Originally Posted by girl81 (Post 4937254)

Can anyone offer suggestions/tips?


Characteristics of event:
100 guests
tight budget
7 food preparers (all dishes must be make-ahead and delivered to Church refrigerators the morning of the event; i.e. coleslaw, frozen lasagna, etc)
limited oven space at venue
four 18qt roasters available
three large crock pots
dessert is already taken care of
4 servers (we want to have everything as done as possible so servers just have to heat, set up, limited prep, stir, and restock buffet as needed)

Current plan:
salad (bagged, just cut bag and refill chilled salad bowls as needed; Really costly isn't it? You're better off buying lots of iceberg lettuces and cutting up your own, this could save some bucks for sure.homemade dressings prepared, bottles just need refilled)
bread rolls (premade night before; plan to put in bread warmer and refill basket as needed) Depending on what these bread rolls are it could be a disaster. Pilsbury for example is like a rock next day. Best to buy fresh rolls on the day. Go to a local bakery of grocery or costco and stock up that very day.
penne pasta marinara, penne white sauce, 7lbs of each pasta in 2 roasters (precooked al dente the night before)
extra sauce in each crock pot
30lbs baked boneless chicken breast rewarmed in 2 roasters these are super expensive, they dry out the first time you cook them and then when rewarmed they're like cardboard. I would rather buy a few pork butts and roast for several hours the day before and make pulled pork sandwiches. Can easily be reheated the next day and still be juicy. Since you'll have to serve it on a bun you can simultaneously get rid of the bread rolls and one of the pasta dishes. Just as easy to serve as the chicken breasts but cheaper and yummier.
35lbs garlic green beans (warmed in crock pot)