In sweater weather or shirt-optional steaminess, there’s a chance you’ll wind up cooking for a crowd. It’s not as simple as tossing a couple of extra shrimp on the barbie. Here is sound advice for cooking for the masses.
- Plan ahead
It’s the difference between enjoying and surviving. The more chopping, dicing, and marinating you can do beforehand, the less you’ll have to do when it’s time to cook. Make appetizers ahead of time, wash salads, and have serving platters at the ready.
Recommended: Save recipes to one folder on your computer, or by a link in a note file on your phone.
- Choose something batchable
Before you settle for takeout, consider what you can do on a FIREDISC®. It’s as easy (and twice as tasty) to toss on Hunter’s Ultimate Grilled Cheese sandwiches. For a smaller crowd, the Shrimp Po’ Boy is sure to please.
Recommended: If you do this on the regular, invest in a set of quality glass food containers, like these.
- Calculate
The rule: 1.25 pounds of food per person. That includes bread, dessert, main dish, salad, sides, and veggies. Some will eat less; a few will eat more.
Recommended: Make a pasta or potato salad to satisfy your guests.
- Stay safe
From the cooker to the plate, food safety is more important than anything. This goes from chopping vegetables to keeping raw meats and their juices contained. Afterward, be sure to wrap leftovers and refrigerate them ASAP.
Recommended: Invest in a food thermometer to check meat doneness. Ground meats should cook to 160°F; poultry and fowl to 165°F; and fresh meat steaks, chops, and roasts to 145°F.
- Serve sliced ice cream for dessert
Run a tub of ice cream under warm water for 20 seconds. Slice the carton as you would a bread loaf. Remove the paper, and serve perfect portions.
Recommended: For an easy upgrade, serve ice cream atop baked fruits. Apples, blackberries, or strawberries work well. Peaches are awesome, too.
Remember to bring extra propane tanks or hook up to a 20-pound tank with the Conversion Adaptor Hose with Gauginator®. You don’t want to run out of gas mid-cook. Stay cool, and have a plan. Soak in the admiration after your cooking excursion runs its delicious court.
