenderloin/

 

[koukouvagia]

Whole animals are great and easy.  Also big roasts.  You can smoke a brisket or make pulled pork in the oven and grill up sausages.  Something for everyone.

 

[cerise]

For the chicken, (thinking out loud), spatchcocked cornish game hens. Maybe too fussy for a large group, and not sure how much cooking (oven?) space you have.

 

[flipflopgirl]

Nothing says hospitality quite like the host at a carving board.

We do this during the winter holidays with fried turkey and smoked rib roast.

For some reason whoever is carving gets a steady flow of cocktails lol.

mimi

To add....get a friend (maybe @panini will come over lol) to help get the sides situated and then you and your +1 thank everyone for coming and that usually gets the cattle going thru the line....

Keeps you out of the kitchen and out with your friends and family.

m.

 

[cerise]

Speaking of large carved animals lol, it takes me back to the all-you-can-eat champagne brunch buffets at the Sands or Dunes hotels in Vegas, baby, years ago.  There were different stations for every cuisine imaginable, and chefs at different stations carving, roast beast, turkey, ham etc.  The food was actually pretty good, and the price (back then) was... wait for it... $3.99. (As I recall, the champagne came from a keg.)

 

[cerise]

Also, if it's as hot where you are (don't know your location) as it is here during Summer (107 degrees here), I might go with a one pot dish like Low country seafood boil/frogmore stew, or paella - if there are no seafood allergies.  A few pitchers of Sangria, and a big salad and you're good to go.

 

[meezenplaz]

For some reason whoever is carving gets a steady flow of cocktails lol.

Leave it to Mimi to illuminate just how screwed I was.......for I carved meat-in-the-heat at many an event

and was never plied with even ONE bloomin' drink! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/surprised.gif

 

[cerise]

Leave it to Mimi to illuminate just how screwed I was.......for I carved meat-in-the-heat at many an event

and was never plied with even ONE bloomin' drink! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/surprised.gif

Have a virtual cold one on us Meez /img/vbsmilies/smilies/drinkbeer.gif

 

[butleraustin92]

Chicken piccata all the way!!!!! It's cheap easy and fancy!!!!!!

 

[koukouvagia]

Chicken piccata all the way!!!!! It's cheap easy and fancy!!!!!!

Actually it's alot more expensive than getting a big animal and cooking it. You have to buy boneless skinless chicken breasts which is quite expensive. Or if you buy whole chickens then you have the stressful and timely work of breaking it down and then what do you do with the rest of the animal?

And then cooking piccata for a crowd of 50 means cooking it during the party, you can't cook it ahead because it's chicken breast and it will dry out and become rubbery even after 20minutes. So it's not cheap and it's not easy.

And anything that you can order at Olive Garden is far from fancy.

Don't take this personally lol, I just don't like chicken picatta!

 

[millionsknives]

There are things that hold well, you can eat hot or cold, and reheat well. Chicken is not one of those things.

 

[flipflopgirl]

For some reason whoever is carving gets a steady flow of cocktails lol.

Leave it to Mimi to illuminate just how screwed I was.......for I carved meat-in-the-heat at many an event
and was never plied with even ONE bloomin' drink! :suprise:

Poor monkey boy...
I will make sure you get an invite to the next houseparty.
Don't forget your knives lol.

meemz

 

[flipflopgirl]

In all the rambling I have lost track of @Cook-E ....
Wonder how the party went?

mimi