Cooking for a crowd

Southern Living, Nov 2003 by Sunee, Kim

The holidays are an ideal time to gather loved ones and share a meal.

This Oviedo, Florida, reader has loved cooking for crowds since she was in high school. "I began by preparing dinner for my church youth group of about 30 and tried to re-create the feel of an Italian cafe in my family's basement," says Donna Daniel league. Later, in college, Donna and her roommates would cook in the tiny hall kitchens. "Everything was made from scratch, including yeast rolls and apple pie," she says with a smile.

Over the years, she has cooked for community projects and school functions. "I immersed myself in Southern Living. Most of the recipes come from the magazine." Donna says her goal in reading the magazine was to become "a good traditional Southern cook and hostess."

As you'll see from the following recipes, she has achieved her goal. The "crowd" Donna is cooking for refers to a group of 100 here, but these recipes can easily be divided for smaller groups. For instructions on how to prepare these recipes to serve eight, visit Donna's Web site at www.sweetsandsavories.com.

CINNAMON ROLLS

MAKES 96 ROLLS

PREP: 30 MIN., RISE: 20 MIN.,

BAKE: 25 MIN.

2 recipes Cinnamon Roll Dough, prepared 1 at a time

2 recipes Cinnamon Roll Filling

¼ cup butter, melted

2 recipes Cinnamon Roll Icing

DIVIDE Cinnamon Roll Dough into 6 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 13- x 9-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread each rectangle evenly with % cup filling, using the back of a spoon. Roll up jellyroll fashion. Cut each roll into 16 slices. (An electric knife works best.) Place rolls, cut sides up, in 2 buttered 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 15 to 20 minutes.

BAKE rolls at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven, brush with melted butter, and drizzle with Cinnamon Roll Icing.

Cinnamon Roll Dough:

MAKES 48 ROLLS

PREP: 20 MIN,, RISE: I HR. 1 (¼-ounce) package rapid-rise yeast

1/3 cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

3½ cups bread flour, divided

¼ cup shortening

¼ cup butter

1 cup boiling water

1 large egg, lightly beaten

COMBINE yeast, sugar, salt, and 2 cups flour in large mixing bowl.

STIR together shortening, butter, and

1 cup boiling water until melted. Cool to 120°-130°.

ADD butter mixture and lightly beaten egg to flour mixture, and beat at medium speed with a heavy duty mixer 1 minute. Remove beater, and replace with dough hook attachment. Add remaining 1 ½ cups flour, beating 3 to 5 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until dough is doubled in bulk.

PUNCH down dough.

Cinnamon Roll Filling:

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

PREP: 10 MIN.

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon

COMBINE all ingredients, stirring until blended.

Cinnamon Roll Icing:

MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS

PREP: 10 MlN.

3 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons milk

STIR together sugar and milk until smooth. Spoon icing into a zip-top plastic bag. Snip 1 corner of bag, and drizzle icing over warm rolls.

BAKED CURRIED FRUIT

MAKES 100 SERVINGS

PREP: 40 MIN., BAKE: 1 HR.

Cut food costs by purchasing fruit from wholesale clubs.

10 (20-ounce) cans pineapple chunks

8 (29-ounce) cans sliced peaches

4 (29-ounce) cans sliced pears

4 (16-ounce) jars maraschino cherries, drained

5 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 ¼ cups cornstarch

3 tablespoons curry powder

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 ½ cups butter or margarine, melted

DRAIN pineapple, peaches, and pears, reserving 10 cups juice mixture.

ARRANGE pineapple, peaches, and pears evenly in 2 (15- x 12-inch) roasting pans. Top with cherries.

WHlSK together reserved 10 cups juice, brown sugar, and remaining ingredients. Pour evenly over each pan of fruit mixture.

BAKE at 350° for 1 hour.

SPINACH SALAD

MAKES 100 SERVINGS

PREP: 1 HR., COOK: 15 MIN.

6 (15-ounce) jars spinach salad dressing

16 (10-ounce) bags fresh baby spinach

3 dozen hard-cooked eggs, chopped

5 pounds bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 large red onions, sliced (optional)

HEAT salad dressing on low heat until warm. Arrange spinach leaves on plates. Serve with chopped eggs, crumbled bacon, and, if desired, onions. Drizzle with warm dressing.

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Marzetti's Original Spinach Salad Dressing.

CHICKEN POT PIE

MAKES 100 ( 2/3 CUP) SERVINGS

PREP: 10 MIN., BAKE: 40 MIN., STAND: 15 MIN.

2 recipes Pot Pie Filling, prepared 1 at a time

4 (15-ounce) packages refrigerated piecrusts

DIVIDE filling evenly among 4 (15- x 12-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pans. Top each pan with 2 round piecrusts. Cut slits in piecrusts.

BAKE at 400° for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Pot Pie Filling:

MAKES 32 CUPS

PREP: 1 HR., COOK: 15 MIN.

3 cups butter or margarine

2 large onions, chopped

6 celery ribs, chopped

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 (49-ounce) cans chicken broth

5 cups milk

16 cups chopped cooked chicken (about 8 roasted whole chickens)

3 ½ cups sliced carrots, cooked (about 1 pound)