Cooking for a party is always going to cause stress. Some meals lend themselves better to big parties than others though. My top tips when throwing a large party would be to buy in wholesale food to save on costs, get help cooking, and pick simple food. But which simple foods?
Tapas
Little snacks that can be shared and plated up easily. You can usually buy these in ready made, or cook up some seafood, rice, spices and whatever else you like. They key here is varied selection and little nibbles. Everyone should find something they want to eat in a good tapas selection.
Sandwiches
A simple classic. Make mini sandwiches and cut them into triangles or squares. You can pick so many simple fillings that everyone should be able to eat. They don’t take long to prepare and can be done in the morning and will last all day. They aren’t expensive to put together and work great when trying to feed a lot of people.
Snacks (crisps, dip etc)
Snacks and anything with dip is great. Dips and sauces can just be bought in unless you want to make your own (which isn’t too hard either). Cut up vegetables like carrots, cucumber, celery or get some crisps and nachos. Another treat that everyone can enjoy and doesn’t take much preparation.
Cake
Everyone loves cake! By making a big cake you can cut in to slices you’ll save on effort. If you have time then go for cupcakes and individual servings – but making a couple of large cakes and serving them is easier and everyone can take their own slice as large or small as they like.
Soup
A giant soup is fairly easy to make, keeps all day and is filling. It may not be the easiest thing to eat at a party but if everyone can sit down then soup makes a great all day option for food. If you stick in some large meat and veg chunks you’ll have a great simple meal for everyone.
Roasts
Make a roast! No need to go too crazy with it, just some oil on some chicken or whatever you prefer. Some simple herbs and some veg. This can all go in together if you cook it low and slow. You should end up with some great hearty food that everyone loves.