COOKING
FOR 
CROWDS

 		 From the Kitchen of Nancy Wilkins 
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Shopping
 
Where? What prices? How much to buy? These are questions that occur when it comes time to pick up the checkbook and head for the store. You have been buying groceries for years now so you already know a few things about shopping for food. Yet when shopping for a crowd there are other things to consider. But, most important of all, do not forget storage. Refrigerated and frozen items are going to take up space and you need to decide how much space you have. 
     Don't forget your shopping list! Cooking for 100 people or cooking for your family still takes a grocery list. On your list should be the amounts of food you will need. You should also write the amount of money budgeted for some of the larger items. That way you won't run out of money before you get all you need. 
     Where you shop is important. You might need to make some trade offs in convenience versus price. If the chicken breasts are cheaper at the warehouse store on the other side of town, you might decide to pay more for them to save yourself the trip. But then again, since the chicken might be the most expensive item on the menu, you would want to save all the money you can on this item. 
 
Chicken Breasts run 4 to 5 pieces per pound
Chain warehouse stores sometimes are cheaper and sometimes they are not. They do provide a large supply of quantity size packages. Restaurant supply stores usually are cheaper, but they do not care to sell small amounts. (To them, food for 100 people for one meal is a small amount.) You might want to buy your staples like flour, sugar, and some canned goods from a restaurant supply store and get enough for more than one event. Then buy the specialty items that you will not be using over and over again at a chain warehouse store, or even at a regular grocery store. Look for bargains in the ads. 
     Prices you pay will depend upon quality of merchandise. Fresh fruits cost more than can fruits, and the nicer fresh fruits cost even more. Keep an eye on how much you are spending and make sure you don't overspend on insignificant parts of the menu. The most expensive part of the menu should be the entree. It will be what the diner will remember the most and will be what makes the meal great or ruins the meal. 
     How much to buy? Check your recipes, add the amounts together. Look at the  chart  on this site that tells you how much to buy for 24 people. If you buy extra, remember that leftovers only drive up the cost of the meal without contributing to the success of the meal. 
For Baking potatoes buy nine grade A. They run close to a pound each sp 100 lb. =100 servings
Substituting One Can For Another Size
1 No. 10 can equals 7 no. 303  approx. 1 lb
1 No. 10 can equals 5 No. 2 approx. 1 lb. 4 oz.
1 No. 10 can equals 4  No. 2 1/2 approx. 1 lb. 13 oz.
1 No. 10 can equals 3 No. 3 Cyl. approx. 46 to 50 oz.
 
 
Common Container Sizes
Container Products
Industry 
term		 Statistics
approx 
net weight		 approx 
cups
8 ounces 8 oz 1 Fruits, vegetables  2 servings
Picnic 10 1/2 to 
12 oz		 1 1/4 Condensed soup, small quantities of fruits, vegetables, meat and fish products  2-3 servings
12 oz 
(vacuum)		 12 oz 1 1/2 vacuum packed corn    3-4 servings
No. 300 14 -16 oz 1 3/4  Pork and beans, baked beans, meat products, cranberry sauce
No. 2 1 lb 4 oz 
or 
1 pt. 2 fl oz		 2 1/2 Juices, ready-to-serve soups,
No. 2 1/2 1 lb 13 oz 3 1/2 Fruits, some vegetables like pumpkin, sauerkraut, spinach, tomatoes 5-7 servings
No. 3 Cyl. 3 lb 3 oz 
or 
1 qt 14 fl oz		 5 1/4 Fruit and vegetable juices, pork and beans, condensed soup and some vegetables for institutional use  10-12 servings
No 10 6 1/2 lb to 
7 lb 5 oz		 12-13 Fruits vegetables and some other foods for restaurant and institutional use  25 servings
 
Let's Practice. 
 
 
made by 
Nancy Wilkins 
University of Houston Clear Lake 
Spring, 1998