Cooking for a Crowd

A couple weekends ago I cooked a spaghetti supper for a portion of my Sunday School class (everyone was invited but with summer trips and visits we ended up with about 12 being able to make it).  That worked for me since that is about as large a number I'm comfortable cooking for and still be able to have fun.

That's me... The Iron Chef!  LOL

We used the church fellowship hall instead of the huge family life center.  We didn't need all that space and I had an my own reason for wanting the smaller space...

... the opportunity to use the stove of my dreams!  Just look at that beauty!!  Gas with ten burners and two ovens, plus a jet engine venting fan.  

I was spoiled fast.

Starting the pasta and keeping an eye out on the rest of the meal.

Which was these two large pots of my homemade spaghetti sauce.  The biggest pot on the left was the sauce with onions, the one of the right was without (onions are NOT my friends...).

While the pasta cooked I sliced the bread.  I don't bake in summer - too hot!  I let Publex do the baking.  I had a loaf each of their Tuscan garlic and rosemary olive oil, and two loaves of crusty Italian.  On the Italian I put my own spice blend.  All where buttered and toasted up in the oven.

Himself got the serving pieces I brought ready to go.  (The Italian bread when on the platter and the Parmesan cheese went into the bowl.)

Buttering up the loaves.

And here is the spread.  Everyone else brought salads and desserts.

(Paula is laughing because Himself just told me to 'hush' so he could get a picture!)

Then it was time to eat!

Our pastor Mike was first thru the line and ready to dig in.

Tired but happy.  It all worked out perfectly.  

As usual, I cooked way more than needed.  Even with the take-aways I still have a bunch of sauce and bread in the freezer.  The sauce will be another meal or two and the bread will become a nice strata.