House full of family? Cooking for a crowd still a breeze

November 26, 1996
Web posted at: 11:30 p.m. EST

From Correspondent Carolyn O'Neil

ATLANTA (CNN) -- Cooking for a crowd isn't just a holiday thing for Susan Benesh. "If you consider a crowd three kids and a husband, then I do it pretty much every night," she said. But even on regular nights, she doesn't do it alone, and she has a plan.

Her children are given 'age-appropriate tasks' every night -- simple recipes, for example -- and by following the meal plan, they learn to move from one task to another.

Benesh says when the holidays come and the table's set for many more, the same strategies apply, but she plans ahead to help deal with the intimidation factor.

Carefully read and practice any new recipes, Benesh suggested. "It's a lot of pressure when you feel like you're feeding that big of a crowd, and there's a lot of commotion, so go ahead and try the recipes first, and then you'll know what you're doing," she said.

Then, make as many things ahead as you can, said Ray Overton, an instructor at Le Creuset Cooking School, and freeze them. You can even make the stuffing ahead of time.

"I know when I do stuffing or dressing, I always do a double or a triple batch, so I'll have some left over for Christmas," Overton said. "I figure if you're going to mess the kitchen up once, you might as well get it really messed up and do them both at the same time."

Some dishes, of course, can't be made ahead of time. That's where timing comes into play. Overton suggests you put yourself on a minute-to-minute schedule. Be specific -- plan to chop onions at 2 o'clock, and chop celery at 2:05.

Also, Overton said, "Gauge when the turkey comes out, and allow for 20 minutes resting time."

Where will you put all the great foods you cooked? You can plan ahead here, too. Benesh uses sticky notes to indicate which serving dishes get what. She finds the strategy especially helpful when someone asks, "Can I help?"

That keeps guests out of the cooking process, but still lets them feel useful. "The old adage of too many cooks spoiling the broth, I've really seen that happen, a lot of times," Benesh said. You can't undo the damage once another cook has oversalted your long-simmering turkey stock.

"Then you get nervous, then you get upset, and life's too short to worry about this," Le Creuset's Overton said. "There's much more important things in the world to get worried about than things messing up in the kitchen."

After all, Benesh concluded, it's just a meal, "and a time for everyone to get together and be thankful."

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