Okay, so I had to plan a party for 30 people. Thirty! Can you believe it? I was kinda freaking out at first, thinking about all the food I’d have to make. But then I took a deep breath and started planning. This is how I made it through.
First things first, I thought about what kind of food would be easy to make in bulk and wouldn’t be a total pain to serve. Sliders immediately came to mind. They’re small, easy to handle, and you can make a bunch of different kinds to please everyone. I decided to go with two types: Ham Delights and Sweet-Spicy Barbecue Chicken Sliders.
Ham Delights
For the Ham Delights, I got a bunch of those sweet Hawaiian rolls, some good quality ham, and Swiss cheese. I made a simple sauce with Dijon mustard, honey, and a little bit of mayo. Brushed that on the rolls, layered on the ham and cheese, and popped them in the oven until they were all melty and delicious. It’s super easy, I just assembled a large batch, put them on a baking sheet, and baked them all at once. Everyone loves ham and cheese, right? It’s a classic combo. It took me about 30 minutes to assemble around 40 of these.
Sweet-Spicy Barbecue Chicken Sliders
For the chicken sliders, I cheated a little and used a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Shredded that up, mixed it with a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, and added a little bit of coleslaw for some crunch. Same deal with the Hawaiian rolls, assembled them all, and baked them until they were warm and toasty. These were also a big hit! The chicken was so easy because it was already cooked, I just had to shred it and mix it with the sauce. I made about 40 of these as well, and it took me roughly 40 minutes.
I also made sure to have plenty of snacks on hand. Chips, pretzels, a veggie tray with some dip – you know, the usual stuff. I made sure to set up a drinks station with plenty of options: soda, water, juice, and some beer and wine for the adults.
Now, the big question: how much food did I actually need? Some catering websites said I should have like 9-10 different items and 27-30 pieces per person! That sounded insane to me. I ended up aiming for about 15-20 pieces per person, with just those two types of sliders and the snacks.
In the end, it all worked out great! Some of the sliders were gone, but we still had some leftovers. People seemed happy and full, and I didn’t have to spend days in the kitchen. It was a success! I was so relieved when it was all over.
The hardest part? Honestly, just figuring out how much food to make. But once I got past that, it was pretty smooth sailing. I was worried for nothing!
- Total prep time: About 2 hours, including baking and setting up snacks.
- Total cost: Around $150, which isn’t bad for feeding 30 people.
- Biggest lesson learned: Don’t overthink it! Keep it simple, and people will be happy.
So yeah, that’s how I survived planning a party for 30 people. It was a bit of a challenge, but totally doable. And hey, if I can do it, you can too!