Cooking Greek dinner for 60 - advice wanted

Once again we are cooking at Ronald McDonald House this Saturday evening. Earlier meals and descriptions of the process are in this thread. After some issues with getting our menu approved (we initially wanted to do enchiladas, but these were nixed for being too much like another menu), we have decided on a Greek menu:

Greek Lemon Roasted Chicken with Potatoes
Spanakopita
Green Beans Greek style, long-cooked with tomatoes
Greek bread
Ice Cream Sundae Bar

We have just under 2 hours to get this meal for 60-plus people ready. My helpers are experienced but include at least 7 kids between the ages of 9 and 14.

After using The Google, I see quite a few variations on the classic Greek roasted chicken with potato dish. Anyone have experience with a good recipe for this that can be scaled up? How many pieces of chicken would you make?

I'd also like people's opinions if it is possible to make our own spanakopita (using store-bought filo, of course, and in pan-form, not triangles) in the necessary quantity in the time we have, or if I should just buy some ready-made and bake it.

Any other advice appreciated.

Thanks,
Evy

I've made spanakopita many times, and it's pretty easy to put together (I've always used store-bought filo). But you'll have to thaw, thoroughly dry and then salt the spinach to do it right. It's not a lot of work, but it does take some time. If you could get this portion of the task completed in advance -- even better if you prepare the entire filling in advance -- you'll be better off, particularly because this will allow you to taste and adjust the flavors before baking (such as salt, pepper, dill, etc.).

Also, not sure if you're looking for other ideas, but hummus and other Greek side dishes may go a long way towards a less stressful event day.

So long as the recipes include lemon, olive oil, oregano and garlic, they will taste right Are you thinking of cooking whole chickens? I might "cheat" for such a large group and just buy skin-on, boneless thighs and breasts since a) it's what most will want to eat and b) if they're all cut to similar sizes (you can even cut the breasts into "thigh-sized" pieces), they'll cook more evenly and will be much easier to serve. I'd probably assume 1 piece per kid and 1.5 to 2 pieces per adult. And, again, that's assuming you're working with pieces that are essentially "palm" sized--if bigger, you'll probably have to assume about the same amounts but will likely have more go to waste. I'd also assume 1 potato for every 3 people (cut into wedges).

Never made Spanakopita so can't give you any advice on that. I will say that if you have a few sure-handed adults (probably too delicate a project for the kids), filo isn't that hard to work with and I'm sure the results will be MUCH better homemade.

Other easy items I would consider adding would be "greek" salad (pretty much just a regular salad with feta cheese and a good greek vinaigrette) and tzatziki (good as a side sauce for the chicken and potatoes).

Good luck!!!!

BR wrote:I've made spanakopita many times, and it's pretty easy to put together (I've always used store-bought filo). But you'll have to thaw, thoroughly dry and then salt the spinach to do it right. It's not a lot of work, but it does take some time. If you could get this portion of the task completed in advance -- even better if you prepare the entire filling in advance -- you'll be better off, particularly because this will allow you to taste and adjust the flavors before baking (such as salt, pepper, dill, etc.).

Also, not sure if you're looking for other ideas, but hummus and other Greek side dishes may go a long way towards a less stressful event day.

Excellent idea to make the filling in advance, BR. I could see having kids squeeze out frozen spinach, but I'd be afraid it would still be too wet.

I think we don't need the hummus (I thought of it too). We have to lug everything in, and I'm confident we will have enough food.

Thanks!

boudreaulicious wrote:So long as the recipes include lemon, olive oil, oregano and garlic, they will taste right Are you thinking of cooking whole chickens? I might "cheat" for such a large group and just buy skin-on, boneless thighs and breasts since a) it's what most will want to eat and b) if they're all cut to similar sizes (you can even cut the breasts into "thigh-sized" pieces), they'll cook more evenly and will be much easier to serve. I'd probably assume 1 piece per kid and 1.5 to 2 pieces per adult. And, again, that's assuming you're working with pieces that are essentially "palm" sized--if bigger, you'll probably have to assume about the same amounts but will likely have more go to waste. I'd also assume 1 potato for every 3 people (cut into wedges).

Never made Spanakopita so can't give you any advice on that. I will say that if you have a few sure-handed adults (probably too delicate a project for the kids), filo isn't that hard to work with and I'm sure the results will be MUCH better homemade.

Other easy items I would consider adding would be "greek" salad (pretty much just a regular salad with feta cheese and a good greek vinaigrette) and tzatziki (good as a side sauce for the chicken and potatoes).

Good luck!!!!

I was definitely going to go with pieces, not whole chickens. Are you suggesting boneless because they are faster?

RMH usually discourages salad. For one thing, many folks end up eating the dinner as leftovers because they stay at the hospital during dinner. Tzatziki is a good idea.

Thanks!

Ah--good point on the salad--I could see that ending up with a lot of waste.

I do suggest boneless because it cooks faster and more evenly but also because people (not LTH people but "normal" people ) tend to dislike dealing with the bones and parents may not want to arm their kids (my BF wouldn't let his sons use a real knife until I finally ridiculed him into it when they were 12 and 13--I'm NOT kidding you). But boneless is more expensive (and skin-on thighs can be a bit harder to find) which is also a factor I'm assuming. If you do the tzatziki, the giant bags of Stacy's pita chips that you can get at Costco are probably a lot easier than making your own, especially given that your oven space may be pretty full.

I'm with EvA on salad: a whole greek salad may not keep well, but a side dish of chopped cukes, onions, tomatoes, feta and olives (yes, that's getting awfully salad-like -- ooh, don't forget the pepperoncini) might be appreciated.

Hi,

We made Spanakopita in full and half sheet pan size at The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas when I was banquet chef there. BR has a great idea about making the spinach mix in advance, but from my experience, after layering in aluminum pans with buttered phyllo (not always 100% cooperative) and then baking for 30 to 60 minutes in a moderate oven, it will be too soft and runny to cut/portion neatly.

I'm sure you can buy high quality product in Greektown. Try giving Greek Islands a call.

The chicken with potatoes as well as the green beans, are outstanding ideas. Will you be buying pre cut chicken?

Evil Ronnie wrote:Hi,

We made Spanakopita in full and half sheet pan size at The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas when I was banquet chef there. BR has a great idea about making the spinach mix in advance, but from my experience, after layering in aluminum pans with buttered phyllo (not always 100% cooperative) and then baking for 30 to 60 minutes in a moderate oven, it will be too soft and runny to cut/portion neatly.

I'm sure you can buy high quality product in Greektown. Try giving Greek Islands a call.

The chicken with potatoes as well as the green beans, are outstanding ideas. Will you be buying pre cut chicken?

Thanks! I really appreciate your experience on this, ER. We just won't have time to let the spanakopita rest prior to cutting up, and I doubt we could make a sufficient number of triangles in the time we have. I will see what I can find to buy in Greektown. Of course, homemade is better, but I don't want to serve a mess.

I was thinking of buying the chicken cut up--perhaps the packets sold at Costco. I'm a decent chicken butcher, but that would be a lot of chickens to cut up. Have you any particular advice?

EvA wrote:I will see what I can find to buy in Greektown. Of course, homemade is better, but I don't want to serve a mess.

I would call Psistaria to pre-order some of their outstanding spanikopita triangles (or maybe even a sheet pan or two). Also, we've had excellent luck buying salad, spanikopita, mini-kebabs, etc. from Periyali. Those items have gone over very well with the Chow Poodle's large Greek family at some of their family get togethers.

Which Ronald McDonald House will you be cooking at? The one in Hines? I cooked enchiladas there on 2/18! Sorry for taking your idea...

And I second the idea for using boneless chicken breasts, simply because of the children there. Also not my favorite part of the chicken, but gotta play to the crowd!

Good luck!

mike

Mikelipino wrote:Which Ronald McDonald House will you be cooking at? The one in Hines? I cooked enchiladas there on 2/18! Sorry for taking your idea...

And I second the idea for using boneless chicken breasts, simply because of the children there. Also not my favorite part of the chicken, but gotta play to the crowd!

Good luck!

mike

We are cooking at the new one in Streeterville for Lurie Children's. It's an amazing kitchen and facility. I was fond of the former one in Lincoln Park, but this new building is a stunner.

To all,

"I was thinking of buying the chicken cut up--perhaps the packets sold at Costco. I'm a decent chicken butcher, but that would be a lot of chickens to cut up. Have you any particular advice?"

Skinless boneless chicken breasts sound like the most stress free way to go. What you want is known as random chicken breast. I would break them down into approximate 3 to 4 oz. portions so a light eater could take one piece, and a bigger eater more. Buffet portions, so to speak. Just make sure you have adequate cutting boards and bleach water for sanitizing prep surfaces, cutting boards and knives.

I'd be very careful doing pre-packaged boneless, skinless breasts-- seems like they're pumped full of water that, once cooked, leads to them ending up very dry--also, (probably for the same reason), I don't find that breast meat, particularly without the skin, takes on much of the flavor of the seasonings, sauces, etc...

Maybe thighs instead? Or skin-on breasts? I wonder if you went to one of the bigger Mexican markets, they could do something to order for you for a good price...

If you decide against making your own, and the restaurants are cost prohibitive for spanikopita, you might try this family run bakery:

Hellas Pastry Shop
2627 W Lawrence Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 271-7500

These suggestions and the discussion are really helpful. I'm now considering putting together sheet pans of spanakopita at home the day before and baking them at RMH. That would give enough resting time to cut them up, I think. I've made the triangles in the past, but I cannot contemplate making hundreds of them in advance.

Not sure yet where I am with the chicken. I do wonder if we go with boneless, skinless breasts that they will be cooked before the potatoes are. Guess we could throw the potatoes in the oven for 20 minutes before adding the chicken. (Or pull the chicken out and let the potatoes cook longer.)

Thank you, all, and please keep the ideas coming.

EvA wrote:These suggestions and the discussion are really helpful. I'm now considering putting together sheet pans of spanakopita at home the day before and baking them at RMH. That would give enough resting time to cut them up, I think. I've made the triangles in the past, but I cannot contemplate making hundreds of them in advance.

My only concern would be that the filo would get too moist and soft and you wouldn't be able to crisp the layers. If you prepared the spinach mixture the day before, it wouldn't take you long to butter and layer the filo the next day and then spread the spinach mixture and bake it. I have done this before with great success.

boudreaulicious wrote: I wonder if you went to one of the bigger Mexican markets, they could do something to order for you for a good price...

And, just to clarify, by this I meant to give you the cuts you want to order (with/without skin, thighs as well as breasts, etc.)--not cooking it

Eva,

You are braver than I am, and I cook banquets for a living (among other things). But I hate walking tightropes.
Less than two hours to prepare the meal, supervise your crew (7 kids!), and I'm sure you are shooting for perfection. You will be micro managing the chicken/potato dish in order to pull it off in that quantity. I know my crew like the back of my hand and wouldn't attempt Spanakopita in less than two hours time. (For one thing, it's not unusual in my world for a group to want to eat early) Not to mention keeping an eagle eye on food safety.

How long do you think the ovens will take to heat up? Are you purchasing cleaned green beans, or are they being snipped onsite?

I would cook the spanakopita the day before at home. That way you can cut nice, neat perfect squares/wedges and reheat nicely without the stress and worry. OK, quality might suffer a bit, but it would be no worse than buying premade from a Greek restaurant or bakery. I might also think about substituting Pastitsio or Moussaka which would be appropriate items to accompany the chicken. In that case, I would also totally do them in advance and reheat onsite. Leftovers of either one would be easy for the residents to reheat.

Good luck. Let us know how it went. I am sure it'll be great!

Evil Ronnie wrote:Eva,

You are braver than I am, and I cook banquets for a living (among other things). But I hate walking tightropes.
Less than two hours to prepare the meal, supervise your crew (7 kids!), and I'm sure you are shooting for perfection. You will be micro managing the chicken/potato dish in order to pull it off in that quantity. I know my crew like the back of my hand and wouldn't attempt Spanakopita in less than two hours time. (For one thing, it's not unusual in my world for a group to want to eat early) Not to mention keeping an eagle eye on food safety.

How long do you think the ovens will take to heat up? Are you purchasing cleaned green beans, or are they being snipped onsite?

I would cook the spanakopita the day before at home. That way you can cut nice, neat perfect squares/wedges and reheat nicely without the stress and worry. OK, quality might suffer a bit, but it would be no worse than buying premade from a Greek restaurant or bakery. I might also think about substituting Pastitsio or Moussaka which would be appropriate items to accompany the chicken. In that case, I would also totally do them in advance and reheat onsite. Leftovers of either one would be easy for the residents to reheat.

Good luck. Let us know how it went. I am sure it'll be great!

Maybe not braver. More foolish? I will say that this is not a banquet but a home-cooked meal for people who genuinely appreciate what you are doing for them. We don't plate since it's buffet style, and if we run a few minutes late, no one qvetches about the bad service. Also if one pan is still cooking, we can put out what we have and bring out more later. Often quite a few of the 60 guests are not there for the start of dinner. All that said, of course I want everything to be perfect, even though I know it won't be.

To answer your questions:

We will start the ovens as soon as we arrive. They have excellent equipment and are set up to sanitize everything.

I'm planning to buy cleaned and ready-to-cook haricot verts, dump them in pots with canned diced tomatoes, some chopped onion, olive oil, water, and seasonings. We'll have time enough for them, and it's a very forgiving cooking style, after all.

The menu has been approved as it stands, and I am not proposing any changes. We may throw in a few noshes like Greek olives and sliced cucumbers, but that's about all I'm going to add.

As for the spanakopita--when you say portion and reheat, do you mean cut the pies when cooled, leaving the squares/wedges in the pans, and then reheating the pans in a moderate oven?

Maybe I'll have the chicken ready to go when we arrive and maybe cook the chicken separately from the potatoes. Still pondering that. I would rather cook the chicken on the bone but am still considering boneless breasts and thighs.

Thanks again, ER and everyone, for your experienced advice!

Eva,

"As for the spanakopita--when you say portion and reheat, do you mean cut the pies when cooled, leaving the squares/wedges in the pans, and then reheating the pans in a moderate oven? "

Yes. Cool them completely. Overnight if possible. Unmold and cut into serving portions. Repack for transport. At the facility, take the cooked squares and space evenly on buttered/sprayed pans for a gentle but thorough reheating.

Sounds like you've got a plan. You should be proud of yourself!!! Enjoy!

Evil Ronnie wrote:Eva,

"As for the spanakopita--when you say portion and reheat, do you mean cut the pies when cooled, leaving the squares/wedges in the pans, and then reheating the pans in a moderate oven? "

Yes. Cool them completely. Overnight if possible. Unmold and cut into serving portions. Repack for transport. At the facility, take the cooked squares and space evenly on buttered/sprayed pans for a gentle but thorough reheating.

Sounds like you've got a plan. You should be proud of yourself!!! Enjoy!

Thanks, Ronnie.

Eva,

Maybe this was answered before, do you have to cook everything on the premises?

Years ago when we cooked food for Inspiration Cafe, we made our food at home and finished it there. I remember YourPalWill made a very elaborate Sunday gravy that required hours of simmering. He later said it took a few days to adequately clean his kitchen afterwards.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Eva,

Maybe this was answered before, do you have to cook everything on the premises?

Years ago when we cooked food for Inspiration Cafe, we made our food at home and finished it there. I remember YourPalWill made a very elaborate Sunday gravy that required hours of simmering. He later said it took a few days to adequately clean his kitchen afterwards.

Regards,

Cathy,

There are no rules as far as I know. In the past, I mixed up a meatloaf mixture at home and brought it in to shape and bake there. If one is willing to carry it in, it's fine with RMH. But this is supposed to be an activity with a group of families from our temple, so I have other considerations besides the actual cooking.

Evy

Evil Ronnie wrote:I would cook the spanakopita the day before at home. That way you can cut nice, neat perfect squares/wedges and reheat nicely without the stress and worry. OK, quality might suffer a bit, but it would be no worse than buying premade from a Greek restaurant or bakery. I might also think about substituting Pastitsio or Moussaka which would be appropriate items to accompany the chicken. In that case, I would also totally do them in advance and reheat onsite. Leftovers of either one would be easy for the residents to reheat.

Good luck. Let us know how it went. I am sure it'll be great!

Many years ago, I was catering a doctor's dinner at a children's hospital in Detroit. Since the doctor was Greek, we would purchase certain specialty items from the Greektown area.

Personally, we bought a frozen spanakopita product. While the homemade version would have possibly been better, the frozen product, if prepared according to the directions, was very good and received good marks from the doctor.

One more thing. I agree with Ronnie that you should cut the chicken into smaller portions. That will really eliminate the amount of wasted food and the product will cook quicker. Also, who wants to struggle cutting a chicken quarter?

(Of course that is coming from the person who served 4 oz smoked sausages at a dinner last night as opposed to a 2 oz serving. Mrs. jlawrence01 was right.)

Thanks again to everyone for their advice. Our dinner at RMH last night was a big success, I'm happy to report.

Although we were told to cook for 60, plus our own folks (16), we ended up feeding nearly 80 residents and volunteers of the House before any of us ate. Virtually everything but some potatoes was eaten, and we got many compliments and even some hugs.

We were able to arrive somewhat earlier than I initially thought we could, so that helped because one has to figure out where everything is in that big kitchen. We had 2.5 hours from when we walked into the kitchen until service. We arrived with chicken breasts (that we halved), thighs, and drumsticks, and 30 lbs. of baking potatoes. We prepped them and made the marinade on site. The chicken and potatoes in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and oregano came out well. We made several pans of potatoes without chicken so that vegetarians could eat them, but at least when I was on the line, no one seemed to care. In my opinion, the potatoes cooked with the chicken tasted better, but all were good and very popular. The drumsticks were especially popular with kids. The slow-cooked green beans with diced tomatoes were a great choice, easy to make and very tasty. I bought the cleaned and prepped haricots verts at Costco (10 lbs). We also provided sliced cucumbers and tzatziki, Kalamata olives, bread, and a last-minute purchase of taramosalata, which was on sale at Fresh Farms.

The dish I agonized most over was the spanakopita. I ended up making the filling with my wonderful son home on his college break on Friday. We bought 5 lbs. of fresh--but prewashed--spinach. By the time we were finished chopping it all in the food processor, I felt as if there were bits of spinach everywhere, probably including my hair. At Fresh Farms, one has the choice of 4 or 5 phyllo dough brands in the refrigerator (not freezer). We did not choose well, as it turns out. We chose the local bakery's packaged dough (no preservatives), but when we opened the packages at RMH on Saturday afternoon, we found half of it was moldy! Luckily, I had bought about twice as much as we needed, so we were still able to make two full sheet pans of spanakopita. We scored them before baking and were able to let them rest for 15 or 20 minutes after baking before cutting. The first pieces were a bit hard to remove, but it was gobbled up.

It was lots of work, but luckily I had excellent assistance from my son, husband, brother, sister-in-law, and niece. The others helped too, especially with the more mundane tasks of cutting up bread and dishing up ice cream for the ice cream sundae bar.

Once again, I felt cooking at RMH was a very rewarding experience (if also exhausting). Some people bring in most of the food ready-made from restaurants, but to me, that's not the point. The program is called "Meals from the Heart," and I think that means cooking. I'm glad I could plan and execute a real home-cooked meal for people who need one and appreciate it.

Sounds like a wonderful day/evening, both for the cooks and the guests! And makes me want to make Greek chicken and potatoes for dinner tonite!!