Need some ideas for luncheon for ~100ppl

[Anastasis]

Had responsibility for a church luncheon this weekend sprung on me at the last minute. Anybody got any good ideas for an luncheon meal plan. We would like to keep the total cost down as much as possible. I am thinking somewhere in the $400-500 range.

I am already planning on throwing a Greek salad together. Romaine, good feta, kalamatas, red onion, cucumber, dressing. My general philosophy for these things is to go big on the salad. A good salad is key, fills a plate, and balances out a reasonable portion size for the protein.

I was thinking something along the lines of grilled chicken breast on a bed of pasta in a lemon butter sauce, or maybe some spanish rice. Never made that much rice before, so that could be a disaster. Anyways, I'm open to any and all ideas, and would appreciate any help brainstorming.

 

[EEE]

I like the salad idea; It handles any vegetarian issues off the bat. Going off the chicken idea, I imagine that marinating the lot in Teriyaki sauce would please most anyone, topped off with chunks of pineapple. Logistically, rice would more easily deliver a consistent plate than pasta. I would match the chicken with a batch of wild rice pilaf, with veggies mixed in (celery, onion, and carrots minced in a cuisinart). Making rice in those quantities is actually pretty straight-forward, and much easier to get a palatable product on the plate than pasta would be.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Bowtie pasta primavera in a light alfredo, cream-type sauce is my go-to for an easy dish for large groups.

Everything can be done in stages.

The day before:
Cook the pasta. Lightly coat it in olive oil and refrigerate it. Undercook the pasta slightly as it’ll finish in the baking process to follow.
Salt and pepper the chicken. Grill or cook on oiled sheet pans in 375 degree oven for roughly 25-30 minutes, turning once.
Cut up, broccoli, red/yellow/green bell peppers. Cut zucchini lengthwise, into half inch wide by “fork length” batons.
Store the veggies, covered with a damp towel, in a tightly sealed container.

The day of:
Spread the veggies evenly on sheet pans. Add cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, some Italian seasoning S&P and drizzle w/ olive oil.
Cook roughly 25-35 mins in a 375 degree oven, toss w/ a spatula once or twice during. Remove and let cool slightly.
Make a light cream sauce and add half to the pre-cooked pasta. It’s a good idea to leave the sauce a bit thin as it’ll thicken in the baking process to follow.
Add half the remaining sauce to the veggies, cut-up chicken and toss.
Layer the pasta and veggie/chicken components in hotel pans, tossing lightly.
Top with remaining sauce and coarsely grated parmesan cheese and Italian breadcrumbs.
Bake, covered lightly with a sheet of foil and bake at 350 until a butter knife inserted into the middle comes out hot to-the-touch. This should take 25-45 minutes.
Garnish with FRESH chopped parsley and maybe some basil.
Eat.
=====

Chef Paul U.

 

[DeadHeadHorn]

I think Cowpoke's got the right idea - it sounds like that will be very manageable, allowing you to do it over a couple days, as well as keeping the meat separate for the veggies out there (probably not many, but you still gotta look out for them).

Also, make sure you arrange everything so that the protein/main entree is last. Let them fill their plate with salad and bread before getting to the expensive stuff.

Good luck. Sounds like quite a task.

 

[PipFunatUT]

boil a bunch of fresh gulf shimp

 

[Brisketexan]

Actually, your budget is quite workable for the number that you have. Cowpoke's suggestion is solid. Any pasta-type dish would do well (spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, etc.)

Another good and cheap one is roast pork. You can get big Bostun Butt roasts for $1.50 a pound. Rub it with season salt, pepper, garlic powder, and kitchen boquet, and slow roast in the oven for several hours.

Pull them, use the drippings to make a bunch of gravy, and then slice the roasts up (they'll almost fall apart). Serve with mashed taters. Your meat and potatoes portion will only cost about $1.50 per person, if that. Have a good salad, too, and you're set.

 

[Anastasis]

Thanks for the great ideas guys.

 

[Orangesweat]

Watch some episodes of Dinner Impossible. Maybe it will give you some more ideas.

 

[for_real]

I would go lasagna and a salad.