Grad Party Primer
For over ten years, Satchel’s has been providing delicious BBQ at grad parties throughout our community. We have seen it all: snow, sweltering heat, wind, rain, too many people, too few people. If you find yourself hosting such an event this Spring, here are some lessons we have learned that might be of assistance.
How Much is Enough? Let’s talk about portions. This is a tough question because there are so many unknowns in planning a grad party. You may not know the exact headcount (does anyone RSVP any more!?), lots of folks may come for a short visit during which they eat nothing, other parties may be happening at the same time which may reduce attendance, and if the weather is bad…well, you get the idea. At the end of the day, you have to somehow come up with the best guesstimate possible for headcount, and then plan from that number. But once you have that number, keep in mind that most high school grad parties are “grazing” events where few guests do any serious eating. Instead of trying to provide folks with a meal, think about providing them with a snack. Snacks are smaller (about half the size of a meal) and simpler (fewer items: one or two main dishes and two side dishes). If you are one of those people who stresses about running out of food, then of course you can portion a full meal for all possible attendees. But you will likely end up with a lot (and I mean a lot) of leftovers.
One complicating variable: out-of-town relatives and friends who came in for the party. These folks have no place else to go and they will eat. So adjust your quantities accordingly. For this reason, if you are planning a college grad party (which tend to have more out-of-town guests), you might want to plan for a full meal for everyone.
Some Like It Hot (what a movie!). Actually, pretty much everyone likes their food hot. Which brings us to the wonderful world of chafing dishes. These can be a bit of a pain to deal with. Depending upon the conditions (see “Blowin’ in the Wind” below), they may not keep the food very hot. Or if they are working properly, over time, the food can start to look dried out and unappetizing. Unfortunately, if your party is fairly large (over 50 people) and/or your guests will be arriving over a long period of time (as opposed to everyone eating promptly at a specific time), you have to use chafing dishes to keep the food warm while folks come and go. So use them. But like the Force, use them wisely. Rules to follow: (1) don’t put food in chafing dishes until folks are ready to eat. Use a warm oven instead to keep food warm for long periods of time, (2) try to put only enough food in chafing dishes to last about 30-45 minutes, then refill as needed, (3) if food starts looking unappetizing (because it has dried out), get rid of it and put some fresh food in the chafing dish.
A small but important detail for those using the wire chafing racks that can be purchased at Sam’s, Costco or one of GFS stores. In terms of keeping the food hot, they work just as well as fancy, stainless steel chafing dishes. But you must use half size pans only in those racks, not full size pans. I will spare you the details---just trust me on this.
Blowin’ In the Wind. If you are having an outdoor party and using chafing dishes and it’s windy, you got problems. In an unsheltered area (no walls), those chafing dishes aren’t going to work very well. The wind will blow the flames for the fuel canisters horizontally and the pans of water will never get hot. Here’s what you can do about that problem: not much. Your only option is to somehow find an indoor or sheltered location for the buffet line.
Here Comes the Sun. Or maybe not. We all hope for beautiful warm weather for our party, but it’s Spring and it’s Michigan. It may be cold. It may rain. It may be windy. You need to have a plan. And as the saying goes, “hope” is not a plan. Typically, folks either move the party inside the house (or into the garage) or rent a walled tent (but these sell out quickly on the busy graduation weekends in June).
Now For A Word From Our Sponsor! Yes, it’s “shameless self-promotion” time. Satchel’s would LOVE to cater your party. We can prepare the food, deliver it to your location, and even provide catering services for the event. Just let us know how we can help. Interested? Get a quote by clicking here, and rest assured that help is on the way.