Cooking for a Crowd

Great Dinner for a Cold Night

On a cold winter’s night, nothing is better than a rich beef stew! You’ll enjoy this one. It’s filled with interesting ingredients. I like to spoon the stew over the noodles. This meal is great for a company dinner because it can be made ahead of time. Add slices of French baguettes or Bake-N-Serv® bread. The dessert can be made individually or in a pie plate. This colorful meal will become a favorite!

ooking for a larger group presents a challenge to be accurate with ingredients. A change in the size of a salad or in the size of a head of lettuce can make a big difference. Enjoy the challenge!

Romaine, Red Onion and Orange Salad

4 Servings

1 head romaine lettuce
2 oranges, peeled and sliced into rings
1 small red onion, sliced into rings
⅓ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

50 Servings

*8–12 heads romaine lettuce
25 oranges, peeled and sliced into rings
5 red onions, sliced into rings
5 cups orange juice
2 cups olive oil
½ cup Dijon mustard
1 cup chopped parsley
½ cup minced garlic
½ cup sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

* You will need about 50 cups of lettuce. Depending on the size of the heads of romaine and/or the size of the salads, you will need 8–12 heads. A serving equals 1 cup.

Preparation

Dressing: Whisk or shake together orange juice, oil, mustard, parsley, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Adjust flavors by adding additional mustard.

Put lettuce, orange slices and onions in a salad bowl, drizzle the dressing over and toss well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.

Salad may also be composed on salad plates by dividing the greens and layering orange slices and onion rings on top. Sliced almonds or pine nuts are a nice addition to this salad.

French Beef Stew

6-8 Servings

3 bacon slices, cut into pieces
2 lbs. beef stew meat, 1- to 2-inch chunks
½ cup red cooking wine, non-alcoholic
1 bouillon cube
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon dry minced onion
2 teaspoons salt
⅓ teaspoon thyme
1 strip of orange peel
18 small white onions
¾ lb. mushrooms
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 small pkg. frozen peas
½ cup pitted ripe olives, drained

50 Servings

1½ lbs. bacon, cut into 1” pieces
18 lbs. beef stew meat, 1- to 2-inch chunks
4 cups red cooking wine, non-alcoholic
8 bouillon cubes
2 heads garlic, peeled and chopped
½ cup dry minced onion
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon thyme
Strips of orange peel from 1 orange
4 lbs. small white onions
6 lbs. mushrooms
Cornstarch as needed to thicken
2 large pkgs. frozen peas
4 cups pitted ripe olives, drained

Preparation

Fry the bacon until crisp; push aside and brown stew meat. Stir in 1 cup of water and non-alcoholic cooking wine (for large recipe, water and cooking wine should cover the meat), bouillon cube, garlic, onion, salt, thyme and orange peel. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer one hour or until fork-tender. (If preparing ahead of time, continue to simmer or cover and set aside.)

In small bowl, mix cornstarch and enough cool water to dissolve cornstarch; stir into stew. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly until thickened. Add onions, mushrooms, peas and olives. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Adjust seasonings and thickeners as desired. A serving equals about 1 cup.

Parmesan Noodles

You may wish to purchase a boxed product. If so, check box for serving size and follow directions for preparation.

To make fresh noodles, boil noodles until fork tender and drain. Put into a bowl and toss noodles with butter or olive oil, salt and pepper and shredded or grated Parmesan.

Buttered Whole Green Beans Almondine

Blanch frozen whole green beans in boiling water just until heated through. In a skillet, toast sliced almonds in butter and pour over drained beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lemon Angel Pie

8 Servings

Meringue Crust:
4 egg whites (save yolks for filling)
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar

Filling:
4 egg yolks
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel (zest)
1 cup whipping cream

Garnish:
1 cup whipping cream
1 lemon, sliced thin

50 Servings (4 tarts)

Meringue Crust:
24 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 cups of sugar

Filling:
25 egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups sugar
1½ cups lemon juice
¼ cup grated lemon peel (zest)
6 cups whipping cream

Garnish:
6 cups whipping cream
6 lemons, sliced thin

Preparation

Meringue Crust: Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Grease a 10-inch pie plate. In a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating until very stiff. Spoon meringue into prepared pie plate, mounding the sides up to the top of the edge. Bake 1 hour or until stiff. Remove from oven and cool. For individual shells, spoon into desired shape onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or heavy brown paper. Bake until the shell holds its shape and can be lifted off the paper.

Filling and Garnish: Prepare meringue crust, set aside. Beat egg yolks and salt in a bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in sugar, lemon juice and zest. Place mixture in the top of a double boiler over boiling water. Stir constantly until thickened and smooth, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool. Beat 1 cup cream until stiff. Fold into cooled lemon mixture. Spoon into meringue crust. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Before serving, garnish with additional whipped cream and a lemon twist. Add a mint leaf for additional garnish.