Cooking for a large group(HELP)

[Dvigna]

At the in-law family camp out we are always in charge of Saturday breakfast for 20 people. We make campfire omelets. Start by boiling a large pot of water. Give everyone a small ziplock bag, spay the inside with Pam, and crack two eggs in each persons bag. Have them put whatever they want in the bag (we usually have peppers, onions, ham, bacon bits, mushrooms, etc.). Seal the bag and then drop it into the boiling water for a few minutes. Pull the bag out with tongs and then the omelet will slide right out of the bag. Top with cheese, salsa, etc.

We have also found pre-cooked bacon works great also. Sams club usually sells it in three pound packages.

Both of these are quick, easy, and best of all, involves very little clean up.

[Heldapay]

Being a SC girl, I highly recommend Frogmore Stew. Boil it in a large pot or outdoor cooker and dump it onto a newspaper covered picnic table. It is deeeeelicious and there's virtually no clean up. Your friends will thank you!

[trudinator]

NoThing better than lumberjack breakfast in the Dutch oven over the fire. I suggest enchiladas to feed a crowd. You can make it ahead of one and just pop it in The oven or on the campfire.

[Kaadk]

What about kabobs? Just need to cube up some meat(s), peppers, onions, etc... And pick up some skewers. Everyone makes their own and, if you have a large enough grill to put over the fire ring, cooks their own. Bring some buns for people to stick em in and you've got a meal with very little cleanup.

Works well at large family gatherings too.

[NewBerkFamily]

I was going to suggest meatballs,too, but served on sub rolls to make them go farther for a big group. Coat a big crockpot with cooking spray, fill it with frozen meatballs and your favorite marinara sauce. Heat them on low for 3-4 hours or hi for 2-3. Then serve them on sub rolls topped with sliced provolone or mozzarella. Great for hearty appetites and super easy. Have fun on your adventure!

[utah_utrup]

My wife's family camp-out has about as many people that you have. The Kabob idea mentioned before always goes over well. The kids like it because they get to pick what they want on their kabob.

A suggesstion for a side would be cooler sweetcorn. Husk the corn and throw it in a cooler. Cover the corn with boiling water and shut the cooler lid. In 30 minutes the corn will be ready and it will be good for a few hours.

Another idea would be cooler pork loin. When cooking for a large group I look for ideas that won't leave me stranded over a fire for hours. Season the pork loin with whatever dry rub you like. Throw it on a hot fire for an hour. The outside will get fairly burnt which adds great flavor. After the hour, pull it off the grill and sit it on aluminum foil. Cover all of it with BBQ Sauce and then wrap it with a couple of layers of the aluminum foil. In the meantime, put hot water in the cooler to "condition" it. Or if it is a hot and sunny day just put it out in the sun. After the cooler has had time to warm up, dump the water and throw the loin in it. A smaller cooler is best. After 3 hours of leaving the pork loin untouched in the cooler you can pull it out and have a perfectly cooked loin that is extremely juicy. It's crazy how simple this is and how great it turns out.

[utah_utrup]

I have also done lasagna. I prepare and cook the lasagna ahead of time in those aluminum foil pans. Then when you get to the campout, all you have to do is throw them in the oven or over the fire to re-heat it.

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by Heldapay

Being a SC girl, I highly recommend Frogmore Stew. Boil it in a large pot or outdoor cooker and dump it onto a newspaper covered picnic table. It is deeeeelicious and there's virtually no clean up. Your friends will thank you!

Great idea. We do it a lot. Take your large turkey fryer with the propane burner, and you can feed a big crowd out of one pot.

[Ripley711]

Being a Boy Scout Leader I run into this very often. I have found you can nver go wrong with a cast iron Dutch Oven. For breakfast, look into a Mountain Man Breakfast, then you can prepare a stew type or chicken/rice for dinner. Lots of recipes online.

[Hudlow]

Originally Posted by Heldapay

Being a SC girl, I highly recommend Frogmore Stew. Boil it in a large pot or outdoor cooker and dump it onto a newspaper covered picnic table. It is deeeeelicious and there's virtually no clean up. Your friends will thank you!

This is my go-to meal for a crowd too...never had any complaints...Shucking corn is the biggest part of the prep work.

Frogmore Stew Recipe - Allrecipes.com

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by Hudlow

This is my go-to meal for a crowd too...never had any complaints...Shucking corn is the biggest part of the prep work.

Frogmore Stew Recipe - Allrecipes.com

That recipe is a very good version. When at the coast we have also added oysters (in the shell) as the very top layer, just long enough for the steam to loosen them. That makes it extra special.

[Hudlow]

Originally Posted by mjones12

That recipe is a very good version. When at the coast we have also added oysters (in the shell) as the very top layer, just long enough for the steam to loosen them. That makes it extra special.

I like to recommend that particular recipe because it shows the timing of when to add ingredients. That's a crucial part of the recipe...

...and I loves me some fresh steamed oysters ...
with a touch of Tabasco

[Arefbee]

Pass the hat for one meal, buy 3 big subs:
http://www.bjs.com/biz/services_deli...iOrderForm.pdf

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by Hudlow

I like to recommend that particular recipe because it shows the timing of when to add ingredients. That's a crucial part of the recipe...

...and I loves me some fresh steamed oysters ...
with a touch of Tabasco

Exactly. Timing is very critical with the different ingredients. That's the first thing I noticed about that recipe. Some I've seen are just not specific enough.