How to Cook for a Crowd

Featured Pro: Curtis Stone
Category: Cooking
Time: 1:18


CURTIS STONE: I’m Curtis Stone, and I’ve got an efficient GMC Trade Secret, brought to you by the efficient Yukon hybrid.

The thing I love about entertaining is that I get to spend some special time with special people. So I don’t want to be chained to the kitchen when they’re over here.

The most important thing when you want to have fun when your guests are coming around is to get things organized. So what I do – I mean, look over here. I’ve got a couple of pitchers of drinks already made. And when people arrive, I let them fix themselves something. I always put some nuts or something to nibble on so people have got something to eat and don’t get too hungry while they’re waiting for me to serve lunch.

And I do foods that I can do ahead of time. So in the oven I’ve got a big tray of lasagna done. And actually I made this yesterday, so it’s going to taste just beautiful. I’m going to serve it with a salad that I’ve already got there, with a little vinaigrette.

It doesn’t have to be lasagna. You could do a bunch of different things. You could do a chicken pot pie. You could do some ribs or a slowly cooked brisket; you know, something that spends a bit of time in the oven.

Just like the dessert, I’m going to make a berry crisp. So I put the topping on. And then that takes about half an hour. So by the time people are ready for something sweet, this will be ready to eat.

It’s really quite simple. Just get yourself organized. I lay everything out in the kitchen, because I think all the best parties end in the kitchen.

And that’s my GMC Trade Secret, and I’m Curtis Stone.