Help me plan a party!!!

Fitnesslover

So my moms turning 50 this year.. and I'm her only daughter and I have been talking about planning her a 50th FOREVER! I have never planned a party solo before! Please help!! 

 

Here are details.

60-70 people

2 huge baked mac and cheese

1 lasagna

2 pizzas

salad 

 No budget yet... just need ideas!

Please help with menu and any other fun things I can do? THANK YOU SO MUCH! 

GatorWedsNole

What time of day, time of year and location did you have in mind?  That can help us guide you with decor, etc.

I'm not one of the food experts on this board, so they'll chime in soon enough.  But I would definitely say that the food you have so far is not enough for 60-70 people.  Is that just the start of the menu?

Maybride2

I don't know what you mean by "huge", but that's not going to be enough food for that many people. Have you looked into catering? With that many people to feed a meal, the cost might be close to the same - but the amount of work will be WAY less.

6fsn

I'd start with a budget and think about what kind of party you want- time of day, location, etc.  I'd also think about your mom's likes- food wise and for decor/theme.

I'll be honest on the food- it sounds like something for a kid's party and the quantities sound odd.  2 pizzas for 60 people?  But before you really start going for food figure out if you want a cocktail party, a party in your home, something at a hall/restaurant.

TarHeels&Rebels

6fsn:

I'd start with a budget and think about what kind of party you want- time of day, location, etc.  I'd also think about your mom's likes- food wise and for decor/theme.

I'll be honest on the food- it sounds like something for a kid's party and the quantities sound odd.  2 pizzas for 60 people?  But before you really start going for food figure out if you want a cocktail party, a party in your home, something at a hall/restaurant.

Ditto.

Wine Enthusiast

6fsn:

I'd start with a budget and think about what kind of party you want- time of day, location, etc.  I'd also think about your mom's likes- food wise and for decor/theme.

I'll be honest on the food- it sounds like something for a kid's party and the quantities sound odd.  2 pizzas for 60 people?  But before you really start going for food figure out if you want a cocktail party, a party in your home, something at a hall/restaurant.

Ditto again.

My H and brother can eat a whole pizza between the two of them.  I had 5 pizzas for a party of 30 and had all the extras.  You will need WAY more food.  Come up with a plan and then we can be of more help.

erosa

you need a budget and if you're doing this alone, you need to get most of the food catered. 

sporky

i don't think you necessarily need to jump to catering, but you'll certainly need more food than what you've listed and it will take a lot of preparation to feed that many people. if you tell us what direction you might want to head in, we'll be happy to help with suggestions of great, crowd-pleasing dishes that you can make for the group.

lsgarver

Wine Enthusiast:

6fsn:

I'd start with a budget and think about what kind of party you want- time of day, location, etc.  I'd also think about your mom's likes- food wise and for decor/theme.

I'll be honest on the food- it sounds like something for a kid's party and the quantities sound odd.  2 pizzas for 60 people?  But before you really start going for food figure out if you want a cocktail party, a party in your home, something at a hall/restaurant.

Ditto again.

My H and brother can eat a whole pizza between the two of them.  I had 5 pizzas for a party of 30 and had all the extras.  You will need WAY more food.  Come up with a plan and then we can be of more help.

Quattritto?  I mean, I agree.

First things first: location, time of day, time of year, type of guests (lots of kids?  elderly?  drinkers? etc) What is normal where she lives (a New York birthday party is way different from a Southern one)?  Budget?  Do you have help (aunts or mom's friends?)  Do you want a theme?  Sit-down or cocktail-like?  Will there be tables or will people be balancing on laps?

There is no way what you've listed will feed 60-70 people.  That's a menu for maybe 15-20 people and honestly, it's kind of weird.  You need a balance of fruit/veggies, starches and meat.  You need a balance of light and heavy and a balance of snack-y and filling.  What about drinks?  Dessert?  Are you doing apps?

 When you describe your location, let us know what kind of facilities there will be.  Ovens?  Fridges?  Will you need to keep everything heated on your own?  All these factor in to planning a menu.

I don't mean to be discouraging but this is a BIG endeavor and we can help you but we need to know what you're dealing with.

BlackDiamond3201

That is definitely not enough food. We are having a party this weekend and we are having half the amount of people and we are having more food than you are.

Will there be children? How long is the party? Are you having apps? What is your budget?

 

vvwalker

maybe if you figured out some type of 'theme' it could help you make everything cohesive.  From the sounds of it, maybe your're leaning towards "italian' food....maybe sausage & peppers, meatballs kept warm in crock pots), pastas, salads, and breads...  figure each large tin pan will feed approx 25-30 ppl.

vjcjenn1

I thought I replied to this but I don't see my post so I"ll try again

I think lasagna is hard to do for that many people. It's a lot of prep work, and in big pans it's hard to get the middle done (I've found). So I would x that. Then mac n cheese doesn't go well with pizza (plus that's not enough pizza)

I would do the mac n cheese with pulled pork and rolls...along with baked beans, a veggie tray, fruit tray, cheese tray, your salad, and some desserts

sjb&apa

As others have said, it's not enough food for 60-70 people and an odd assortment of menu items.

It seems like you have a lot of main dish items and not enough sides. Even if you consider the mac & cheese as a side dish, I think it seems weird to have a pasta side dish with a pasta main dish (lasagna). 

Remember that if you have multiple main dishes, people will take some of each item, not just choose one. For example, with the menu you listed, people won't take lasagna OR pizza, they'll take some of each, so you need to have bigger quantities if you want multiple main dishes. 2 pizzas will go super fast. That's not even enough for 1 piece per person.

If you're making the food yourself at your home, lasagna might not be the best choice. You'd need many pans of lasagna to feed 60+, which means you need a lot of oven space. I've done lasagna for 30 people before, and I did 5 pans, which only worked because I have 2 ovens.

If you want to stick with a pasta main dish, maybe skip the pizza and mac & cheese and do salad and garlic bread as side items instead? Most people like garlic bread, and it's cheap & easy.

Would you consider having a dessert party instead of a full meal? I'm not sure if you're set on a time of day, but a dessert party could be in the afternoon (between lunch & dinner) or later in the evening, after dinner.  There are so many desserts you can make in advance, which would make the party day much easier for you.

Desserts and drinks parties are fun - maybe have a signature cocktail for your mom? You could also do fun non-alcoholic drinks if kids will be attending - Shirley Temples or flavored lemonades for example. If it's in the winter, maybe a hot chocolate or coffee bar?

hitts

Removed for violation of TOS

mmpurdue

You definetly need more healthy items, veggie/fruit trays, and if you're doing a salad, try for a salad bar with small dishes for tomatoes, peppers, schrooms, carrots, etc. Also, if you have it at a house, try hard for potluck. Most people WANT to bring something, also your mom might absolutely love neighbors/aunts/cousins coleslaw, bread, etc, and so you could include this. Make sure to enlist help for decorating, cooking, and cleanup. Half of the fun is sharing the work. I went to a party once, and the party was fun, but after the party, the host put on show tunes and we all sang and danced while cleaning up. I don't remember the party so much as the after party. Have fun and good luck!