As the summer months approach, there will plenty of opportunities to host summer parties. While often times cooking for a crowd can become a stressful event rather than the fun that it should be, preparing yourself ahead of time will reduce the stress and increase the fun.

Preparation is the best tool for stress reduction. Cooking for a crowd can be fun and exciting, planning menu items that are sure to please everyone. It is best to create a theme when planning a meal for a large group of friends. When cooking for a summertime crowd, it is important to have an exact number of guests that will be attending the event and then increase the supplies by 10%.

In most cases, when planning a large event, it is wise to reduce the number of expected guests by 10% but summer bar-b-que’s go against this rule for two very important reasons. The first is that a summer bar-b-que can be scheduled on any weekend, unlike holiday events that generally have one or two weekends on which to be scheduled and people often have to choose between multiple events. Since no one can be two places at once, often guests need to choose between multiple options. In the summer, there are many different weekends to choose from so many guests don’t have the same invitational conflicts that they have during the holidays.

The second reason you want to increase your menu offerings by 10% is for the unexpected guests that drop in unannounced or for the guests that call at the last minute to inquire if they can bring additional friends of their children or additional guests along with them. Summertime is an informal time of friends gathering together to celebrate the beauty of the season. As you plan your menu and begin to organize the foods you will need when cooking for a crowd, make sure that you plan enough food for everyone. There is nothing worse than not having enough food to feed all of your guests, those that were invited and those that stopped in unexpectedly.

Menu Options Vary According To The Theme Of The Party

Cooking for a crowd, especially a summer crowd can offer many different menu options. A traditional summer bar-b-que often consists of fried chicken, potato salad, watermelon slices, potato chips, Cole slaw, apple pie and fresh lemonade. These items are very easy to make in bulk, which is one of the reasons why they are so popular on summer menus.

If you are cooking for a crowd but want a more formal menu, why not try grilled teriyaki salmon, roasted red potatoes, grilled mixed vegetables and roasted corn on the cob are excellent menu items. A fresh strawberry shortcake with homemade whip cream is a beautiful dessert with which to end a very delicious meal.