If you’ve volunteered to cook for a large group of people, your normal kitchen supplies aren’t going to be quite enough. Get the tools you need before the day that you plan to prepare the meal.
Large Pots and Mixing Bowls
Large quantities of food require large vessels. Choose a pot, frying pan, or casserole dish big enough for the meal you intend to create. You may want additional pots and pans to cook other parts of your recipe.
Select a mixing bowl that has enough room for your ingredients and extra room for you to comfortably stir. A good rule is that the height and radius of the bowl should be nearly the same.
Multiple Cutting Boards
You shouldn’t cut raw meat and vegetables on the same cutting board. Purchase three different cutting boards; use one for vegetables, one for raw meat, and one for already cooked meat and cheeses. If you cook with garlic and raw onions, consider buying a separate cutting board to avoid mixing the tastes. You can buy cutting boards in different colors so that you can tell them apart.
Prep Containers
Unless you plan to add ingredients to the dish as you cut or mix them, prep and storage containers will revolutionize your cooking process.
Choose prep bowls that are easy to pour ingredients from. You want at least one bowl for every ingredient that you’ll be using. Storage containers will let you prepare ingredients in advance, which typically makes cooking large dishes much easier.
Plates and Cutlery
You can’t serve a large group of people without enough dishes. It’s easy to remember plates and cups, but utensils often go forgotten until the last minute.
It’s worth purchasing a full cutlery set that includes matching spoons and forks. If you like to cook steak, a good set of steak knives will serve you for years. Other items to consider include small serving plates, soup bowls, and salad forks.
Warming Trays
Although they’re not essential, warming trays are a great asset when cooking for a large group of people. You don’t want one dish to go cold while you prepare the next one.
Find a warming tray that is big enough to hold the food you need without getting in the way of your cooking process. You can leave the tray in the kitchen, or you can set it on the table and let your guests serve themselves.
When you’re preparing a dish for a large group of people, planning is everything. Make sure you have the tools in your kitchen well before the day you need to cook. Prepare anything that you can in advance, and have a friend on hand in case something goes wrong. With awareness and preparation, your group meal will be a great success.