A few years ago I planned the menu and helped cook and serve meals for Bible School. We fed about 100 people each night that week. With VBS season coming up, I thought you might be interested in the menu and recipes we used that are perfect when you’re cooking for a crowd.
We did 4 nights of cooked dinners and ordered pizza for the last night. We needed to keep the cost down, so I shopped sales for the meat. I also cooked the hamburger and chicken at home and froze it. Doing so really cut down the amount of time we needed each night to prepare dinner.
Cooking for a Crowd – Night by Night Menu and Tips
Night One – Sloppy Joes
We used 20 lbs. of hamburger and 6 tall cans of Manwich (or the store brand). This turned out to be more than we needed. 15 lbs. would have been enough. To go with it, we bought 100 buns, potato chips and 3 big bags of baby carrots. Because the meat was already cooked and frozen, we just needed to microwave it to begin to thaw it, then mix with the sauce.
Night Two – Baked Spaghetti
We used the same recipe that I have posted here on Eat at Home, only 12 times the amount. It made about 5 of the very large industrial size foil pans, because they’re so easy when you’re cooking for a crowd and don’t want to spend too much time on the clean-up afterwards! You’ll need:
- 5 lbs. hamburger
- 6 lbs. spaghetti
- 12 Hunt’s spaghetti sauce
- 12 15oz tomato sauce
- 2 bags mozzarella cheese, shredded (8 cups per bag)
We served this with salad and garlic bread (12 loaves, the bakery will slice this if you call ahead). Don’t forget the salad dressing.
Night Three – Baked Potatoes and Salad
This is an easy meal to prepare when you’re cooking for a crowd and people like it. Be sure to allow plenty of time for the potatoes to bake. We served them with butter, sour cream, shredded cheddar and bacon bits. These items were set out for people to fix their own. Squeezable butter/margarine and sour cream helps the line to move faster.
The next night we had some leftover potatoes and fixings. We split the potatoes in half and put them in a single layer in a foil pan. Then we added all the extra toppings that were left over on top of the potatoes and stuck them in the oven to warm again. That was a huge hit and it was very fast to do.
Night Four – Chicken Pot Pie
Again, this is the basic recipe I’ve shared before, but with a few changes. For 5-6 large foil pans (the industrial size), you’ll need:
- 25 cans of cream of celery or cream of chicken soup (or some of each)
- 25 regular sized (15oz) cans of Veg-All
- 12 pie crust packs, 2 per pack
- the meat from 5-6 chickens
I cooked the meat at home and froze it. Instead of using chicken broth in the sauce, use the juice from the vegetables. Just mix the veggies and cream soups together and divide among the pans, with the chicken divided in the bottom of the pans. If it looks too dry, mix up some chicken bullion and pour over the top. Place the pie crusts on top, cutting to fit. You don’t need to make it look pretty, just try to get most of the top covered.
We served this with applesauce and fruit cocktail.
I haven’t had to cook for so many people for several years. Although it’s a lot of work, cooking for a crowd is kind of fun too. What about you? Will you be cooking for a large group of people this summer? Or do you regularly cook for a big group? I’d love to hear the types of foods you make and any tips you might have.
Great suggestions. 100 ppl is definitely a different animal than 5!
These are great! I’ve cooked for our Wednesday night church before, which is usually ~65 people. I’ll definitely keep these in mind the next time I sign up.
These are great suggestions!
I don’t cook for a large group or plan to anytime soon but thought these recipes might be a good idea for bulk cooking.
I know that a daycare I used to go to when I was young used to do their potatoes (probably instant) then put them into industrial casserole then top with slices of cheese then bake for a short time. There must be something else to it cause I’ve tried & tried and can’t get it as tasty as they did!
A very small school I went to as a child used to make a thing called tater tot casserole. I don’t remember how it’s made for sure but I could ask a friend who makes it regularly for her family of 6. The school probably fed 50 – 75.
I would love to have this tater tot casserole that feeds 50-75. I cook the Wednesday night meals at my church. Thank you and may God Bless You
My mom used to make something like this. It was brown ground beef with chopped onions, she would mix it with frozen mixed vegetables (peas,carrots etc) pour cream of chicken soup over that, then top with tater tots and bake. I loved it… my kids hate it…. of course
We make tater tot casserole with ground beef, green beans, cream of mushroom soup with tater tots on top.
Only comment is that I would do one pan of the baked spaghetti without the cheese.
It does a real number on my gut and I know that I am not alone.
Might I suggest using unpasteurized cheese? Pasteurized dairy makes people feel unwell. Raw dairy is the better for your health.
Oh this brings back so many memories! Great, wonderful memories of cooking with you my friend. I don’t think the church meals have been the same!
Haha! You are right about that!
Great ideas! I love pot pie and have never made it for a crowd like that…what a great recipe. I will be out of town – taking a few other gals from church with me – to work in a college kitchen at the end of June. We will be feeding about 150 teens/adults. Mostly we do the prep work and lots of desserts. Got any dessert ideas for that crowd too? Thanks so much for sharing these recipes.
My children and I like to work at a local homeless shelter. These would be perfect meals. We usually do breakfast and serve breakfast casseroles in the industrial sized aluminum pans. We try to serve fresh fruit with it. The people appreciate the fresh
Fruit as much as the home cooked meals. For lunch, we serve sandwiches, fruit, chips, and little Debbie cakes.
I just was given the task for cooking for VBS dinners. I was very overwhelmed! I don’t know how I stumbled on this! Thanks, this helps me get started!
I often cook at summer camps for a week long & usually it’s around 100.
The favorite I have learned is taco salad. It’s set up buffet style :chips,meat, lettuce,tomatoe,cheese,sour cream & beans.
Great idea!
These are great ideas. I cook for our local Ronald McDonald House and it is usually 75 people. Always looking for new ideas. We most recently did sheppard’s pie and it was a hit.
This sounds really good. We are having church revival next week will meals nightly. Our ladies are prepping the chicken pot pies on Sat. for our Mon. night meal. We are going to put them in the freezer until Mon. It’ll be quick & easy from freezer to oven. I will post again after to let you know how they went over!
How much did u spend for all of this for 100 people
Rebekkah, I’m sorry but it’s been so long ago now that I don’t remember.
You can usually figure 2.50 per person depending on meals and portions.
Thanks for responding on my last question. Now how many pounds of chicken nuggets would I need for VBS kids 60? And while I am on Hotdogs too? Thank you so much!
Gee, I was kinda disappointed in your recipes. You use a lot of
processed foods. I wish you would have offered recipes from
scratch.
Have you tried to cook for a 100? I cook for 200 every year and less and less people show up to help. You do things that my it easy..If part if it is processed oh well. The majority if these kids live on fast food. At least these recipes and the ones you have already read about are better than fast food..I am sure they make a large salad with every meal. This is my list if what I make for dinner Taco Bar not processed fresh veggies and Salad..Shepards pie with real potato and corn, Salad of course. Penne with meatballs,garlic bread and Salad. Chicken or Hamburger patties the last night with Baked Beans and Mac and cheese, of course Salad..You must remember We also cook Breakfast and lunch ,that is 600 meals day..Let me know how much better you can do..The majority of people have never evened volunteered their time with this kind of work and always have something negative to say…Pray for the food to nourish their bodies and our Lord will make it good.
Amen!!!!
My respects for you…👏👏👏
We cooked for 231 last year at anewday and going to cook for 261 this year at newday that 6 day event 3 meals aday and we get £30 a youth member fir the week
Thank you for all you do! I serve by feeding a homeless crowd of 60 to 100 once a week and it can get overwhelming and we definitely run out of easy meals to cook. Thank you for your meal list and amounts, that really helped!! God bless you and yours!
Would you have receipes you can share?
could you share your recipes? Thank you.
I COOK FOR MY CHURCH COMMUNITY SUPPERS FOR 200 TO 350 PEOPLE EACH MONTH WITH JUST A LITTLE HELP. NOW WITH COVID-19 EVERYTHING HAS TO BE PACKED IN MICROWAVEABLE CONTAINERS AND GIVEN OUT “TO-GO” IN OUR PARKING LOT. OH TO HAVE THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF SERVING ONLY 125 INSIDE OUR PARISH HALL. I also keep records each month of what we served, how many dinners prepared and given out and sources of quantities needed.
Oh if anyone does not like the way we have done something or does not like the food, they can be in charge of it next month! He he he
amen! I do celebrations of life for our church and other large events like marriage seminars and volunteer appreciation dinners. Most people do not help at all. You have to make do with what you have and even though I don know how to make things from scratch it is actually cheaper to buy the remade things like spag sauce, cream of celery, man which stuff et…
THANK YOU, THE LORD LOVES A CHEERFUL COOK (GIVER) & YOU GAVE ME SOME IDEAS, I ONLY ENJOY IT ONCE A MONTH. GODSPEED, GREG
Totally agree. I believe in the 80/20 principle. If 80% is good and healthy, the body can deal with the other 20%. I think the choices are great knowing of course the budget would not have been lavish for these events. Good job!
Instead of using baked potatoes, I had a mashed potato bar. Had mashed potatoes with toppings (sour cream, bacon bits, shredded cheese, nacho cheese and chives). Also, had some bbq pulled pork. It was a great hit!
That’s a great idea!
Can anyone help me convert the amounts of this recipe for 175 people?
For the baked spaghetti for 175 people you’ll need 8.75 lb hamburger, 10.5 lbs. spaghetti, 21 cans spaghetti sauce, 21 (15oz) cans tomato sauce, 12 cups shredded cheese.
You only need 8.75 lb hamburger for 175 people…Wow!!!!
No you definitely need more than 8.75lbs for 175 people. If you did 8.75lb you’d only get 25.5 grams of raw meat per person, so really more like 20 grams after cooking.. that’s a bit over a tablespoon of meat per person .
I thought that too, but it focuses on the sauce.
When converting for the baked spaghetti recipe, I notice you say you multiplied everything in the original recipe by 12. In the original, it calls for one pound yet the recipe for 100 only calls for 5 pounds. Is this correct??
We cut back on the meat when we did it for a crowd, but you could make it 10 lbs. of meat if you like.
Amen!!!!
Where did you buy your meat for the sloppy joes that was already cooked and frozen?
Dorena – Tiffany actually cooked the meat at home and then froze it.
I am making beef and noodles for 150 at a homeless shelter I want to use roasters. I would make it then put in the roasters. Can anyone help me with the recip and any ideas. We will also have green beans and bars..
Thank you for sharing. This is wonderful. We’re getting ready to feed the homeless and we’re thinking about baked spaghetti. Thanks again!!!!!
What a great idea, Marieli! Let us know how it goes!
Would love to have the recipes posted for the meals mentioned above. Knowing something works for someone else keeps me from inventing the wheel all over.
Absolutely! You can click on the green print in the blog post and those will open up the links to the recipes included in the post. ENJOY cooking for your crowd!
Thank you so much
I’ve managed to be able for me, a friend of mine and my son to feed the homeless just one time. We want to do it again, but on a limited budget for it. Want to fix a good hot filling meal this time. How to work this out, and it be successful ? All suggestions will be appreciated.
Every Thursday we prepare about 180 meals for our local University students as a ministry outreach. There is no charge to the students. We have been doing this for many years. We always have a vegetarian choice as well. Last night we served meatloaf (eggplant parmesan as the vegetarian option), mashed potatoes, broccoli and coleslaw..brownies for dessert. We serve very generous portions. With COVID still lurking we package the meal up for the students as they arrive. It’s a full day of food prep and cooking but the students are so appreciative and many parents reach out to us as well to express their gratitude. If anyone has some great menu ideas, that would be great!