Easter Breakfast 2011

Each year, the confirmation class cooks breakfast for the church.  They do it with a LOT of help from the Youth Group, the Second Sunday Club and parents.  This post won't be terribly interesting to some one looking for a recipe to serve on Easter morning, but it will stand as a record of what to do if you want to serve breakfast to somewhere between 75 and 100 people on Easter morning. 

Supplies
 The quantities supplied below were purchased for the 2011 breakfast.  They have been pretty consistent for the past 6 years.  I have added a few recommendations for the future.  


10 lbs pancake mix (Krusteaz)  Save any residual for the camping retreat in the freezer although we used more mix this year and had far fewer pancakes leftover.  If you are worried you might consider buying a few smaller boxes of mix that could be donated to the food pantry if they are not needed.
210 sausage (2011 came from Aldi's,  We used them all.  You might consider adding a few more packages.)
3 gallons of milk (2011 only used 2) in plastic pitcher
4 gallons of juice (2011 used almost all) in plastic pitcher (a couple cans of frozen juice as a reserve might be a good idea for 2012)
15 dozen eggs (2011 probably could have gotten by with 13 dozen)
1 qt half and half to mix with eggs.  put small pitcher next to coffee.
syrup (Do NOT get the double big bottles from Costco.  A couple family sized bottles from the grocery will do)  Freeze leftovers for camping retreat.  Put into squeeze bottles on tables.
Sugar free syrup... one small bottle
Butter.  1lb butter plus one med container margarine.  (Put on serving table only)
salt and pepper (from kitchen next to eggs)
catsup, small bottle
salsa, small jar
danish/pastries  3-4 packages from Costco work well
Fruit.  cut up.  pineapple.  Box of strawberries, cut up oranges, melon.  Two trays.
salad oil (small bottle for griddles)

coffee
ice water
hot water and tea bags

small plastic cups for juice
plates
foam cups
table covering (really important!)
knives and forks
food safe gloves

Equipment


Pancake cooking on counter under window
Unplug the big coffee maker next to the sink.
2 large griddles for cooking pancakes
2 silicon brushes,
2 mugs with oil,
2 teflon safe spatulas,
1 tray for transporting cooked pancakes to serving table. 
2 pitchers for batter,
1 extension cord from plug on mural wall tape down or secure over door!

Batter mixing on counter between the sink and the refrigerator
1 large pitcher for mixing batter
1 stick blender for mixing batter
measuring cups for water and batter


Cooking eggs on counter to the left of the sink.
1 large electric skillet for cooking eggs
1 pitcher for eggs
1 teflon safe spatula
1 GLASS dish for transporting eggs to serving table

1 electric skillet with lid for reheating sausage
teflon safe tongs or spatula for stirring
cup or glass of water to steam/keep them from sticking

Mixing Eggs on center table
mugs for breaking eggs into
big container for egg shells
half and half
stick blender or large whisk
pitcher for mixing eggs and half and half

Beverage table in front of kitchen window but not tight against wall
3 nice plastic pitchers for juice, milk and ice water
cups
hot water for tea
tea bags
coffee set ups
extra napkins

Coffee table (small table set up to use plug on the West side of the entrance doors or out in the Narthex)
coffee pot for regular
coffee pot for decaf
cups

Serving tables along wall under mural
NOTE:  warmers on the serving tray need to be sterno or some other fuel-based heat source. 
1 steam tray for pancakes
1 steam tray for sausage
1 GLASS chafing dish or steam table for eggs,  MUST BE GLASS or the eggs will turn lovely shades of green
trays for fruit
trays for pastry
silverware
plates
napkins
condiments (other than syrup) salt pepper, catsup, butter,
serving utensils

Decorations.
SSC live grass in square ceramic dishes
chickens (directions and some material in the coat closet)

Schedule
One month out
Plant grass, make sign, put in bulletin, recruit chicken makers if making chickens

Two weeks out
set schedule for helpers.
Youth group train/supervise Confirmation class
YG and CC cooking
SSC out front serving beverages, clearing tables,
Assign some one to keep track of food out front and let the kitchen know what is needed also to fill beverage pitchers and keep silverware and cups supplied

Saturday
10 am  Set up and cover tables, set up cook stations, wash and set up serving dishes, warmers etc, decorate

Sunday
7:30 - 8:30 start up and first shift
8:00 serving starts
8:30 - 9:30 Second shift and clean up
9:30 Serving ends
9:15 - 9:55 Clean up crew
After service 30 minutes clean up crew

I hope this helps.  Please feel free to add in the comments!

ALLELUIA

He is Risen indeed!

Apricot-Ham Patties

2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups soft bread crombs
1/2 cup finely snipped dried apricots
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons snipped parsley
1 pound ground fully cooked ham
1 pound ground pork
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon all purpose flour

Combine eggs, milk, bread crumbs, dried apricots, onion, parsley and dash of pepper.  Add ground ham and pork; mix well.  Shape meat into 8 patties.  Combine brown sugar and flour; sprinkle in bottom of 15x10x1 inch baking pan.  Place patties in pan.  Bake in 350 oven for 40 to 45 minutes.  Transfer patties to serving platter.  Stir pan juices and spoon over meat.  Serves 8

These are the greatest (and easiest) ham patties.  I used pork sausage instead of ground pork.  Yum! These would be a gread way to use up your left over Easter ham.

Thrifty Meatballs for the Boys

       2 pounds ground beef
       2 eggs, beaten
       1 medium onion, chopped  (I used to grind it
                                    in the small Cuisinart.)
       1 cup cracker crumbs
       2/3 cup milk
       1 teaspoon salt    (I never put this in.)
       1/4 teaspoon pepper     (probably skipped this for the boys)

       Combine above ingredients; mix well.
       Shape into small balls and place in Pam-
       sprayed 9x13-inch baking dish.


       1 can cream of chicken soup
       1/2 cup milk

       Dilute soup with milk and pour over top of
       balls.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

                      from the Wood County Extension Service

Spicy Garlic and Ginger Udon (Noodles)

These noodles can be as quick as you want to make them. Fresh Udon cooks in about 3 minutes. Dried Udon, takes as long as fettucini or spaghetti.

Mix up the sauce first.

• 2 – 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (used reduced sodium or cut down a bit)
• 2 Tbs rice vinegar (this adds a lot of salt)
• About 1 inch of fresh ginger minced

• very scant1/4 cup salad oil (most recipes call for peanut oil. Salad oil works. I would not use olive oil or any other strongly flavored oil unless that is really what you are going for here.)
• 1- 3 Tbsp mirin or sake
• Sesame oil to taste
• 1 – 3 tsp chili garlic sauce
• pepper, cilantro to taste
• 2 – 3 thinly sliced green onions
• You may want to add a Tbsp of honey 

Set the sauce aside so that the flavors start to blend.

Stir fry some chicken. Add a bit of the sauce near the end to flavor it. Set aside on plate.

Quickly stir fry sliced carrots, broccoli, red peppers or any other veggies that you like. You just want them to be crisp and warm. Add to plate and set aside. Don’t cover the veggies. you do not want them to continue to steam while you are waiting for the noodles to finish.

Cook noodles in hot water as per the package instructions. Drain. Toss the veggies, meat, noodles and sauce together. Enjoy.
Garnish with some lime, cilantro or fresh bean sprouts.