Please help with menu for ds bar mitzvah

HealthCoach

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 2:37 pm

Please help me plan a menu for Friday night and Shabbos lunch for approximately 50 people. I will be cooking so things should not be very hard to make but I would like them to have a professional look. I also need a menu for his bo bayom which will be on chol hamoed succos and will be for 50 people as well. I would like to try to cater as little as possible for these meals as he will be having an affair as well. Thanks so much.

jaysmom

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 2:47 pm

Friday night: Chicken soup with matzah balls, roasted potatoes or potato kugel, green beans, rice, chicken, cranberry apple kugel (you can make in cupcake tins)....roasted carrots and sweet potato. Dessert of some sort.

Shabbos day: fruit cup or ambrosia or fruit soup looks pretty on the tables, fish (gefilta or salmon or whatever) with coleslaw (creamy or vinigar or purple cabbage salad and pickles and olives. grilled chicken salad, chulent, kishka, grilled veggies (can be good cold- colored peppers, onions, zuccini) if you did roasted potatoes last night, you can do potato kugel today), yerushalmi kugel. Dessert: simple- brownie and a scoop of ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup.

BoomChickaPop

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 9:14 pm

That sounds like a lot of work. Do you really need to make meals for all of those people? If it was my sister Smile

and she had little children, I would tell her to try to cut out at least the Friday night meal. The only time that the Friday night meal is necessary is if you have guests sleeping over by neighbors and you don't think that their hosts would be able to have them for the Friday night meal.

mummiedearest

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 9:22 pm

do you have a good blender? make blender potato kugel and bake it in muffin tins. very easy, and more festive than the usual shape.

chicken-- pour lemon juice, salt and pepper on chicken. bake. you can use orange juice instead of lemon if you wish.

gefilte fish is easy enough.

fresh salad

deli roll is easy and can be made in bulk fairly quickly. it also tastes good cold.

cholent

simple side salads (cole slaw, etc.)

you can repeat the same recipe for two meals, it won't hurt. I rarely make chicken soup, so imo you can skip that altogether.

desert can be fruit salad (get a melon baller and let the kids do that) or some simple cake and tea.

it's easier to make fewer dishes in larger quantities than more dishes in smaller quantities.

avimom

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 9:27 pm

Is all of that really necessary??? If you live with a lot of family nearby, and/or your family will be staying with other family, can't they eat at least the friday night meal by themselves??? Also, I'm SURE family members will offer their help. Take them up on it- just assign different things to make sure you have a varied menu.
As for a bo bayom- do you need to have something for 50 people when you are having a separate affair?? Sounds like a lot to me...
One last thing- can you hire a waiter to serve and clean-up so that you can enjoy yourself too?

elmos

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 10:29 pm

you can do veggie kugels in muffin pans it makes serving them easier and they look really pretty I have done carrot ones cauliflower& broccli or zuchini apple etc.. I have even done noodle ones like this and most freeze well. you can do salads which are great fillers and look really pretty I have alot of recipes if you want let me know. I also think setting up buffet style is easier than serving plates but thats my opinion. Meatballs are alos great for friday night they can be frozen in advanced and than warmed for shab or you can place them in a crockpot.

goldapoe

Mon, Jul 19 2010, 10:56 am

Baked Salami "Roast" always goes over well and is more festive than just having deli. BTW, it freezes great, too!
Carrot/Pumpkin muffins (freezes well).
Scalloped Potatoes
Keep dessert simple, parve ice cream and a cookie on the side

Recipe can be provided upon request.

Mazal Tov!