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Reunion Food Guide

If your family is like mine the best times were around the dinner table. For a family reunion to work you have to recreate those special moments. You really have 5 choices.

1. Go to a restaurant. This is the easiest way to go, and if the reunion is lasting more than one day you should go out to eat at least once. Formal or informal depends on the group and the budget. Make sure to pick a restaurant that is used to handling large parties. Having your own party room is always the best way to go but not always economically feasible. With your own room and your own bartender you can have an open bar which will avoid arguments about who drank how much and why should I pay for it. You might want to limit your menu choices to 2 or 3 for the same reason. Make sure the kitchen is aware of any special dietary needs.
     

2. Make the food yourself. If you are having the reunion in a home or at a park this can work and it can be fun. For example, my brothers and I are convinced that we make the best ribs ever and would be happy to prove it. Just give us a grill and a couple of cold ones and your main course is taken care of. You have to have a willing group to make this method work and enough grills/cooking space/refrigeration to handle food for a large group. Don't forget to have plenty of paper plates, cups, and napkins for everyone.  There are some fun paper good styles that are great for reunion:

    

   • Watermelon Picnic Paper Goods

   • Backyard BBQ Paper Goods

   • Flip Flop Paper Goods

   • Surf's Up Paper Goods

    

3. Potluck A real common way to feed the masses is having everyone bring something. We suggest letting people know what type of food they are responsible for (appetizer, main course, dessert) and giving them carte blanche from there. You don’t want 14 desserts and no main course. This is a good method to combine with a caterer. Let the caterer provide the main course and have everyone else fill in desserts, snacks and appetizers. It will lower your costs and not be too onerous to anyone. Remember that it is very difficult for out-of-towners to bring food. 
     
4. Catering. There are some great caterers around that specialize in outdoor events. Remember that it’s a family reunion so order family style. You know, pans of chicken or pasta and racks of ribs. They’ll have all the equipment you need so you don’t have to transport grills, pans or serving utensils. Makes life much easier for all involved.
     
5. To Each His Own. Every family takes care of themselves. This is easy and gets rid of much of the hassle but remember that you want folks to mingle! Potluck or catering gives you a central spot where everyone has to go. 

While the food is important, it’s not a time to experiment. If your family loves burgers and dogs…great! Burgers and dogs it is. Make sure a few people don’t have to do all the work. Cooking for 16 families can be overwhelming for a couple of people. Spread the labor and you spread the fun!