Safety First
Obviously the most important consideration when feeding a crowd is proper food safety measures. You would not want to make anyone sick at that potluck dinner or party. Cleanliness is paramount. When cooking large batches of food, it is important that they are cooked thoroughly all the way through. Use an instant-read thermometer to be sure. Once they are cooked, you must be prepared to hold hot foods at the proper temperature so that bacteria does not begin to grow. This is especially important with poultry recipes.If you are transporting food, you must think ahead to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold for the duration of the trip and during the serving period.
To Double or Not To Double?
Many standard recipes can be multiplied to feed larger crowds. However, not all ingredients need to be multiplied. For example, fat needed for sauteing need not be multiplied, as long as you have a proper amount to cover the bottom of the pan. Cooking times may not necessarily need to be multiplied by the same factor as the recipe ingredients.Some dishes may take less than double time and some may take even more, depending on the size of the dish. You may expect a recipe to serve 4 that you have quadrupled will serve 16, but it will most likely serve more. Avoid multiplying by an odd number. For some odd reason, no pun intended, they just do not turn out as well. However, division usually works well on those recipes that are too large for your purposes.
More About Cooking for a Crowd with Recipes
• Doubling Recipes for a Crowd• Cooking for a Crowd Tips and Hints
• Large Quantity Crowd Recipes
Cookbooks
| • | Cooking for a Crowd |
| • | The Big Platter Cookbook : Cooking And Entertaining Family Style |
| • | The Church Potluck Supper Cookbook |
| • | Moosewood Restaurant Cooks for a Crowd |
| • | More Cookbooks |
