Dinner for 25-30 people- what would you make?

[Bernadine]

I could buy part of the dinner, like maybe the main dish, but probably couldn't afford to have the whole thing catered.

I'm hosting my sister's rehearsal dinner next year, so I have plenty of time, but I'm bored and on pinterest tonight.

[hisno1girl]

What type of crowd?

I mean some people might be okay with a BBQ or a taco/nacho bar, some might not.

[starburst604]

I usually default to pasta/meatballs/salad/rolls for large groups. Most of it can be cooked ahead of time. Not sure how fancy you want it to be though. You could pick up a honeybaked ham or something too.

[ddi741]

Italian - baked ziti, sausage & peppers, meatballs. Easy to make at home and inexpensive if you have it catered.

[whiskeyandwine]

Nacho bar

Stuffed Shells, or any kind of pasta, w/ a big salad and loaves of bread

Sloppy Joes, Mac'N'Cheese, Chips and Dip, Veggie Tray

[cleo29]

I have a good pulled BBQ chicken recipe, you could make that, some Cole slaw, corn on the cob, etc. Or a good pasta salad.

[steph196]

Lasagna or a giant Costco pork loin

[missmaddie]

I might be influenced by the time of year, indoor/outdoor, etc.

[aliciaflorrick]

I agree on Italian. Friends of ours cooked a bunch of ziti and each tray had meat and sauce variations (i.e. Chicken Alfredo, marinara sauce only, etc.). They said it was really easy to prepare ahead and just pop in the oven.

[balletofangels]

I did a taco bar for my mom's 60th birthday and it was a huge hit. The best part was that it was mostly make ahead so I could enjoy the festivities.

I did a crock pot of shredded salsa chicken and one of seasoned ground beef.
I had hard and soft taco shells as well as the hard bowls for taco salad.
Bought red bowls or chip dishes from the dollar store for all the sides -- lettuce, cheese, beans, queso, olives, etc.
Premixed margaritas and put them in a big drink dispenser.

[trafficgirl]

We've got a slightly smaller crowd coming for the boys' birthday but are debating the same thing. Obviously a different affair, but so far we've narrowed it to either a baked ziti or lasagna dish with salad or crockpot chili and cornbread. Some apps too, but those as main dishes.

ETA - all the main dishes we're considering can at least be compiled the day before. That's a necessity.

[pagas]

Baked pasta, salad, garlic bread, antipasto plate to start

[daisybuchannan]

I'll be honest, I feel like it's nearly always cheaper in the end to have it catered. You don't have to do anything fancy, but even Italian from a local restaurant might be cost equivilant or cheaper than buying and preparing everything.

I'm doing whole foods thanksgiving this year, and I'm sure I would have spent at least the same amount on ingredients as the catered meal.

[keyslover]

I find it is easier to do main dish and buy sides.

I also like the crockpot for the main dish. Pulled pork- carnitas or BBQ. Then buy if my sides from a local restaurant.

When it comes down to it, catering is generally cheaper when you price time and energy into the equation.

[revolution]

I agree on pricing out catering. My rehearsal dinner was catered... Ribs, chicken, cole slaw etc... And it was fairly reasonable. And the venue was my dads back yard for a picnic type deal.

What time of year?

[sjh722]

Nov 1, 2014 19:27:17 GMT -5 daisybuchannan said:

I'll be honest, I feel like it's nearly always cheaper in the end to have it catered. You don't have to do anything fancy, but even Italian from a local restaurant might be cost equivilant or cheaper than buying and preparing everything.

I would at least price catering for this reason. They also have quantities per person down, whereas I stand in front of the pulled pork display at Costco, going, "Hmmmmmmmm....8 pounds? 10 pounds? Maybe I'll just buy 12 to be on the safe side." And then I have like 4.5 lbs leftover.

[eddy]

Chili bar

Easy on so many levels

[sjh722]

Nov 1, 2014 20:23:05 GMT -5 @booby said:

i would probably contact a catering/banquet hall b/c their prices are way lower than regular restaurant s that do catering. i only heard of this idea recently and certainly most banquet halls don't cater to the outside, but some of them do. (i heard about this on my FB mom s group when someone was asking about catering for a christening - i looked at the prices from the halls that were recommended and i was pleasantly surprised).

My mom did this for my brother's rehearsal dinner - the banquet hall we had my reception at did outside catering and it was pretty reasonable. 

[april37]

Pasta, salad, bread. Cheap and easy. My hubby just had a pot luck at work and I made my regular Baked Ziti but instead of putting it in a pan and baking it, I threw it in the slow cooker.

In case you are interested, here's my recipe:

allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Ziti-I/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=ziti&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_results_p1i1

I just use Italian Sausage instead of ground beef.

I do agree with those who mention catering. I threw a party for DH once and got a huge pan of pasta from a local restaurant. I just heated it up myself. It ended up being cheaper and easier than doing it myself.

[ralphlauren]

A call to the closest caterers

[lilafowler]

Meatballs, sauce, pasta, salad, cold cuts and rolls.

[livinitup]

Two or three kinds of pasta with two-three kinds of sauce. like red sauce over linguine, vodka over penne and alredo over fettuccini. 

Two trays of of meatballs and two trays of chicken - like Parm or francese

mixed green salad with a homemade creamy balsamic dressing with sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzerella and basil

[Deleted]

I would have a local Italian place cater it.

[trafficgirl]

Nov 1, 2014 21:04:53 GMT -5 april37 said:

Pasta, salad, bread. Cheap and easy. My hubby just had a pot luck at work and I made my regular Baked Ziti but instead of putting it in a pan and baking it, I threw it in the slow cooker.

In case you are interested, here's my recipe:

allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Ziti-I/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=ziti&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_results_p1i1

I just use Italian Sausage instead of ground beef.

I do agree with those who mention catering. I threw a party for DH once and got a huge pan of pasta from a local restaurant. I just heated it up myself. It ended up being cheaper and easier than doing it myself.

This is the recipe I use to! It's really good.

[dexteroni]

I would ask the couple for a few ideas of what they would like and go from there. If they say "anything," then my suggestions would depend on the time of year.

I second @booby's suggestion to scout around for banquet halls that also do outside catering. My family has been using one in my hometown for years for good, reasonably priced food for crowds. It's such a nice resource to have.

[dexteroni]

Nov 1, 2014 21:04:53 GMT -5 april37 said:

In case you are interested, here's my recipe:

allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Ziti-I/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=ziti&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_results_p1i1

That sounds awesome. I just pinned it. Thanks!

[Captain Serious]

I would make three different things: a beef dish, a chicken dish, and a vegetarian dish, along with some salads and sides, and make it self serve.