Cooking for a crowd is a completely different skill from cooking for four. The physics change — larger quantities take longer to heat, cool differently, and require more planning and logistics. But with the right approach, feeding 20 or 50 people can be calmer and more enjoyable than it sounds. The key: choose the right dishes, make most of it in advance, and have a clear plan.
Rule 1: Choose Crowd-Appropriate Dishes
Not all dishes scale. Some are terrible for large groups (delicate soufflés, individual panned proteins that require timing) and some are perfect (braises, slow-roasted meats, roasted vegetables, grain salads, casseroles). The best crowd dishes:
- Can be made partially or fully in advance
- Improve or hold well with resting time
- Don't require precision plating
- Scale linearly (braises and roasts are nearly identical whether for 8 or 50)
Best crowd-cooking dishes: Whole roasted chicken or pork, pulled pork shoulder, chili, lasagna and casseroles, rice and grain dishes, roasted vegetables, baked desserts like cobblers and brownies.
Rule 2: Most Food Should Be Made in Advance
Stress-free entertaining means the kitchen work is largely done before guests arrive. Structure your menu so that 80%+ of preparation is complete before the event. Things that can (and should) be made in advance:
- Braises and stews: Next-day is better — they reheated are more flavorful
- Sauces, dressings, and condiments: Days in advance
- Roasted vegetables: Can be done hours ahead and served at room temperature
- Desserts: Cakes and cookies days ahead; puddings and panna cotta the night before
- Salads (without dressing): Prepped and refrigerated, dressed before serving
Scaling Recipes
Most recipes scale proportionally, but with exceptions:
- Spices and salt: Scale conservatively — taste and adjust. A 10x recipe doesn't need 10x spices; start at 7x and adjust.
- Baking leavening (baking powder/soda): Do not scale fully — a large batch doesn't need proportionally more. Use about 75% of the calculated amount.
- Cooking time: Larger quantities take longer to heat through but not proportionally longer. A dish for 20 might need 25% more time than a dish for 4, not 5x.
Equipment and Logistics
- Large roasting pans (hotel pans) are standard for event cooking — consider buying one
- A large stockpot (12+ quart) is essential for soups, pasta, and large batches
- Sheet pans: you'll need 4-6 for large roasting jobs
- Chafing dishes or slow cookers for holding food at temperature without continued cooking
- An accurate instant-read thermometer for checking doneness in large pieces of meat
💡 Crowd Cooking Tips
- Write a timeline: work backwards from serving time and schedule every task
- Label all covered dishes in the fridge with content and date — chaos avoidance
- Have more food than you think you need — running short is worse than leftovers
- Simple food done well beats complex food done poorly — resist adding dishes
- Delegate side dishes to guests when possible — focus your energy on the main event