Make Ahead Cooking for a Crowd

Simple Ideas To Be a Cooking for a Crowd Genius

When cooking for a crowd it is extremely helpful to get most tasks done as far in advance as possible. Your stress-level will be reduced, things will run like clockwork (fingers crossed) and you will have more time and patience for last-minute details.

Let’s explore cooking, freezing and defrosting dishes 1-2 months ahead of time and refrigerating completed dishes for 1-3 days. Dig into quick ideas for prep cooking 1-2 days in advance and make ahead ideas on specific types of dishes.

Cooking and Freezing - One Month in Advance

As you plan the menu for the event, it is time-saving and utterly brilliant to include dishes that can be made in advance and frozen.
Cooking ahead will also allow most foods to taste better because the seasonings and oils will continue to flavor the dish, even while frozen. Your main objective is to preserve the texture and flavor of the food as much as possible.
For best possible quality, do not cook and freeze foods more than 1-2 months in advance
First of all, let cooked, uncovered foods cool to room temperature. Refrigerate or freeze completely cooled foods immediately, to prevent bacterial growth
To speed the process, put slightly cooled food into a container and then into an ice bath.
Spread foods like rice, pasta and vegetables out on a baking sheet. Use a small fan to speed up the cooling process.
Containers should be freezer-safe and have tight seals to keep out as much air as possible.
Use heavy-duty plastic wrap and aluminum fold, freezer bags and natural freezer (butcher) paper to prevent excess ice crystals and freezer burn.
A vacuum sealing device and boil-in-bags are great for maintaining food texture and flavor. making or for the stovetop or oven heating
Label each food container clearly with contents, date and purpose. Space unfrozen food containers well apart to speed-up the freezing process. Stack together once frozen

Defrosting Frozen Foods

Defrost all frozen items in the refrigerator overnight or no more than one day in advance. This will allow for slow thawing of the formed ice crystals and a less soggy texture. Slow thawing also lessens bacteria growth. Keep food covered in the original freezer wrapping.

Use oven-safe glassware or covered aluminum pans for heating in a conventional oven. When heating defrosted or partially frozen food, do it gently!

Cooking and Refriderating - 1-2 Days in Advance

Storing cooked or uncooked dishes in the refrigerator is another great way to save time and stress. Just like freezing, not all foods will pass a 1-2 day taste test. Entrees that are made with a thick tomato or brown sauce such as lasagna or beef stew, can be made in advance and stored cooked or uncooked.

Dishes that are primarily composed of pasta, rice, potato or breads should not be held more than 1 day ahead to prevent the starches from becoming mussy or water logged.

Bring refrigerated dishes to room temperature before serving or reheating. Reheat foods slowly and do not allow mixture to come to a boil. Some cooked foods can be heated in a chafing dish.

Some foods can be almost completely cooked then held until serving time. The food is then finished cooking just before service. The trick is to know which foods can be handled in this manner and which cannot. For example, thick-cut beef steaks, cubes and beef medallions and pork chops and medallions can be seared but not cooked through, then finished off in the oven just before service. All without too much moisture loss or compromise in texture. Take care not to overcook!

Prep Cooking - 1-2 Days in Advance

Obviously not all foods can be made in advance and then frozen or refrigerated. That includes fresh salads, creamy desserts and crisp vegetables, just to mention a few.

Preparatory or "prep” cooking is done from several hours to 2-3 days in advance. It is a method of having ingredients and/or recipe components prepared so that the final dish is completed quickly and efficiently.

As a personal party chef, I broke down each recipe or dish into smaller “subrecipes” and prepped those components as far in advance as possible. For me it was the greatest time and stress saver...ever.

For example, a beef and cheese lasagna may require making a tomato sauce, browning beef, chopping vegetables, sautéing vegetables, grating cheeses and chopping herbs. With proper storage, each of those components can be made in advance without compromising food quality.

Here are a few ideas to munch on...

Look for recipe components that are the same across the recipes that you are preparing, such as chopped onions, celery, peppers and the like. Prep all of the ingredients at the same time.

Layer chopped veggies such as onions, peppers and celery in paper towels to absorb moisture. Tightly seal in covered containers

Sauté chopped vegetables, draining or absorbing as much liquid or oil as possible. Store
in tightly sealed containers removing as much air as possible.

Brown ground meats or sear beef and pork cubes or bone-in chicken pieces. Do this
only 1 day ahead. Store in tightly sealed containers or tightly wrapped.

Prepare salad dressings, vegetable dips, vinaigrettes, mayonnaise, yogurt based sauces,
tomato sauces, brown gravies or sauces. These can be done 3-4 days in advance.

Skewer seasoned meats and vegetables for kebabs and store in flat sealed containers

Make finger sandwiches 1 day ahead. Layer between parchment or wax paper in a
tightly sealed container. This is best for sandwiches fillings that are not mayonnaise
based.

Learn More...

Soups and Stews
Most bean, meat and vegetable soups and stews will freeze and heat well. Do not freeze soups that are meant to be served chilled or that are dairy-based. Add cream, milk, cheese or yogurt after the soup is slowly heated but not boiling.

Meats and Poultry
Chicken, pork, beef and veal in the form of stews, soups, braises and casseroles freeze very well. Slightly undercook the dish to prevent the protein from drying out when reheated.
Whole cooked beef or pork roasts or whole chickens can be cooked, cooled and diced or shredded. Place the meat in plastic freezer bags being careful not to overfill the bags. This meat can be used for
tacos, hot sandwiches, pasta or added into hot soups or stews. Do not freeze for more than one month.

Freezing is not recommended for whole cooked meats such as beef roasts or roasted turkey. Instead, you might season the raw meat, wrap well and freeze.

Seafood
Do not freeze cooked seafood. Thawing and reheating will ruin the texture, flavor and nutrients. You can however freeze fish, shrimp or crab contained in stews, fish cakes, seafood casseroles or in any type of sauce.

In these types of entrees I would suggest preparing the soup or stew without the seafood and add raw, evenly-cut, lightly-seasoned pieces in the sauce after it has been defrosted and as it is being reheated. Just be sure it is heated slowly and that the seafood is completely cooked.

Vegetables, Starches and Grains
Again, vegetable stews, soups and casseroles freeze very well. High-moisture vegetables like
lettuce, celery, peppers, onions and cabbage become watery when thawed. Slightly undercook rice, potatoes or pasta to preserve the texture of the reheated starch. Be sure to cool completely before freezing. Heat in microwave or in a low temperature oven. Can be heated in a chafing dish if necessary.

Breaded Foods
Breaded foods like chicken can be frozen but expect a lower quality finished product. I have had the most success using panko breadcrumbs. Seafood cooks quickly and is best breaded and cooked right before serving.