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Cooking for Parties/Graduation Party How Much Do I Make?

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Expert: - 6/15/2008


Question
I'm planning a graduation open house for my daughter. There will be 150-160 people, mostly adults or older children. I'm not sure how much of everything to make. This is my menu please help!
Main Menu:
Chicken (was planning on ordering 200 pieces)
Italian Sausage with peppers & onions
Swedish Meatballs
Mostacoli
Ranchero Beans (Like baked Beans)
Potato Salad
Tossed Salad
Green Bean Salad
Cole Slaw
Fruit Salad
Dinner Rolls
I will also have appetizers and a dessert table, but I think I have that under control.
Thanks in advance!!


Answer
OMG!! Ruth honey, you DEFINITELY need to cut back on your number of menu items!  You will be too exhausted from cooking and setting up and serving to enjoy the party and will have to eat the leftovers for 2 months!
Lose the Chicken and go with Sausage and Peppers as a side with the Mostacali which I assume you are making as a baked pasta dish. You have way too many starchy side dishes too.  Forget the potato salad, cole slaw and the green bean salad and go with the tossed or maybe a Caesar salad. The fruit salad is a nice light side and will compliment the pasta and sauages. Definitely keep the dinner rolls, no baked beans and turn the Swedish Meatballs into Italian instead as an additional meat side to the pasta.  Cut your desserts down to 1 or 2 at the most, Cheesecake and/or Tiramisu are a nice endings to an Italian meal. Per person here's how it will break down for portions:
You will need 6 oz of baked pasta per person, 3 oz each of Sausage and meatballs, 2 oz of salad 1.5 dinner rolls, 4 oz of fruit salad and 1 dessert serving per person.  You will also need 16 oz of a
non-alcoholic beverage per person and 5-6 appetizer bites per person.
Good luck and it does sound yummy now that it's pared down a bit! Let me know if you need any recipes or futher assistance!

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