Tacos for many, many teenagers.
September 26, 2013 1:24 PM Subscribe
I have volunteered to make a taco dinner for 70 high school students and could use some advice.
Mr. Jane is directing a play which involves 70 high school kids in the cast & crew. I have volunteered to provide a dinner for them one night over their rehearsal weekend. I've decided on a taco bar, which is my fall-back menu when I am feeding omnivores, vegetarians and picky eaters. I'm thinking hard corn and soft flour tortillas, ground beef taco meat, maybe some pulled chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa (red and green?), cheese, sour cream. All accompanied by "spanish" rice and refried beans, a green salad and brownies or cake for dessert.
I plan to make as much as I can ahead of time and freeze it. This will be in November and I live about 45 minutes away from the school, so I am thinking I will reheat things at the school in the home ec room ovens. I have a Nesco roaster that I was going to outfit with (foil?) pans for the meats and maybe find another one for the rice and beans.
I'm stumped on quantities. I've cooked for large crowds before, but not this large. I also am of the "make more food than less food" mindset so I'm not quite certain about trusting my gut on amounts.
If you have any additional/substitute menu items, I'm all ears. Also, how to keep the flour tortillas warm and pliable? Crockpot?
Mr. Jane is directing a play which involves 70 high school kids in the cast & crew. I have volunteered to provide a dinner for them one night over their rehearsal weekend. I've decided on a taco bar, which is my fall-back menu when I am feeding omnivores, vegetarians and picky eaters. I'm thinking hard corn and soft flour tortillas, ground beef taco meat, maybe some pulled chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa (red and green?), cheese, sour cream. All accompanied by "spanish" rice and refried beans, a green salad and brownies or cake for dessert.
I plan to make as much as I can ahead of time and freeze it. This will be in November and I live about 45 minutes away from the school, so I am thinking I will reheat things at the school in the home ec room ovens. I have a Nesco roaster that I was going to outfit with (foil?) pans for the meats and maybe find another one for the rice and beans.
I'm stumped on quantities. I've cooked for large crowds before, but not this large. I also am of the "make more food than less food" mindset so I'm not quite certain about trusting my gut on amounts.
If you have any additional/substitute menu items, I'm all ears. Also, how to keep the flour tortillas warm and pliable? Crockpot?
Best answer: I've done a taco bar for a huge group before, and I think you want to add black beans and hot sauce to the list. Some kids are just going to use the plate and no shell, so you will need fewer than you might think. Try to do two sides of the table, where the smaller items are on each side and the larger items span both sides. This will make the serving go much much faster.
posted by Nickel Pickle at 1:29 PM on September 26, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Nickel Pickle at 1:29 PM on September 26, 2013 [4 favorites]
Taco bar sounds great.
If it were me, I would skip the green salad. They are already putting the salad on the taco.
I know a pound of ground beef makes at least 8 tacos in our household, probably 10, if that helps. Good luck.
posted by Fairchild at 1:30 PM on September 26, 2013 [2 favorites]
If it were me, I would skip the green salad. They are already putting the salad on the taco.
I know a pound of ground beef makes at least 8 tacos in our household, probably 10, if that helps. Good luck.
posted by Fairchild at 1:30 PM on September 26, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Poking around a few sites, this seems like a decent rule of thumb for estimating how much of each ingredient you're going to need. Adjust up or down depending on your vegetarian to omnivore ratio.
posted by goggie at 1:34 PM on September 26, 2013
posted by goggie at 1:34 PM on September 26, 2013
Best answer: Get tortilla chips so kids can make "taco nachos" by piling all the ingredients on top of the chips.
You can buy the lettuce pre-shredded in 5# sacks at a restaurant supply store if there's one near you.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 1:47 PM on September 26, 2013 [7 favorites]
You can buy the lettuce pre-shredded in 5# sacks at a restaurant supply store if there's one near you.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 1:47 PM on September 26, 2013 [7 favorites]
Best answer: While those answers get dug up, I'll go from my experience through the bits of the meals.
Little to no prep stuff:
Salsa: Hot and mild I'd go with a jug from Costco (You've mentioned a membership and I think you're in Chicagoland or near enough - so midwest). I'd think one large bottle - jug - like what half a gallon or more; get a couple and open when you need them. You can freeze and keep using what's left later. Keeps open in fridge three weeks.
Salad: See if Costco will have it then. Ready made might be more expensive but easier.
Cheese, Sour Cream: Def Costco. If you can't get cheese pre-shredded, get someone on cheese duty the day before. My house full of cheese heads we just hit the regular grocery store and get a 2 pound bag for about 8 bucks - lasts us about 2 weeks (three cheese eaters, at least one meal a day, heavier on taco nights). So I'd probably budget at least eight pounds for cheese? Again, can freeze any unused/unopened. I'd get four of big sour cream tubs, but dish into smaller bowls.
Lettuce: get five heads - cut up two or three, bring your knife and volunteers.
Meat: ground beef or shredded beef? I'd estimate as in goggie's link - 2 pounds for every 10 people. Pre-cooked weight. If you go with crock shred beef, I'd cook it ahead of time, shred it, then freeze it on sheets in the freezer. Once frozen, pile into your container. I do this with most of my dry beans and when I'm prepping meat for tamales. Making it "frozen crumbly" will help it reconsitute faster.
Beans: I don't know what Costco has, but my local Gordon Food Service had dried refried beans - add water and heat. Might be easiest - make it up the night before and fridge it. Hard to estimate how much on that stuff, I'd have to go to my GFS and see what it says the serving size is/how it reconsitutes. If you're doing dried beans, I'd think about cheating - instead of Pintos, use pink beans, they cook quicker. But if you're making enough for 70 people, I'd think that would take at least 3-4 6qt crockpots full.
I second the suggestion for offering canned but warm veg black beans. Buy a bunch of cans, fill a small crock with them and do more if needed (put on stove/in oven, heat, then add to crock pot). If you do black beans, you can reduce the pintos a bit.
Rice - I've never done bulk Spanish rice - and different groups have different recipes. I fry the rice in butter (parve margarine if needed for the crowd), simmer in chopped tomatoes and onions, add the chicken stock (veg stock sub), let it cook. If you've ever done haybox cooking or are in the mood for trying it, I can walk you through some trial runs (I've been doing a lot of this lately, fun!). I'd budget 1 cup finished rice per four people.
Horchata sauce. :)
Couple of jars of Jalapeno slices.
Bowls for non-tortilla eaters. Yes, after warming (or to warm) - a while in a crock pot. Not sure how to "steam" them unless you have a bamboo steamer you can put in the crock (water, lifter to hold bamboo steamer, bamboo steamer with tortillas). Another idea is to just provide hard taco shells.
Brownies and cake - costco.
Gotta run now, and this is all back of the envelope based on feeding crowds of up to 20, so feel free to memail me.
posted by tilde at 1:47 PM on September 26, 2013 [2 favorites]
Little to no prep stuff:
Salsa: Hot and mild I'd go with a jug from Costco (You've mentioned a membership and I think you're in Chicagoland or near enough - so midwest). I'd think one large bottle - jug - like what half a gallon or more; get a couple and open when you need them. You can freeze and keep using what's left later. Keeps open in fridge three weeks.
Salad: See if Costco will have it then. Ready made might be more expensive but easier.
Cheese, Sour Cream: Def Costco. If you can't get cheese pre-shredded, get someone on cheese duty the day before. My house full of cheese heads we just hit the regular grocery store and get a 2 pound bag for about 8 bucks - lasts us about 2 weeks (three cheese eaters, at least one meal a day, heavier on taco nights). So I'd probably budget at least eight pounds for cheese? Again, can freeze any unused/unopened. I'd get four of big sour cream tubs, but dish into smaller bowls.
Lettuce: get five heads - cut up two or three, bring your knife and volunteers.
Meat: ground beef or shredded beef? I'd estimate as in goggie's link - 2 pounds for every 10 people. Pre-cooked weight. If you go with crock shred beef, I'd cook it ahead of time, shred it, then freeze it on sheets in the freezer. Once frozen, pile into your container. I do this with most of my dry beans and when I'm prepping meat for tamales. Making it "frozen crumbly" will help it reconsitute faster.
Beans: I don't know what Costco has, but my local Gordon Food Service had dried refried beans - add water and heat. Might be easiest - make it up the night before and fridge it. Hard to estimate how much on that stuff, I'd have to go to my GFS and see what it says the serving size is/how it reconsitutes. If you're doing dried beans, I'd think about cheating - instead of Pintos, use pink beans, they cook quicker. But if you're making enough for 70 people, I'd think that would take at least 3-4 6qt crockpots full.
I second the suggestion for offering canned but warm veg black beans. Buy a bunch of cans, fill a small crock with them and do more if needed (put on stove/in oven, heat, then add to crock pot). If you do black beans, you can reduce the pintos a bit.
Rice - I've never done bulk Spanish rice - and different groups have different recipes. I fry the rice in butter (parve margarine if needed for the crowd), simmer in chopped tomatoes and onions, add the chicken stock (veg stock sub), let it cook. If you've ever done haybox cooking or are in the mood for trying it, I can walk you through some trial runs (I've been doing a lot of this lately, fun!). I'd budget 1 cup finished rice per four people.
Horchata sauce. :)
Couple of jars of Jalapeno slices.
Bowls for non-tortilla eaters. Yes, after warming (or to warm) - a while in a crock pot. Not sure how to "steam" them unless you have a bamboo steamer you can put in the crock (water, lifter to hold bamboo steamer, bamboo steamer with tortillas). Another idea is to just provide hard taco shells.
Brownies and cake - costco.
Gotta run now, and this is all back of the envelope based on feeding crowds of up to 20, so feel free to memail me.
posted by tilde at 1:47 PM on September 26, 2013 [2 favorites]
I think you'll want to increase your quantities beyond the usual per-person recommendation, since you're not dealing with people, you're dealing with teenagers.
posted by contraption at 1:47 PM on September 26, 2013 [11 favorites]
posted by contraption at 1:47 PM on September 26, 2013 [11 favorites]
Best answer: As a vegetarian who loves tacos and burritos, I vote that you either need refried or black beans as well, or there won't be any substance to the tacos. Make explicitly clear that they are vegetarian beans. They should say "vegetarian" on the front. Make sure they say that. Really.
Canned beans are fine for this. In fact, black beans are easy to microwave warm, or to just throw in a crockpot and warm. And black beans can be good cold, too, so either way you kinda win with that one.
posted by zizzle at 1:51 PM on September 26, 2013 [3 favorites]
Canned beans are fine for this. In fact, black beans are easy to microwave warm, or to just throw in a crockpot and warm. And black beans can be good cold, too, so either way you kinda win with that one.
posted by zizzle at 1:51 PM on September 26, 2013 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Two women made tacos for about 50 people. They were maxed out with chopping! All the suggestions for finding pre-chopped lettuce and cheese are good advice. I use chopped tomatoes, but in a pinch ketchup could be subbed. Also having chips to use for dippers is a popular variation on the shells.
posted by Cranberry at 1:52 PM on September 26, 2013
posted by Cranberry at 1:52 PM on September 26, 2013
Best answer: Buy as much as you can pre-chopped. In a pinch get Ro-tel for the tomatoes, since fall tomatoes are kind of yukky anyway. Or you can get the grocery store to do it for you.
Shredded lettuce you can buy. Ditto Shredded cheese.
I like about 6 oz of meat per person. Or figure about 3 tacos per person. But teenagers, hollow legs, etc.
Nthing chips and nacho sauce if you can swing it (you can probably get a can of glop at Costco)
Ditch the green salad, no one will eat it.
Brownies = Good
Sheet cake = Uneaten (I don't know why, it's just a universal fact)
Cup cakes = Eaten
Lots of sodas, in cans, so no one can spike it (although they'll add whatever to the can.)
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:58 PM on September 26, 2013
Shredded lettuce you can buy. Ditto Shredded cheese.
I like about 6 oz of meat per person. Or figure about 3 tacos per person. But teenagers, hollow legs, etc.
Nthing chips and nacho sauce if you can swing it (you can probably get a can of glop at Costco)
Ditch the green salad, no one will eat it.
Brownies = Good
Sheet cake = Uneaten (I don't know why, it's just a universal fact)
Cup cakes = Eaten
Lots of sodas, in cans, so no one can spike it (although they'll add whatever to the can.)
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:58 PM on September 26, 2013
Best answer: If you can set aside some budget for them, I would strongly recommend getting some disposable chafing dishes. They will make your life so much easier, they are perfect for a taco bar set-up, and contrary to the search term, they are indeed reusable.
To keep tortillas warm, some options:
1 - wrap stacks of 5-7 tortillas in foil and put them in the oven at 350F for 15 minutes or so
2 - wrap stacks of ~10 in damp cheesecloth or tea towels and keep them in a crock pot set to medium
3 - laid out in chafing pan
4 - tortilla warmer
Lime-cilantro rice might be nice; it has been my experience that picky folks who turn their noses up at "Spanish" rice will eat this stuff with great gusto. I saute the rice in olive oil with a couple cranks of salt instead of butter.
Skip the green salad unless you can get some nice bagged stuff and open/dump new bags as needed. Chopping up salad vegetables for that large of a group is an incredibly tedious task unto itself, and if you're serving picky teenagers, much of it could go to waste.
Definitely get tortilla chips. And if you want to be extra-nice to the vegetarians, TVP tacos are a (delicious and wonderfully filling) breeze, and can be made just as easily in a crock pot.
posted by divined by radio at 2:00 PM on September 26, 2013
To keep tortillas warm, some options:
1 - wrap stacks of 5-7 tortillas in foil and put them in the oven at 350F for 15 minutes or so
2 - wrap stacks of ~10 in damp cheesecloth or tea towels and keep them in a crock pot set to medium
3 - laid out in chafing pan
4 - tortilla warmer
Lime-cilantro rice might be nice; it has been my experience that picky folks who turn their noses up at "Spanish" rice will eat this stuff with great gusto. I saute the rice in olive oil with a couple cranks of salt instead of butter.
Skip the green salad unless you can get some nice bagged stuff and open/dump new bags as needed. Chopping up salad vegetables for that large of a group is an incredibly tedious task unto itself, and if you're serving picky teenagers, much of it could go to waste.
Definitely get tortilla chips. And if you want to be extra-nice to the vegetarians, TVP tacos are a (delicious and wonderfully filling) breeze, and can be made just as easily in a crock pot.
posted by divined by radio at 2:00 PM on September 26, 2013
Best answer: That many kids and you are bound to run into some allergies/intolerances. Print a sheet of ingredients or tape up the ingredients sections for the food for each section of the taco bar. Please also include this for spices.
Beans Contain: blah blah - Beef Contains: Blah Blah - Seasoning Contains: Yada Yada
Also, have options for vegetarian or vegan - so beans that don't have animal fat/animal products. Beans and beef/chicken shouldn't probably contain lactose so that should be covered. Definitely bowls for those who want nachos or have a gluten intolerance and can't have tortillas or taco shells.
posted by Crystalinne at 2:15 PM on September 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Beans Contain: blah blah - Beef Contains: Blah Blah - Seasoning Contains: Yada Yada
Also, have options for vegetarian or vegan - so beans that don't have animal fat/animal products. Beans and beef/chicken shouldn't probably contain lactose so that should be covered. Definitely bowls for those who want nachos or have a gluten intolerance and can't have tortillas or taco shells.
posted by Crystalinne at 2:15 PM on September 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Crock pots. Let me say again, crock pots. Borrow what you can, hit the thrift stores if you can't, where they can be picked up for a couple of bucks. All hot stuff can be made as far ahead as you want and then frozen or refrigerated unil the day. Ground beef cooked in big batches, chicken cooked in the crock pot with spices and then pulled apart with a couple of forks. Retried beans and black beans. Day before, do all the fixins and put them in plastic containers with lids. Black olives, salsa, cheese, jalapeños, lettuce, sour cream. Day of, be sure you get there early enough to set up the crock pots to reheat, then lay out the spread. Tacos and nachos. Easiest way to feed a crowd, ever. Call it a taco bar and everyone loves it.
posted by raisingsand at 2:40 PM on September 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by raisingsand at 2:40 PM on September 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Some tubs of ready made guacamole would be good too.
posted by mareli at 2:49 PM on September 26, 2013
posted by mareli at 2:49 PM on September 26, 2013
Best answer: Agreed with Zizzle that it would be very nice to have some explicitly vegetarian and satisfying options. So much of the time, vegetarians are expected to be happy to eat the same thing but "just leave off the meat," which leads to a lot of sad burgers with just lettuce and tomato, pizza with just cheese (or tomatoey bread for vegans), dinners composed of side dishes, low protein/fat/flavor content, etc. Teenage vegetarians in particular often eat that way by simply giving up meat and leaving their diet otherwise the same, which isn't always the most balanced or tasty way to do it.
Fortunately, tacos are THE easy meal to make vegetarian and delicious and have omnivores (of which I am one) not even notice! Here's a previous thread full of ideas. Of course, there are manufactured meatless substitutes like soy chorizo or Morningstar breakfast sausage crumbles. But there are plenty of other options: beans are tasty and not-unusual, and are super easy and cheap to reheat out of a can or cook with a crockpot from dried. (Again, remember to make sure they're explicitly prepared vegetarian.) Sauteed/roast veggie mixes are good. I love doing roast cauliflower, roast sweet potato, sauteed mushroom, scrambled and seasoned egg. In my experience, and in my social circles, these often go before the meat does, because they are varied and delicious.
If you're not going to do beans and only stick with the lettuce, tomato, and cheese, avocado (if there is room in the budget) is a great option to make things a little more filling (guacamole stretches them a little further than sliced/cubed). Sauteed mushrooms and onions only are also great, although mushrooms are also a little more expensive.
I think a crockpot might work for tortillas, although you'd have to be careful to keep the moisture content right. Honestly, though, room temperature tortillas with hot food will be fine.
These are just ideas. I don't think your proposed menu will leave anyone unsatisfied as it is. This is really so nice of you, and I hope the kids and you and Mr. Jane have a great time!
posted by spelunkingplato at 3:01 PM on September 26, 2013
Fortunately, tacos are THE easy meal to make vegetarian and delicious and have omnivores (of which I am one) not even notice! Here's a previous thread full of ideas. Of course, there are manufactured meatless substitutes like soy chorizo or Morningstar breakfast sausage crumbles. But there are plenty of other options: beans are tasty and not-unusual, and are super easy and cheap to reheat out of a can or cook with a crockpot from dried. (Again, remember to make sure they're explicitly prepared vegetarian.) Sauteed/roast veggie mixes are good. I love doing roast cauliflower, roast sweet potato, sauteed mushroom, scrambled and seasoned egg. In my experience, and in my social circles, these often go before the meat does, because they are varied and delicious.
If you're not going to do beans and only stick with the lettuce, tomato, and cheese, avocado (if there is room in the budget) is a great option to make things a little more filling (guacamole stretches them a little further than sliced/cubed). Sauteed mushrooms and onions only are also great, although mushrooms are also a little more expensive.
I think a crockpot might work for tortillas, although you'd have to be careful to keep the moisture content right. Honestly, though, room temperature tortillas with hot food will be fine.
These are just ideas. I don't think your proposed menu will leave anyone unsatisfied as it is. This is really so nice of you, and I hope the kids and you and Mr. Jane have a great time!
posted by spelunkingplato at 3:01 PM on September 26, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks all! Great answers.
I will be availing myself of Costco and GFS, to avoid chopping.. I will be mindful to have totally vegetarian options.. thinking TVP will fit the bill nicely. Would love to do guacamole, but think it will get icky quickly.
posted by sarajane at 3:12 PM on September 26, 2013
I will be availing myself of Costco and GFS, to avoid chopping.. I will be mindful to have totally vegetarian options.. thinking TVP will fit the bill nicely. Would love to do guacamole, but think it will get icky quickly.
posted by sarajane at 3:12 PM on September 26, 2013
Make everything that isn't actual meat, cheese, and sour cream vegan. It's easy, it's cheaper, and no one will notice. At our big thanksgiving gatherings, everything except the turkey and one boat of gravy is vegan. Butter is provided for putting on things as people wish.
posted by rtha at 3:17 PM on September 26, 2013
posted by rtha at 3:17 PM on September 26, 2013
Best answer: GFS is where I get my giant sacks of shredded lettuce (and shredded cheese, and taco seasoning) and they also have the disposable chafing dishes. They also have great big disposable plastic serving bowls with lids, so you can put things in serving dishes at home and just transport those, if you want to, they're like 69 cents each. (I used them for cheese, lettuce, and chips, and that made transport home easier.) GFS also usually has vegetarian refried beans (canned) but you may want to check a week ahead, it usually takes them two days to get a special request if they happen to NOT have that in your store. They also have these really excellent tiny little tongs (like 5 or 6") that cost probably $1 each. I got a few to user as servers for lettuce, tortilla, etc., and I am STILL using them in my kitchen a couple years later and I LOVE THEM and they are like the best little kitchen tool ever.
Why yes, yes, I have done a taco bar for 50 shopping almost exclusively at GFS, why do you ask? ;)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 3:24 PM on September 26, 2013
Why yes, yes, I have done a taco bar for 50 shopping almost exclusively at GFS, why do you ask? ;)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 3:24 PM on September 26, 2013
Cool beans! Lol.
I meant to say, make super sure you can get into that home ec kitchen!
Also, screw leftovers. Well not unopened containers of whatever. Put out some take away containers & let the kids box up themes elves another serving when everyone is done to take it off go your hands.
posted by tilde at 6:22 PM on September 26, 2013
I meant to say, make super sure you can get into that home ec kitchen!
Also, screw leftovers. Well not unopened containers of whatever. Put out some take away containers & let the kids box up themes elves another serving when everyone is done to take it off go your hands.
posted by tilde at 6:22 PM on September 26, 2013
Would love to do guacamole, but think it will get icky quickly.
Costco to the rescue again. They do a 3 or 4 pack of guac that both freezes well and also keeps fairly well after opening. It tastes almost as good as homemade and is about 70% avocado so you know it is good.
posted by koolkat at 1:18 AM on September 27, 2013 [1 favorite]
Costco to the rescue again. They do a 3 or 4 pack of guac that both freezes well and also keeps fairly well after opening. It tastes almost as good as homemade and is about 70% avocado so you know it is good.
posted by koolkat at 1:18 AM on September 27, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: And you can ice the guacamole; that will help keep it cool enough.
What Eyebrows McGee said about utensils. I've only blown through one GFS once and the beans caught my eye - what they don't have in serving containers, Party City will.
At home I have two drawers of cooking/serving implements - stuff used daily and stuff pulled out for parties. Some of the party stuff is as heavy duty as home, but at least half is Party City / I don't care if I lose it ware.
TVP is good! I used to eat it as a kid and didn't like it then (I think it was undercooked) but I've had some more modern preparations and it's been pretty good.
If you're worried about the beans being vegetarian and not tasting great - roasted garlic. You can buy it dried in a huge bag from Just Tomatoes or roast your own to cook in with the beans. I usually do half a cup or so of dried per crock pot (about a 2lb bag of dry beans), not sure what fresh would be - probably at least two heads of garlic freshly roasted. I usually carmelize the onions going in as well; harder to do if you're going to make them vegetarian; I wonder what would happen if you just fried them in a bit of oil and added liquid smoke? I keep meaning to try bacon salt but haven't yet.
Budding off of lime-cilantro rice idea - have some limes or one of those bottle-o-lime juice. They can really spark up tacos if you're doing corn tortillas.
OH Tortillas. I'm such an idiot. I was thinking burrito bar. Corn and flour tortillas will behave VERY differently warmed in a crock pot (or any environment). Corn are MUCH more sensitive than flour and will shred if they get too moist, crack if they get too dry, fall apart if they get too shoved around and abused before warming and laying out.
When I've done taco bars its been in the comfort of a home kitchen; I spray the tortillas VERY LIGHTLY with Pam (not butter flavor, not olive oil flavor, canola or regular) and then bake them for a few minutes in the oven. This holds them together better warmer longer BUT gives them all a slightly greasey taste and touch (I grew up with them hot oil fried, so it's actually "light" to me.
What I have seen at taco shops locally is they take corn tortillas and not quite fry them, but heat them on a seasoned grill before filling and serving.
I'd start now experimenting on the weekend with tortillas - what local brands hold up well, what kind of pre-prep works well (maybe a few min in a low oven?) in bulk. I can tell you right now, skip Mission Brand YELLOW corn tortillas. They are super delicate and I only buy them when there is nothing else available.
Otherwise, save yourself the grief and go with hard shells, nacho chips as noted by other above, and a pot of flour tortillas. To warm the flour tortillas up, I'd start the crock with some water (and a lifter for your bamboo or other holey bottom), put in the lifter with the tortilla basket lined with a floursack towel (I just mean a loose weave larger than your typical kitchen towel - Ikea has them, as does BBB). Spread the tortillas out in two layers on a plate and nuke in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stack in basket, cover with towel and lid, repeat nuking the rest of the bag until done.
If you want to give "taco shack" feel, too, pick up those rectangle bowls for the kids to put their tacos in. Bonus is it helps things hold the shape and the tacos upright. I've googled the heck out of it and I have no idea what they are called. Other wise, get three-compartment plates so people can put their entrees on one part and their sides on another.
posted by tilde at 5:06 AM on September 27, 2013
What Eyebrows McGee said about utensils. I've only blown through one GFS once and the beans caught my eye - what they don't have in serving containers, Party City will.
At home I have two drawers of cooking/serving implements - stuff used daily and stuff pulled out for parties. Some of the party stuff is as heavy duty as home, but at least half is Party City / I don't care if I lose it ware.
TVP is good! I used to eat it as a kid and didn't like it then (I think it was undercooked) but I've had some more modern preparations and it's been pretty good.
If you're worried about the beans being vegetarian and not tasting great - roasted garlic. You can buy it dried in a huge bag from Just Tomatoes or roast your own to cook in with the beans. I usually do half a cup or so of dried per crock pot (about a 2lb bag of dry beans), not sure what fresh would be - probably at least two heads of garlic freshly roasted. I usually carmelize the onions going in as well; harder to do if you're going to make them vegetarian; I wonder what would happen if you just fried them in a bit of oil and added liquid smoke? I keep meaning to try bacon salt but haven't yet.
Budding off of lime-cilantro rice idea - have some limes or one of those bottle-o-lime juice. They can really spark up tacos if you're doing corn tortillas.
OH Tortillas. I'm such an idiot. I was thinking burrito bar. Corn and flour tortillas will behave VERY differently warmed in a crock pot (or any environment). Corn are MUCH more sensitive than flour and will shred if they get too moist, crack if they get too dry, fall apart if they get too shoved around and abused before warming and laying out.
When I've done taco bars its been in the comfort of a home kitchen; I spray the tortillas VERY LIGHTLY with Pam (not butter flavor, not olive oil flavor, canola or regular) and then bake them for a few minutes in the oven. This holds them together better warmer longer BUT gives them all a slightly greasey taste and touch (I grew up with them hot oil fried, so it's actually "light" to me.
What I have seen at taco shops locally is they take corn tortillas and not quite fry them, but heat them on a seasoned grill before filling and serving.
I'd start now experimenting on the weekend with tortillas - what local brands hold up well, what kind of pre-prep works well (maybe a few min in a low oven?) in bulk. I can tell you right now, skip Mission Brand YELLOW corn tortillas. They are super delicate and I only buy them when there is nothing else available.
Otherwise, save yourself the grief and go with hard shells, nacho chips as noted by other above, and a pot of flour tortillas. To warm the flour tortillas up, I'd start the crock with some water (and a lifter for your bamboo or other holey bottom), put in the lifter with the tortilla basket lined with a floursack towel (I just mean a loose weave larger than your typical kitchen towel - Ikea has them, as does BBB). Spread the tortillas out in two layers on a plate and nuke in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stack in basket, cover with towel and lid, repeat nuking the rest of the bag until done.
If you want to give "taco shack" feel, too, pick up those rectangle bowls for the kids to put their tacos in. Bonus is it helps things hold the shape and the tacos upright. I've googled the heck out of it and I have no idea what they are called. Other wise, get three-compartment plates so people can put their entrees on one part and their sides on another.
posted by tilde at 5:06 AM on September 27, 2013
Best answer: If you're going to be using a lot of crock pots, roasters and warming trays etc make sure that the area where you plan to set up the buffet has a sufficient number of electrical outlets nearby. You might also want to bring along a few extension cords and power strips. Some tape to affix the cables to the floor so people don't trip over them would help too.
posted by islander at 12:29 PM on September 27, 2013
posted by islander at 12:29 PM on September 27, 2013
Okay so those "rectangle bowls" are called paper trays (I popped into GFS and bought some beans).
The beans package noted they are vegetarian prepared, and makes 21 half cup servings, so I'd buy four or five bags if you are not providing alternative black beans. Again, even reconstituted freezes well. Next to the beans package was Nacho Cheese (powdered - add water and cook!). So that's about 2.5 quarts done - I've never measured what two pounds of dry beans turns into but maybe three quarts (if you don't count the liquid that isn't absorbed by the beans). So dry from scratch or this route, I feel pretty good about that estimate.
Oh, so this is what e-how has to say about steaming tortillas - though they say paper towels (no - sticks! use loose weave thin tea towel like things) and use a veggie steamer. I have a HUGE one that would work pretty well, so if I had to do that I'd do that. Caution: this may only apply to flour tortillas - and again - experiment beforehand.
Oh, wait, this looks good for corn tortillas and I will try in bulk for the crew this weekend - dip in water and then super quick "grill" on a flat pan. If this works for you, you can prep a bunch ahead of time and keep in a crock or steamer or get someone cracking on it right away when you arrive at the kitchen for set up.
posted by tilde at 12:45 PM on September 27, 2013
The beans package noted they are vegetarian prepared, and makes 21 half cup servings, so I'd buy four or five bags if you are not providing alternative black beans. Again, even reconstituted freezes well. Next to the beans package was Nacho Cheese (powdered - add water and cook!). So that's about 2.5 quarts done - I've never measured what two pounds of dry beans turns into but maybe three quarts (if you don't count the liquid that isn't absorbed by the beans). So dry from scratch or this route, I feel pretty good about that estimate.
Oh, so this is what e-how has to say about steaming tortillas - though they say paper towels (no - sticks! use loose weave thin tea towel like things) and use a veggie steamer. I have a HUGE one that would work pretty well, so if I had to do that I'd do that. Caution: this may only apply to flour tortillas - and again - experiment beforehand.
Oh, wait, this looks good for corn tortillas and I will try in bulk for the crew this weekend - dip in water and then super quick "grill" on a flat pan. If this works for you, you can prep a bunch ahead of time and keep in a crock or steamer or get someone cracking on it right away when you arrive at the kitchen for set up.
posted by tilde at 12:45 PM on September 27, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
How are you "making" things? Opening cans of beans, crocking up the shredded beef ahead of time? Are you starting with dry beans, and so forth?
How is the rice "spanish" - again - a mix, or home made?
One thing on feeding veggers - traditionally most eveyrthing is made with lard or meat stock (at least traditionally in my house), but I've adjusted my cooking over the years to be vegetarian.
posted by tilde at 1:28 PM on September 26, 2013