Food court
Now’s the time to start thinking of all the graduations and wedding receptions and family reunions, when you’re having a large crowd to feed. These recipes should help a little.
Bar-B-Q Meatballs
10 pounds of ground beef
3 cans of evaporated milk
3 1/4 cups of quick oatmeal
3 1/4 cups crushed cracker crumbs
7 eggs
1 medium onion
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
6 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
Sauce
6 1/2 cups catsup
3 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Hickory liquid smoke
Chopped onion to taste
Mix hamburger ingredients all together. Make walnut-sized balls. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350° until brown. Place in large roaster, add sauce when ready to bake (1 1/2 hours). These meatballs can be made several days to a week ahead. Bake and put in freezer. On the day you’re ready to use them, add sauce and bake. Serves about 250 people.
Baked Beans
3 gallons pork and beans
4 cans kidney beans
4 cans butter beans
4 cans green beans
3 cans pineapple tidbits (add half of the juice)
6 pounds bacon (fried crisp and broken up
2 quart ketchup
8 cups brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup prepared mustard
2 to 3 cups diced onion
Use vegetable oil to cover sides of black iron settle so beans won’t stick. Brown 2 to 3 cups onion in a little vegetable oil in kettle, then put in beans, then all the other ingredients. Cook 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If you would like you can fry bacon the day before. Serves 75 people.
Chicken or Turkey Salad
10 cups chicken or turkey, chopped fine
3 cups celery, chopped fine
2 cups sweet pickle, chopped fine
3 cups mayonnaise
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Serve on your favorite rolls or bread. Makes 50 sandwiches. For a bread sandwich cut your sandwiches into triangles by cutting from corner to corner both ways.
Ham Salad
6 pounds chopped cooked ham
2 dozen eggs, hard boiled, chopped or grated
2 cups sweet pickle relish
3 cups chopped celery, chopped fine
4 tablespoons prepared mustard
4 cups mayonnaise
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve on your favorite buns, small rolls or bread. Makes 50 sandwiches. For a bread sandwich, cut your sandwiches into triangles by cutting from corner to corner both ways. This makes for a neater tray. You can always do some double layer sandwiches by using meat on 1 layer and pimento cheese on second layer.
Strawberry Shortcut Cake
4 cups frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed
2 3-ounce packages strawberry gelatin
2 cups miniature marshmallows
2 packages plain yellow cake mix
Whipped cream, Cool Whip or ice cream
Combine strawberries with gelatin. Set aside. Put marshmallows in bottom of two generously greased 9-by-13-inch pans. Prepare cake mixes as directed on package. Pour this mixture over marshmallows. Spoon strawberry mixture over batter. Bake at 375° for 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Top with whipped cream or Cool Whip or ice cream. Serves 40. Can be doubled.
Hawaiian Meatballs
12 pounds ground beef
5 1/2 cups cracker crumbs
2 cups minced onion
8 eggs
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons ginger
1 cup milk
1 cup cornstarch
4 cups brown sugar
4 20-ounce cans pineapple tidbits
2 cups vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 cups chopped green pepper
Mix together beef, cracker crumbs, onion, eggs, salt, ginger and milk. Form into meatballs. Brown in oven at 350°. Mix together cornstarch and brown sugar. Stir in reserved juice from pineapple tidbits, vinegar and soy sauce. Stir until smooth and cook over medium heat until thick. Stir and boil 1 minute. Add meatballs, pineapple and green pepper. Heat thoroughly. Serves 48.
Macaroni Fruit Salad
Part 1
4 cups uncooked macaroni
2 20-ounce cans pineapple tidbits, drained
2 bottles maraschino cherries
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
12 red apples, unpeeled and cut into chunks
Cook macaroni 7 minutes, drain and rinse. Add drained pineapple, cherries, cut in half, oranges and apples.
Part 2
8 eggs
4 cups sugar
1 cup lemon juice
2 8-ounce containers of Cool Whip
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
In saucepan, put beaten eggs, sugar and lemon juice. Cook slowly until thick, stirring constantly. Add to the macaroni-fruit mixture and chill. Before serving, mix in Cool Whip and nuts. Serves 50.
Bar-B-Q for sandwiches
20 pounds ground beef
2 large green peppers
4 cans tomato paste
1 cup (scant) brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons salt
2 large onions, cut fine
2 large cans tomato sauce
1 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of red pepper
Slightly brown ground beef, add pepper and onion and brown some more. Salt hamburger, drain off grease. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, vinegar and spices. Simmer until it reaches the desired thickness to stay on buns. Makes 75 to 100 sandwiches.
Cole Slaw Dressing
2 quarts Miracle Whip salad dressing
2/3 cup half and half
1/2 cup milk
1 1/3 cups sugar
Dash of salt
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Makes 10 cups dressing. Mix the salad dressing, half and half, milk, sugar, salt and vinegar together thoroughly and refrigerate. Shred as much cabbage and some grated carrots and some green pepper as much as you need for the amount of guests you are serving.
Barbecue Sandwiches for 100
(Submitted by Sharon Funfsinn, Mendota)
25 pounds lean ground beef, browned
4 pounds onions
4 bunches celery
5 green peppers
10 to 14 bottles catsup (do not dilute)
8 cans tomato soup
1 pint vinegar
1 pound brown sugar
Sauté onion, celery and peppers, add to browned beef. In large bowl or pot, mix together catsup, soup, vinegar and brown sugar. Combine all ingredients in large electric roaster and cook slowly for 2 to 3 hours, until liquid cooks down. Skim off excess fat as it cooks. Works better if divided into 2 roasters as it cooks more evenly. Tastes better if cooked ahead of time and frozen, then reheated to serve.
Punch
150 cups
7 cups sugar
5 2-quart bottles of ginger ale soda
2 large pineapple juice
2 large frozen lemonade
6 lemon lime Kool-Aid packets
10 quarts water
6 quarts lime sherbet
75 cups
3 1/2 cups sugar
3 2-quart bottles of ginger ale soda
1 large pineapple juice
1 large frozen lemonade
3 lemon lime Kool-Aid packets
5 quarts water
1/2 gallon lime sherbet
Mix first 6 ingredients together in punch bowl. A short time before serving put in the sherbet to let melt a little. Just before serving add ginger ale soda.
Potato Salad
25 pounds potatoes
2 quarts Miracle Whip dressing
1 cup prepared mustard
5 cups onion, chopped finely
2 1/2 cups celery, finely chopped
2 dozen hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 1/2 cups sweet pickle relish
Salt and pepper to taste
Peel potatoes. Boil until tender. Let cool and then cut into chunks. Combine the Miracle Whip, mustard, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the potatoes and remaining ingredients, mix well. Refrigerate until completely cooled. This recipe will serve 75 people. If too dry you can add more Miracle Whip.
This will give you a few dishes to feed a large crowd. If you need to reach me you can email me at judyd2313@frontier.com or drop a line to my attention to the BCR, P.O. Box 340, Princeton, IL 61356.
