The good news is that it doesn’t have to be the frightening proposition that so many make it out to be. When it comes to cooking for a large crowd, the planning phase is the most important. You absolutely must plan your meals when feeding a large group of people. This goes far beyond the notion of spaghetti or fried chicken as the meals you are planning. You need to know how many servings you will need. While obviously you never know how hungry people will be or who will eat how much when it comes to cooking for a large crowd it is a good idea to always plan for a few extra mouths in case some need a little more than you may think (you might want to double servings for teen and college aged men that will be dining).

You need to know at least a general number of servings to prepare and adjust your recipe in order to accommodate those needs. Some people find it much simpler if they can double or triple recipes rather than scaling them to specific serving sizes. If this works best for you then by all means incorporate this practice when cooking for crowds. One thing you must be aware of is that you will need to include in order to create the meal you are planning.

Having the proper ingredients and the proper amounts of ingredients is more important in bulk recipes than is often necessary in smaller recipes as there is less leeway when it comes to creating the proper consistency. You should keep this in mind when making purchases for your cooking for a large crowd event.

Some people find the best route to take when it comes to cooking for crowds is to keep everything as close to their normal cooking routine as possible. This would mean that instead of cooking one really huge pan of lasagna for a triple sized crowd, they would instead cook three normal sized pans of lasagna. This accomplishes two things really and is something you may wish to keep in mind despite the extra time spent in the kitchen.

First of all, if something goes, wrong only one third of the meal is in shambles rather than the entire dinner. Second, you have a greater possibility of finding consistency issues before the baking begins if you are using measurements and cooking containers that you are familiar with and comfortable using. It is always best to discover errors and omissions sooner rather than later when it comes to cooking as very few ingredients can be properly added after the fact.

While cooking for crowds may send some into dizzying spells with heart palpitations it helps if you take a few deep breaths, sit down, plan your menu, plan your meals, make a list of your ingredients, and cook in a manner that is comfortable for you. If you would rather get it all over with in one fell swoop, then by all means do just that. If you are more comfortable making multiple dishes of family favorites then that is probably going to be the best course of action in order to meet your large crowd cooking needs.

Most importantly you should remember when cooking for crowds is that you might have just earned yourself a well-deserved night off afterwards. Cooking for crowds is time consuming and should be approached when well rested (if that is even possible) for the best results. There is something that is actually very satisfying about knowing that you have fed a crowd and fed them well.

Here are some ideas for themed planting schemes that the cook in your family will love.

Pizza Garden

Coincidentally, many common pizza ingredients thrive under the same sunny, well watered conditions. Some examples include tomatoes, red and green peppers, onions, jalapenos, basil, oregano, thyme and parsley.

Begin with an 8-foot circle of dirt and divide into equal slices for each plant. Put a border around your pizza garden with bricks, or plastic edging.

Suggested quantities for your plants include:

basil – 3
oregano – 1
seed onions – 12
peppers – 3
jalapenos – 3
thyme – 1
roma tomato – 1

The tomatoes should be planted in the northernmost section so that it won’t overshadow the other plants.

Salsa Garden

This can easily be planted in a container and displayed on the deck, right outside the kitchen. Include two hot chili peppers, one golden tomato, one beefsteak tomato, cilantro, and one tomatillo plant.

Spaghetti Sauce Garden

For this you’ll need a good supply of tomato plants and then you’ll have plenty left over for freezing. Start with 5 romas, 5 beefsteak or jet star tomato plants, 3 basil, 1 oregano, 1 thyme, and garlic.

Salad Garden

Keep a good supply of crunchy salad veggies and herbs nearby. Start with 3 plants each of different lettuces such as romaine, ice berg and leaf lettuce. Also include 3 tomato plants, 6 green onions, 1 radish, 2 basil, a row of cucumbers and any other veggies you enjoy.

Tea Garden

I love having a fresh supply of herbs on hand to pick and add to a cup of hot water for tea. Some of my favorites include chamomile, bee balm (also has pretty red flowers, but if you use the leaves this is what Earl Grey tea is made from), catmint, lemon balm, mint (dozens of varieties – even chocolate), and spearmint.

Pie Garden

Imagine making a pie from berries and fruit picked right out your door. Easy growers include:

Blueberries and currant bushes: Plant a whole row just like a hedge.

Strawberries: These are great planted in a container, on a slope for ground cover, or in rows as a decorative border. In the spring they’ll be covered in white flowers and in the fall the leaves will change to a lovely russet shade.

Rhubarb: This can be planted right in your flower bed or side by side with purple leaved ajuga or other ground cover.

Raspberries: Once you start these hardy plants, they’ll grow like weeds. Be sure to choose the ever-bearing species that produces fruit from midsummer to frost. They grow well in light to medium shade so will not take up all your sunny garden real estate.

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the onion and sweat for 3 minutes.
• Add the garlic, carrot, celery and bacon, and sauté for 3–4 minutes until just beginning to brown.
• Add the beef and cook over a high heat for another 3 minutes until all of the meat has browned. Stir in the tomatoes (breaking up slightly with a wooden spoon), oregano and wine, and bring to the boil.
• Reduce the heat and leave to simmer gently for at least 45 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée, and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook the spaghetti in a pan of lightly salted boiling water for 8–10 minutes until al dente. Drain thoroughly.
• Transfer the spaghetti to a large serving bowl, and pour the sauce over it. Toss to mix well, and serve hot.

• Soak the mussels and clams in water for an hour. Discard any broken mussels or clams, or open ones that don’t close when tapped on the work surface. Under cold running water, scrub the mussels and clams thoroughly to remove any grit, pulling out the beards from the mussels.
• In a large deep frying pan over a medium heat, sweat 1 clove of the garlic in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Increase the heat to high, and add the mussels and clams with half of the wine. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for about 5 minutes until the shells are open (discard any that remain closed). Remove from the heat and discard the garlic.
• Slice the squid into rings and finely chop the remaining garlic. Heat the remaining oil in another pan, and sauté the garlic, parsley and chillies for a few minutes. Add the squid and cook until the edges curl.
• Pour in the remaining wine and cover. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the shrimps (just the tails) and cook for a few more minutes before adding the clams and mussels. Simmer for another few minutes, then remove from the heat.
• Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain and add the seafood mixture to the spaghetti, mixing well.Stir over a low heat for a couple of minutes. Serve piping hot.