Recipes for a Crowd: Pulled pork, cheesy potatoes, Jan’s coleslaw

I’ve had several requests for the recipes we used from the Freedmen Bureau Project Dinner. These proportions feed about 40 healthy appetites if you use the whole menu. You’ll probably have some leftovers.

Menu:

Pulled chicken and/or pork(15 pounds)

cheesy potatoes

fruity coleslaw with homemade poppyseed dressing

green beans

sweet Johnnie Cake (corn bread)

cake for dessert

Countrytime lemonade or water to drink

 

Pulled Pork or chicken:

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup liquid smoke

2 Tablespoons garlic powder

2 Tablespoons onion powder

1/2 cup soy sauce OR 2 Tablespoons salt

1/2 cup dill pickle juice or cider vinegar if you don’t have dill pickle juice

mix sauce together in 12 quart pressure cooker  (see adjustments below)

add 15 pounds of boneless pork loin cut into approx. 1 lb chunks or boneless, skinless chicken breasts

May be doubled or halved depending on the size of pressure cooker or crowd

Add meat and make sure that each piece is fully doused in the sauce.

Pressure cook at 15 pounds of pressure, one hour for pork, 45 minutes for chicken breasts. There’s no need to adjust cooking time for smaller or greater amounts because it will take longer or shorter for the pressure cooker to reach pressure for more meat or less meat.

When the meat is done, you’ll find that there seems to be a LOT of liquid. But as you shred the meat with two forks, the shredded meat will absorb the flavorful sauce and you’ll be surprised how much of it is incorporated. With the above recipe, there was little standing liquid  when I was done shredding and added the meat back into the sauce.

Serve with ketchup or barbeque sauce, as desired.

We served both chicken and pork at the dinner for about 100, and the pork was twice as popular as the chicken. I transported the meat in the pressure cookers and shredded it close to serving time.

Cheesy potatoes for a crowd

Pressure cook 10 pounds of red potatoes in their skins (ten pounds of pressure 15 minutes) Cut larger than fist sized potatoes in half. Cut out any ugly spots before cooking.

Saute’ two pounds of chopped onion (about 4 large) in a little oil

Optional: add 1 pound of chopped ham or a cup of cooked, crumbled bacon to the onions. I didn’t for the FBP dinner, but it makes the potatoes a main dish instead of a side dish).

Remove about half the potato skins after cooking (more if you object to the texture) slice into thick 3/4 inch slices.

Place in a large roaster or foil pan.

sauce: Mix together in large bowl,

two cans cream of chicken soup

two soup cans of milk (about 2 1/2 cups)

2 cups nacho/type cheese sauce (I portioned up a big #10 can from Sams.)

1 1/2 cups sour cream, (lite varieties are good, too)

Mix well, pour over potatoes and onions, Mix well until potatoes are coated.

Smooth potatoes somewhat in roaster,

Top with 1 pound shredded sharp cheddar cheese,

Heat through  (90 minutes in 350 oven) (it takes a long time with such a big volume. Smaller volumes can be microwaved. Since all ingredients are cooked, you really only need to heat it.

Fruity coleslaw with homemade poppyseed dressing

This is a pretty, confetti-like salad

1 large bag (2 pounds) prepared coleslaw (shredded green cabbages and carrots)

1/2 cup finely chopped green onion

4 large  red gala (or other sweet-tart, thin-skinned apples)  cored and coarsely diced with skins on.

2 cups dried cranberries (craisins)

DRESSING:

2/3 cup Miracle Whip

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons lemon juice or juice of one lemon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

Mix dressing well and chill until serving

Dress coleslaw just before serving so cranberries don’t swell!

Cheaters Corn Bread

Two yellow cake mixes,

6 eggs

3 cups water

1 cup oil

3 cups corn meal

1 cup of flour, ( I sometimes use whole wheat)

2 teaspoons of baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix together well

Spray  3  9×11 pans or approximately similar-area pans Distribute batter evenly, bake  at 350 for 35 minutes. (or until toothpick inserted into center comes out dry)

Top with honey butter while warm if desired.  (This is how we served it) Almost nobody added butter

Green Beans

One #10 can of green beans heated through

Drain off liquid

Mix in a  handful of crumbled, cooked bacon

 

Toffee (no we didn’t serve this at the FBP dinner, but I’ve had enough requests for the recipe lately, I’d figured I’d include it)

 

Here’s my favorite recipe/method for toffee.

In a 12 inch CAST IRON skillet or pot, stir together

1 cup butter (not margarine)

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds

Stir with metal spatula until deep golden brown. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla (I love the Danncy brand Mexican vanilla for its coconutty undertone.  I order it on ebay) Pour onto foil lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with

semi-sweet chocolate chips, (about 10 oz).

When melted, spread evenly and sprinkle with

chopped or sliced toasted almonds.

Cool in fridge (if you’re in a hurry) and break into pieces. Toffee can be ready to package about 40 minutes from starting if you refrigerate it to set the chocolate.

Chocolate or Lemon Bundt cake 12 servings per cake. 

We bought these at Sam’s for convenience. But if we’d used a bigger team in the preparation, we’d use mixes. For 40 people, three mixes would be plenty.  The recipe on the cake mix box for bundt cake is really good, but it’s easier to use flat style cake pans when serving a crowd. Try adding a cup of pumpkin puree to the chocolate recipe in place of some of the water. A cup of mini-chocolate chips doesn’t hurt anybody’s feelings either. You might want to look up the recipe for Chocolate Orange cake in this blog’s archives.

For a lighter, and luscious lemon cake, Start with a lemon cake mix, replace the oil with lite yogurt. If you’re really going for FABULOUS, replace half the water with a cup of cooked, pureed oranges, including the peel. (I do the oranges ahead in my electric pressure cooker, puree them and freeze them in 1 cup portion ziplock bags) The cake will take a little longer to bake and will be very moist and flavorful. Glaze with a lemon, powdered sugar and butter glaze.