How to Cater Your Own Party

The Appliance Source in Hughesville, Annapolis and Easton know the importance of having family and friends over for entertaining. They realize a successful dinner party relies partly on the tools available in your kitchen.  The Appliance source is able to help you with the best quality and highest selection of appliances. They also want to share some information and tips on making your social event perfect.

Hosting a successful dinner party for family and friends doesn't have to break the bank.

Upcoming special events, such as holidays, birthdays or everyday get-togethers generally will require you to provide guests with some sort of meal. With the right menu, budget and a few assistants, anyone can self-cater a party.

There are many reasons to cater your own event. Perhaps you desire ethnic or regional foods not readily available. Maybe your venue cannot accommodate the number of people you desired. Generally, however, people choose to self-cater to save money. Hiring a caterer may cost in excess of $30 per person. You can typically cut your costs in half by doing it yourself with the right planning.

• Decide on a time. Hosting a party in between meal times is a great way to reduce the amount of food you will need to provide. Chances are if you schedule your party at 3 p.m. guests will not be as hungry and won't need as much food.
  
  
• Set an acceptable invite limit. A home kitchen is generally large enough to accommodate cooking for 60 to 100 people. If you plan to invite more, you may not have the room and will need to rent out commercial space. Splitting up the cooking between two kitchens (for example, a relative or friend who wants to help) can stretch the invite number a little further.
  
  
• Decide on type of service. Before selecting a menu, decide on the serving method: cocktail reception, buffet, sit down individual service, or sit down family style. Buffets are generally easier to manage. However, you may need to have more food than if you serve individually. Dinners are the most expensive events to cater, so cocktails and hors d'oeuvres could be better if money is limited.
  
  
• Plan the menu. It's best to choose menu items that you have made before, as now is not the time to try new recipes. Think about foods that can be stretched to feed a crowd that will be relatively inexpensive per plate. For example, offering guests individual steaks is far more expensive than cooking a roast beef that is sliced and served. Pasta, rice and potato dishes are filling and can be made in quantity. Remember to factor in at least one item that vegetarians can enjoy. Salads and vegetable dishes can serve to supplement meals, but generally are not as well received as other fare.
  
  
• How much food? It takes about 120 servings to feed 100 people. That's because you want to have extra food on hand for bigger eaters. Those who serve themselves in buffet lines tend to take larger portions than if portions are served by a buffet server. Teenagers (even girls) tend to eat more than adults, too. When serving beef and a second meat, such as chicken or pork, on a buffet, allow for 5 ounces ready-to-eat beef plus 3 ounces ready-to-eat second meat for each person. Therefore, you'll need roughly 50 pounds of your first meat, and 25 pounds of your second meat to feed 100 people, if you allot extra for big eaters. Plan for 15 to 20 2-liter bottles of soda for beverages or the equivalent in punch or iced tea.
  
  
• Purchase the extras. You will need chafing dishes, serving spoons, cups, dishes, napkins, flatware, and more to host your event.

  2 cups per person for a 3-hour party (200 cups)
  3 napkins per person (300 napkins)
  2 plates per person (200 plates)
  3 sets of flatware per person (300 forks, spoons, knives)
  1 sheet cake, which can generally serve all of your guests

• Set up. Be sure to arrive at your venue or ensure your home is ready well in advance of the party. Light sternos and set food in chafing dishes to heat 1 to 2 hours before you plan to serve food. No one wants to eat cold food. Different "stations" make serving easier. For example, a buffet line, a beverage line and a dessert line. If you plan to serve alcoholic beverages, hire a bartender. This way he or she can moderate serving sizes and ensure no one over-indulges.
  
  
• Hire additional help. It may be worth the extra expense to hire servers for your party, or individuals who can help with clean-up. This way you have a chance to mingle with your guests instead of spending the duration of the party in the kitchen.