# Making chicken fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli for 150 people



## babyg28 (Sep 24, 2016)

My fiance and i decided to self cater our wedding. He makes an awesome Alfredo and it was the first dish he cooked for me. We'll have bread and a garden salad as well. Can someone help us figure out the amounts needed? For his sauce he uses butter, garlic, shallots, white wine, lemon and cream. Of course he uses salt and pepper too. And i could be missing something.


----------



## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

It would be a huge help to have the number of guests as well as the recipe.....

mimi


----------



## jimyra (Jun 23, 2015)

Welcome to cheftalk.  Don't forget the Parmesan cheese.  Have you ever cooked twenty pounds of pasta?


----------



## babyg28 (Sep 24, 2016)

Jimyra said:


> Welcome to cheftalk. Don't forget the Parmesan cheese. Have you ever cooked twenty pounds of pasta?


I realized i forgot to add that later....he uses parmesean and romano cheeses. I've never done it before. He went to culinary school for a bit so he might have before. We've already been advised not to cook everything til it's done since we're doing it the fat before. My aunt who is a chef will oversee the reheating process.


----------



## babyg28 (Sep 24, 2016)

flipflopgirl said:


> It would be a huge help to have the number of guests as well as the recipe.....
> 
> mimi


It was stated in the title, didn't want to duplicate info. I don't have an exact recipe, just know the ingredients he uses.


----------



## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

Making an "awesome" dish at home and trying to replicate that x's 150 for a special event like your wedding are not the same, let a pro do it.


----------



## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Reheated fettucine alfredo is just about the worst thing I can imagine anyone serving me at a wedding.  That and reheated fish.  I'll never understand why people serve pasta at weddings, I know it's inexpensive but it's inelegant.  I expect it at church pot lucks but not at a wedding where people are taking days off, traveling to come, getting gussied up, and giving you expensive gifts.


----------



## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

Koukouvagia said:


> Reheated fettucine alfredo is just about the worst thing I can imagine anyone serving me at a wedding. That and reheated fish. I'll never understand why people serve pasta at weddings, I know it's inexpensive but it's inelegant. I expect it at church pot lucks but not at a wedding where people are taking days off, traveling to come, getting gussied up, and giving you expensive gifts.


I agree, and it's funny, that for some reason the inelegance of a stand-in-line buffet, coupled with elegant food fare, (an impressive protein choice with classy sides), does seem to work well and is a popular method of feeding wedding guests. Plated table service is of course the best of all, but since its costs a lot more, the "elegant buffet" is a good compromise.

I also agree with a couple other things--first that reheating the pasta, (overseen by a pro or not) is out. This is your wedding-- you want the guests to remember being treated to a special meal....not just _fed_ at meal time.

And second, that if you're gonna proceed with the pasta, do a test batch or two first--long before the wedding date. If you cant do that.....

hire a caterer. 150 isn't a large group by catering standards, but don't be surprised if a pro caterer talks you out of the pasta. After all they have THEIR reputation to think about it too.


----------



## babyg28 (Sep 24, 2016)

Thanks for your opinions, but my question was about amounts. If you have some that would be great, otherwise unless you're volunteering to cook for us the rest isn't needed. I'm not going broke or trying to please everyone, especially strangers.


----------



## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

To do it right, reheating a large amount of pasta requires a steamer and a few perforated pans.  Reheating the "sauce" should be OK but that amount of butterfat makes it pick up real funky aromas.  I suggest precooking then quick chilling the pasta, reheat before service, and then making the alfredo the same day.


----------



## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

babyg28 said:


> Thanks for your opinions, but my question was about amounts. If you have some that would be great, otherwise unless you're volunteering to cook for us the rest isn't needed. I'm not going broke or trying to please everyone, especially strangers.


OK then.


----------



## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

babyg28 said:


> It was stated in the title, didn't want to duplicate info. I don't have an exact recipe, just know the ingredients he uses.


I would just take his recipe and multiply by 150. But you are trying in a weird way to ask us to figure out the recipe.

It is rather strange, hence the strange responses.


----------



## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

babyg28 said:


> flipflopgirl said:
> 
> 
> > It would be a huge help to have the number of guests as well as the recipe.....
> ...


What can I say I like to hear myself talk.

Still need your recipe if you want proper numbers.

mimi


----------



## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

IMO the best way to serve steam table pasta is to bake in casserole form.

Just before the mac reaches al dente pull and rinse.

A few hours before service combine the mac and sauce (lots) then bake until bubbly.

If you want it brown on top then buttered crumbs do well here.

The rinsing is to stop further cooking ( don't worry it will absorb the sauce during oven trip #2) and prevent the gluey texture you will get from reheating fettucine.

mimi

Question..... have you ever had the pleasure of eating buffet line broccoli?

The odor alone makes it a bad choice.

m.


----------



## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

babyg28 said:


> Thanks for your opinions, but my question was about amounts. If you have some that would be great, otherwise unless you're volunteering to cook for us the rest isn't needed. I'm not going broke or trying to please everyone, especially strangers.


You have landed on a public forum just crawling with foodies, who are willing to both share and accept knowledge from strangers (welcome to Chef Talk!).

Pro and not pro....all with this nasty habit re stating our opinions.

/img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif

Take what you need and leave the rest behind.

mimi

OBTW.... there are an enormous amt of threads/posts re your dish.

Some very good advice from seasoned caterers about buffet line pasta.

m.


----------



## rpooley (Dec 1, 2015)

Maybe you can consider an "Alfredo", meaning a baked pasta dish rich with cream and bacon.  The pasta could be a short form, like fusilli or macaroni, which in my experience is easier to reheat and spoon out than a tangle of noodles.  I think it's hard enough to do fettucine Alfredo well for a few people, let alone 150.

As a baked dish, at least it could be prepped beforehand and just baked/reheated.  I think it's great to want to serve your guests, just don't ruin your day to get it done.


----------



## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

Here are a few quick calculations with my morning coffee to answer the original question.

At six ounces of sauce per person you will need 7.03 gallons of sauce. With a generous 8 ounces, you would need 9.375 gallons of sauce. 

4 ounces of chicken per serving would mean 37.5 pounds of Chicken in total. 

A third of a pound of pasta per serving means 50# of pasta in total. 

      For the broccoli you would need a case. I don't remember how many pounds a case of broccoli weighs so I'll just say a case. Allowing for trimming and waste, perhaps two cases. 

     For the method, Cook the pasta not quite al dente the day before. Blanch the broccoli, cut the chicken into serving pieces and sauté the day before, making sure to sauté to add some nice color. Keep the cheese, sauce, broccoli, chicken and pasta separate. Make the sauce base, leaving out the cheese. 

The day of the wedding, reheat pasta for a couple of minutes in simmering water, a batch at a time. Drain well and toss in a bowl with the warmed chicken and broccoli. Reheat the sauce and add half the cheese to the sauce once it is hot.  Add enough reheated sauce to coat the contents of the bowl.  Plate and top with cheese. Repeat as necessary to finish plating. 

     Now having offered all that, I'll agree with the other posters and suggest you do something else or hire a caterer. If you can imagine actually doing this, you should recognize that doing this in the timely fashion required to serve 150 people quickly  will require time dedicated to being in the kitchen, several people to assist in plating and several others standing by ready to serve. It will also require the use of a large professionally equipped kitchen. 

This is the day of your wedding and should be spent among those who attend, accepting congratulations and spending a few minutes with each guest.

You might consider saving this idea for the wedding rehearsal or a smaller celebratory meal  with fewer guests in a less demanding environment.


----------



## jimyra (Jun 23, 2015)

babyg28 said:


> Thanks for your opinions, but my question was about amounts. If you have some that would be great, otherwise unless you're volunteering to cook for us the rest isn't needed. I'm not going broke or trying to please everyone, especially strangers.


Actually I did give you an amount. It was for the pasta. 2 oz. per person x 105 persons = 300 oz. / 16 oz per pound = 18.75 pounds. Rounded out to twenty pounds of dry pasta. If you are so touchy about taking some advice from a very experienced pool of experts don't cater your own wedding. You will be a basket case on that important day. These comments are meant to help not upset you. We can't help you without the recipe you are using. My recipe would use about 5 pounds of butter and 5 pounds of cheese. Good luck.


----------



## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

babyg28 said:


> It was stated in the title, didn't want to duplicate info. I don't have an exact recipe, just know the ingredients he uses.


So you don't have an exact recipe and are asking us to scale the recipe for you. It's rather easy:

C = amount of cheese in original recipe

P = amount of pasta in original recipe

Now for your wedding you'll need 150*C + 150*P.

Let us know if you need help with the math.


----------



## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

babyg28 said:


> Thanks for your opinions, but my question was about amounts. If you have some that would be great, otherwise unless you're volunteering to cook for us the rest isn't needed. I'm not going broke or trying to please everyone, especially strangers.


With all due respect, I'm sorry if you feel the answers are not what you hoped but like you said, we are strangers so feel free to take the advice that suits you best. Otherwise this is a public forum and the discussion will take twists and turns. I can understand that catering is expensive but beware that by taking it on yourself you are committing to hard labor on your wedding day. I definitely could not afford to feed 150 people steak. That's why I only invited 90.


----------



## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

25# pasta

35#chicken

25#broccoli

4 sauce need more info (rough idea on procedure for sauce, thickener, reduction,etc)

4 salad need more info (what type of lettuce & other ingredients)

4 bread need more info (what type, garlic bread, rolls, etc)


----------



## tara em up (May 26, 2017)

IM NEW TO THIS SITE! INEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH OF FETTUCCINE. CHICKEN & ALFREDO SAUCE(iN A JAR) THAT I GONNA NEED. MY FIRST TIME EVER DOING A FUNDRAISER PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME LIKE IF IM A 2YRS OLD LOL


----------



## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

*1 JAR FOR 6 PEOPLE*


----------



## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

TARA EM UP said:


> IM NEW TO THIS SITE! INEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH OF FETTUCCINE. CHICKEN & ALFREDO SAUCE(iN A JAR) THAT I GONNA NEED. MY FIRST TIME EVER DOING A FUNDRAISER PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME LIKE IF IM A 2YRS OLD LOL


If your fundraiser is anything like the fundraisers I've attended they are for people paying lots of money for the cause. It is expected that the food will be good. Please don't use a jarred sauce.


----------



## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

I got the popcorn....

mimi


----------



## jimyra (Jun 23, 2015)

I have the adult beverage.

If you use sauce from a jar go to the big box and buy Stoffer's.


----------

