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Recipes for Crowds

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Meals should be simple, nutritious and healthy. Please include a meat item, a wide variety of fresh and cooked vegetables, fresh fruits and whole grains. Many of the team members require a large amount of protein as they are working out and very physically active.

Please limit macaroni casseroles, spaghetti, lasagna and other higher-fat items to one serving per week.

Basics at each meal should include:

Salad/veggies
Fruit
Rice (When not part of the main course, prepare enough for ten people)
Meat (lean meat is preferred)
Beverages (milk, water, juice, tea etc.)
Wheat Bread
Peanut butter and jelly (not a lot)

Sample Menu

Below are a few sample lunches and dinners. Please note this is a basic menu, and though it is not noted there should always be the above basics at each meal.

Please consider what is available in your country. Do not plan on meals that would be quite commonplace in other countries, but considered a luxury meal in yours.

When preparing sandwiches for lunch, please do not assemble them in advance, but arrange them on platters or in bowls on the buffet table for people to help themselves. That gives the team members much more choice (like avoiding Mayonnaise or choosing a purely vegetarian option). This also avoids wastage (no more stale sandwiches).

Also don’t bring out all fixings at the same time -rather refill smaller bowls and platters. Sometimes meal times can stretch out a bit and we wouldn’t want to food to sit un-refrigerated for too long.

Sample Lunch

Homemade Chili
Baked Potatoes
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Crusty rolls
Veggies and Dip
Whole wheat bread
Sliced turkey or lean Ham
Tomatoes, pickles…
Condiments
Grilled Hamburgers
Baked Beans
Chips

Sample Dinner

Sliced Ham w/ Pineapple Sauce
Potato Casserole
Green Beans
Chicken Chop Suey
Stir Fried Vegetables
Butterfly Pork Chops
Rice
Corn on the Cob

Desserts

Performance Team members prefer to not eat a lot of desserts. It is nice to have desserts, but please don’t serve it with every meal.

Apple Crisp
Cookies
Pie
Brownies
Ice Cream

Refreshments at the meals venue

The meal location also serves as the central meeting place. Quite often teams will be there between meals to pray or prepare or various Performance Teams get together for a quick meeting. It is nice to have some refreshments available

Tea, coffee and cold drinks
Cookies
Fresh Fruit or vegetables
Healthy snacks, like nuts or trail mix

Live Production Crew and Event Venue Meals

Visit the venue with the IWT Coordinator to plan where to serve meals and refreshments there. Look for an area back stage with enough space to put tables and chairs, and access to adequate electrical outlets for crock-pots or warmers. Certain meals will need to be served to parts of the IWT team at the venue. The tech crew usually arrives with the tech equipment two days before the event. They will begin set-up immediately and need all of their meals delivered to the event venue. Serve meals at the venue at12:00 and 5:00. On event nights, the team performing will also eat dinner at the venue. Check with the IWT Coordinator for a schedule and the number of meals needed for each meal

Refreshments at the performance venue

When the teams are at the venue, they work through much of the day and often do not have the opportunity to eat dinner. With this in mind, organize a snack team or churches to provide refreshments during the day and after each event.

During the Day

Make sure that there is always an ample supply of water (and if desired electrolyte drinks)
Provide light snacks such as vegetables, fruit, granola bars, etc
Have food available at the venue each night after the events. This should be somewhat substantial, as many of the members of that night’s team will not have eaten much at dinner.
One option for this time is to ask the churches providing dinner to have extra portions that are not cooked for dinner but are prepared in time for the end of the show. Another option would be to bring in meats, cheeses, bread, fruits and vegetables.

Late Night Snack

Prepare a late night snack for the Live Production Crew. These team members often miss out on the food after the events because they are shutting down after the show. They are also usually there later in the evening than everyone else.