From the very beginning of having buffet style serve-yourself parties, I found I needed to have a way to make sure I didn’t forget to put something out on the buffet. I started using a simple worksheet that listed the items to be served. I used it like a checklist. In several years it has evolved to a worksheet that included the following:
- name of entree or appetizer
- picture of the serving dish/warmer it would be served in
- location it would be placed: dinner table, counter, bar, pub table, etc.
- A mini checklist to indicate whether the ingredients were prepped/kitted, assembled, cooked (if required)
- time I wanted to have each entree in the oven, crockpot, fryer, or stove, if cooking was required
- name of cookbook and page number (or other description of where I could find the recipe)
It sounds more sophisticated than it really is. It could simply be a single sheet of paper (or small whiteboard) with a few sketches on it and some dashes/plus marks, and ticks or hashes next to each entree name. The important thing is creating a system that makes it easier for you to get all the tasks done without stressing. Having a worksheet available helps to make remaining tasks visible in case there is anyone around that might be interested in helping you like a spouse, child, friend, or relative. And makes sure you don’t have three dozen uncooked bacon wrapped dates left in the fridge after the party.
In the future, I will add electronic worksheets or software to this website to make planning effortless.
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