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Help focus my baptism please
It's not until June, but I'm trying to get a few thoughts together before this baby arrives and I'm sleep deprived. Here's the parameters: it will be on a Sunday. We'll go to 10:30 Mass, baptism around noon, back to the house around 1. People will be traveling a couple of hours so I want to make sure there is a full meal. I want something nicer than cold cut platters. I have seating for everyone. I'm not opposed to catering all or some of it, but I'm also not opposed to cooking. We did a spiral sliced ham for my son so I'd like to do something different. My ILs are not into "fancy" food. I made tortellin salad and had to explain tortellini to them.
With all of that said, I'm thinking maybe some sort of baked chicken in a cream sauce, but timing may be an issue. I had also thought lasagna, but that seems heavy for June. Or maybe some sort of stuffed fish AND the chicken. Timing may be an issue, but I could set the oven timer and then have it go to warm. We do have two ovens so that isn't a concern. I also know I can have a friend skip the Mass and put things in even later.
Like I said, I need some focus. Please help.
Re: Help focus my baptism please
Use the best of the season and your oven time.
Roast Chicken (prepare before you leave and time them)
Scalloped potatoes (prepare before you leave and time them)
Steamed vegetables (a couple of different kinds what ever is best that week..snap peas, carrots) Do the prep the day ahead and add the water and cook last minute
Spinach Salad (prep ahead of time, add the tomatoes and dressing last minute)
Strawberry Shortcake (prep the biscuits and the whipped cream the day before and the strawberries that morning). Strawberries are so good in June.
Add in a simple vegetable tray and you have a three course meal that most people will like.
See, this is where my mind goes "Roast chicken for 30+ sounds like a huge pain in the ass and will dry out in no time." Then I start to think maybe I'll just cater that part.
I really don't want to do any cooking last minute. Dressing a salad is one thing, cooking veggies another. People will have left their homes at 9 am. They will be hungry and I don't want to delay food at all. I learned that from the last baptism.
If you are expecting 30+ people my vote is to cater. Is there an Italian restaurant near you that you can order a tray of pasta, meat lasagna, caesar salad, breadsticks etc? I think you'll be happy you left the cooking to someone else.
30 people for a baptism? Mrs. Popular, I see!
Here we have places that do to-go casseroles and all you have to do is heat them. (Basically a woman selling them with a license from her home.) There's a chicken and wild rice one that's delicious. Anything like that near you? Or something like that could easily be made in advance and thrown in the oven. Then fill in with a salad, a veggie tray, and a pound cake and brownies. (There are 7 featured in this month's Southern Living if you can get it.)
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Eh, Tarheels not as much popular as Catholic
30 is just family.
The chicken and rice thing was exactly what I had in mind. Sadly, in BFE nobody seems to have a website so I'm going to have to actually pick up a phone. I think part of the hang up is that nobody in my family goes the catering route...and I'm cheap. I looked at pans of lasagna, but they wanted close to $40. I can make better for cheaper. Italian just seemed heavy for June.
If we invited both sides of our immediate family, we'd have 5 people, including FSIL lol.
Well, they aren't cheap, but they are easy. And here you can't tell they're catered - it's just one of those disposable aluminum pans - nothing to scream "I cheated and spent gobs of money."
I'm sure you could find a recipe easily. I love canned chunk chicken for its ease of use in things like this. Maybe even a slow cooker recipe?
I agree that Italian seems heavy for something fluffy like a baptism in the summer.
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How about Italian Beef, Italian Sausages, Mostacolli and Salad?
Make the Italian sausage in the crockpot, super easy! You can cater the beef or purchase it at like a Sams Club, Walmart or Costco but catering is about the same price with no fuss. Then you can make or cater the mostacolli and salad as well. If you think the mostacolli is to heavy then make it a pasta salad instead. Add a veggie tray and fruit tray and your all set!
If you have appetizers, cheese, fruit, and veggie platters...out and away from where you'll set up the food (and the kitchen)...that will buy you an hour to be able to come home and finish preparing whatever it is you're making
A think a salad is a must, and can be done a head of time...and nice bread already sliced with butter out...
By the way, if I had a kid I don't know how I would get a way with less then 30...that didn't sound like a lot to me at all
vcjenni- I will do apps, but I will not do anything that takes an hour to cook when we get back. First I don't want to spend the time away from my kid and guests. Second that puts food at 2:30 which is too late for people that have to drive 2-3 hrs home om a work night.
ellen- I'm 2 hrs south of Cleveland and 1.5 hrs east of Columbus. It's really BFE.
When I worked we had a lot of catered luncheons. I might have to ask who did those. I'm also considering the hospital for catering. Their food is quite good and I could plan it while recovering from labor right?