Choosing a menu for a festive banquet

Preparing for a festive banquet is comparable to military operations. You need to rent a hall, invite a photographer and musicians, decorate the premises, send out invitations and, of course, create a menu. The list of banquet dishes offered at the feast is amazing in size. Here, exquisite cold appetizers and delicate desserts coexist with hearty and plentiful main treats and a variety of cuts. How not to forget about anything and please the guests? Our example banquet menu will help.

Banquet menu example

Restaurants use standard formulas to determine the yield of dishes per guest. If the celebration lasts 5–7 hours, the yield of dishes will be 1–1.5 kg. Here is an example of a banquet menu that takes into account all taste preferences.

Cold appetizers - 3–6 items.
Hot appetizers - 1–3 types.
Hot dishes of meat, fish and poultry - 1–2 items.
Baked goods (pies, buns, lavash) - 200 g per guest.
Desserts - 2 types.
Fruits - 200 g per guest.
Mineral water - 500 g per guest.
Juices - 200 g each.

The amount of alcoholic drinks is calculated according to the following scheme:

strong alcohol - 200–400 ml;
champagne, wine - 700 ml per person.

The cost of a festive banquet depends on the level of service and in Moscow will amount, on average, to 2,500 rubles per person.

Tartlets with chicken and mushroom filling

The menu for a festive table for 10 people usually includes several types of different appetizers. Tartlets will fit perfectly into it. This is a delicious portioned treat that can be complemented with a variety of fillings. For example, a very satisfying option is chicken, eggs and mushrooms with onions.

If necessary, you can increase the recommended amount of products by 2-3 times, so that each guest gets 2-3 tartlets with filling at once. The calorie content of such a treat will be approximately 267 kcal per 100 g.

And his BJU:

BJU	Value in g (per 100 g)
Squirrels	17,6
Fats	17,4
Carbohydrates	10,1

Composition of ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

tartlets – 10 pcs.;
chicken fillet – 370-400 g;
fresh champignons – 280-300 g;
onion – 1 pc.;
mayonnaise – 3-4 tbsp. l.;
boiled eggs – 3 pcs.;
oil, salt.

If desired, instead of mayonnaise for such an appetizer, you can use some other sauce. To decorate a completely prepared treat, you should use fresh herbs. For example, a mixture of dill and parsley or only green onions. Eggs for this dish should be boiled in advance until the yolk is firm.

Step-by-step cooking process

The cooking process includes several stages:

Poultry meat can be cooked in advance. To do this, put the fillet in salted boiling water and cook for about 20-25 minutes. The chicken should be completely cooked inside.
Pre-boiled eggs should be cooled. It’s convenient to do this simply in cold water to make them easier to clean.
You will need to finely chop the onion and mushrooms.
Let the vegetable pieces be smaller than the chopped champignons.
In a heated frying pan with oil, brown the mushrooms and onions. They should become only slightly brown.
When the bird has cooled down, you will need to cut it as finely as possible. You need to do the same with boiled eggs. The end result will be small cubes of both product options.
All prepared components must be placed in a common bowl, added salt to taste and seasoned with mayonnaise (or other chosen sauce).

The resulting filling can be placed into tartlets in small portions. The latter are suitable for both waffle and shortbread.

What can I add?

To make the filling for the snack more beautiful and tastier, you can also add vegetables to it. For example, small cubes of salted/pickled cucumbers or sweet peppers of any color fit best into a dish.

How to serve a dish

When serving, a large dish should be covered with bright, crisp lettuce leaves. Place the filled tartlets on top and cover everything with chopped herbs. For example, finely chopped green onions.

Salads: the choice is up to traditional recipes

When compiling a menu for a feast, the following rule applies: it is better to have fewer salads, but different ones, than one type, but a lot. It is better to serve dishes in portioned salad bowls or tartlets.

Traditional recipes on the banquet table include:

"Olivie";
"Caesar";
herring under a fur coat.

Light vegetable salads with pineapples, mushrooms and Chinese cabbage are popular. Also at a festive feast, snacks with meat, ham, fish, olives and black olives will be appropriate.

Three types of holiday rolls

To accurately please the tastes of all guests and feed a large company, you can prepare three types of hearty festive rolls with a variety of fillings at once. These are the three most popular options.

Among them is a recipe with red fish and cheese, with crab sticks and with ham, pickles. Each roll can be cut into 10 pieces so that everyone present at the party can try different versions of the delicacy. Interestingly, the basis of the snack is not lavash, but white bread.

Composition of ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

toast white bread - 12 slices;
green onion – 1 small bunch;
red salted/smoked fish – 1g0-200g;
soft curd cheese – 160 g;
mayonnaise – 8-9 tbsp. l.;
crab sticks – 8-9 pcs.;
ham and cheese - 6-7 slices each;
pickled gherkins – 3-4 pcs.

When choosing cheese, it is best to use cheddar for this dish. Any ham is suitable - both pork and poultry. You should choose chilled crab sticks so that the filling with them ends up juicy.

Step-by-step cooking process

The cooking process includes several stages:

For the first fish roll, it is especially tasty to use home-salted trout or salmon. Even regular pink salmon will do – it’s a more budget-friendly option. It is worth salting it with spices yourself in advance.
The selected fish must be removed from excess oil, and then cut into thin strips. To do this you will need a very sharp knife.
For all three roll options, you will need to take soft, fresh toast bread. You must immediately cut off all the crusts from it.
Cover a table or large cutting board with cling film. And on top, lay all the resulting fish pieces overlapping. Next, they need to be coated with mayonnaise. Each roll will use approximately 1/3 of the amount of sauce stated in the recipe.
Then you will also need to distribute fresh bread pieces (4 pieces) overlapping. Be sure to lightly roll them with a rolling pin on top. Bread seams must be processed with special care.
All that remains is to lay out a layer of cottage cheese (half) and cover the filling with green onions. The feathers must first be washed and finely chopped.
The film will help you carefully roll the workpiece into a roll. In this form, you need to leave the treat in a cool place for the whole night or at least for at least 5 hours.
For the second version of the roll, crab sticks cut into strips should also be laid out overlapping on the film. You can simply unwrap the product and spread it onto the coating. But for this you will need to choose very high quality crab sticks. 5-6 pieces will be enough. The rest should be finely chopped at random.
Curd cheese (remaining) must be mixed with mayonnaise (half of the remaining) and chopped fish product. This mass must be distributed onto the film with crab sticks. Next, the filling will be covered with bread and lightly rolled with a rolling pin.
The second rolled roll should be sent to the first one to cool and infuse.
For the third snack option, you should roll out the bread without crusts in advance with a rolling pin. They will be placed on top of the ham slices on cling film. On top you need to cover everything with cheese slices and mayonnaise.
All that remains is to place whole miniature gherkins on one edge of the filling, wrap the roll and also put it in a cool place.

Ready-made snacks will need to be removed from the films as carefully as possible and served.

How to serve a dish

Each roll can be cut into any number of pieces. The main thing is not to make them too thin. It is permissible to decorate the top of the rolls with any chopped herbs or sprinkle with bright spices.

Hot dishes of meat and fish

When creating a menu, you should take into account the presence of several hot dishes of meat and fish. The favorites on the festive table are:

baked fish with sauces;
cabbage rolls and stuffed vegetables;
whole roasted bird;
chops, schnitzels and steaks;
julienne with mushrooms;
cutlets and grilled meat;
roast, pilaf

Boiled, fried and stewed potatoes, rice and baked vegetables are served as a side dish at banquets.

Will the holiday be alcohol-free?

Strong drinks are widely represented on restaurant menus

. As the famous expert on traditions M. Zhvanetsky says, alcohol in small doses is harmless in any quantity. Of course, the assortment of the establishment and your imagination will allow you to determine the choice, but vodka, cognac, whiskey, wines, and champagnes should be dosed within reasonable limits. Waiters are increasingly saying that they are drinking less at banquets. We hope that this will be the case in your case. On average, you will have to add 500 - 800 rubles for drinks for each adult guest.

Let's create a menu for the wedding feast. The banquet is not the climax of the wedding, but it claims to be the longest and most expensive part of it. The manager of a good restaurant will try to take control of all the details of creating the menu, but it is useful to prepare a working version. There may be several options, let’s decide on the main one. An approximate banquet menu for a wedding for 40 people might look like this:

Cold appetizers, salads

assortment of several types of cheese (serving in the center of the table) – 10 pcs. 100 g per person;
assorted meats – 10 plates, 100 g each;
aspic – 8 plates of 100 g each;
mini tartlets with caviar – 40 pcs. 12 g per person;
Caesar salad - 15 pcs. 60 g each;
Olivier salad – 15 pcs. 60 g each;
herring under a fur coat – 15 pcs. 60 g each;
seafood salad – 10 pcs. 60 g each;
julienne – 25 pcs. 60 g;
mini chicken skewers – 25 pcs. 60 g each
Read also: Choosing a gift for a guy when he comes of age from a girl

Hot dishes to choose from

beef steak – 9 pcs. 50 g each;
roast with pork, with chicken – 9 pcs. 50 g each;
kebab – 8 pcs. 100 g each;
Veal kebab – 5 pcs. 50 g each;
fish fillet with sauce – 9 pcs. 60 g each

Garnish of your choice

country-style potatoes, grilled, fries, mashed potatoes – 30 pcs. 75 g each;
rice – 5 pcs. 70 g each;
eggplants, vegetables with champignons – 5 pcs. 75 g each;
dessert on 8 plates, 250 g each.

It is worth discussing with the banquet manager the presence of children. As a rule, a good restaurant will offer discounts: free meals for children under 7 years old, 50% payment for those 8-12 years old. It is better to create a children's menu separately. Offer to provide the kitchen with your own products, discuss the possibility of purchasing alcohol and other drinks - the rules of many establishments allow this. As Elizabeth Gilbert likes to say: “Sometimes food becomes the only hard currency.” I would like to wish you a wonderful banquet, real fun! Let the holiday become the starting point of a happy journey for young people through life!

We offer a wedding scenario without a toastmaster. And how to organize a man’s birthday - find original ideas here.

Non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks for a banquet

At any banquet table there are guests who drink alcohol and those who prefer juices and water. When creating a banquet menu, you need to think about everyone.

Popular non-alcoholic drinks:

juices and fruit drinks;
compotes and smoothies;
non-alcoholic cocktails;
tea and coffee;
mineral water.

Alcoholic drinks on the banquet menu usually include:

champagne and sparkling wines - a bottle for 3 people;
vodka, cognac, whiskey - a bottle for 3 people;
red and white wine - a bottle for 2 people.

Other drinks are selected taking into account the tastes of the guests. These can be signature cocktails, liqueurs, gin, martinis, etc.

Potato boats with filling

The festive table usually also includes hot dishes, so that guests are sure not to go hungry.

Festive table menu for 10 people - recipe for potato boats with filling.

For this, it is worth including stuffed potato boats in the menu. This dish is easy to divide and serve in portions for 10 people at once. You can experiment with the filling.

Composition of ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

large potatoes – 10 pcs.;
milk 730-750 ml;
chicken fillet and onion – 2 pcs each;
flour – 45-50 g;
tomato and sweet pepper – 1 pc.;
parsley and dill - ½ bunch each;
cheese – 80-90 g;
green onion – 3-4 feathers;
butter fat – 2 tbsp. l. - 40 g (for sauce);
salt pepper.

If you take 10 potatoes, then each guest will receive 2 stuffed halves of the treat at once.

Step-by-step cooking process

The cooking process includes several stages:

The fillet must be boiled until fully cooked and left to cool directly in the broth. You can do this in advance to speed up the cooking process. The bird usually takes about half an hour to cook.
Potatoes need to be boiled in their skins. It should not be completely ready, but already slightly softened. The exact time depends on the size of the potatoes. It is convenient to check the softness after 20-25 minutes. Afterwards, all that remains is to peel the vegetables.
To make the sauce, fry the flour in butter until it reaches an appetizing creamy hue.
Then you need to pour milk over it, using a whisk to remove all the lumps. Cook the sauce until it reaches the desired thickness. Then you need to salt it to taste. You can also use spices.
When the potatoes have cooled down, cut each tuber in half and use a teaspoon to make indentations in the middle. The result should be “boats”.
For the filling you need to finely chop all the vegetables and poultry. Then fry them together for 6-7 minutes and add salt. All that remains is to pour all the chopped greens into the mixture and, after mixing, fill the resulting boats with the filling.
Before baking, pour the white sauce onto a baking sheet and place the stuffed potato halves on it. Be sure to sprinkle the treat with grated hard cheese on top.

You need to bake the dish in the oven for 17-20 minutes at 175-180 degrees. During this time, the potatoes should be completely cooked and the cheese should be browned.

How to serve a dish

The treat should be served hot. It is best to immediately place 1-2 halves of stuffed potatoes on plates for guests.

Desserts, pastries and fruits

The main dessert on the banquet menu at a wedding is cake. When calculating the size of the treat, it should be taken into account that there should be a serving of 200–250 grams per guest. The newlyweds and guests are also served a loaf of bread.

At banquets organized for other occasions, portioned delicacies would be more appropriate:

ice cream and chocolates;
cupcakes and macarons;
seasonal and exotic fruits;
cupcakes and soufflé.

Since guests switch to tea and coffee at the end of the event, it is convenient to place the sweet part of the banquet menu on a separate table so that it does not interfere with the main courses.

Stuffed champignons

The festive table menu for 10 people can be varied with original hot appetizers. For example, a hearty mushroom one. According to the recipe published below in the article, aromatic juicy stuffed champignons are obtained.

You can experiment with the filling for them.

Composition of ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

large champignons – 10 pcs.;
boiled eggs – 2 pcs.;
onion – 1 pc.;
cheese “Dutch”/“Russian” - 160-180 g;
fresh garlic cloves – 2 pcs.;
mayonnaise – 2 tbsp. l.;
ham – 60-70 g;
parsley and dill - ½ bunch each;
salt, pepper, oil.

Step-by-step cooking process

The cooking process includes several stages:

Large mushrooms need to be removed from their stems. This can be done quickly and easily with a sharp knife.
The caps should be placed in a small container of boiling salted water and cooked for 4-5 minutes.
The mushroom stems will need to be finely chopped (optional). You need to do the same with peeled onions. Both of these ingredients should be fried together in a frying pan with butter until lightly browned.
Boiled eggs with a hard yolk should be grated coarsely or medium-sized. You need to do the same with cheese. And garlic - process with a garlic clove or a fine grater.
The ham can be either grated or chopped into small cubes.
All prepared ingredients, except mushroom caps, should be mixed, salt and pepper. Chopped herbs are also added to the filling, as well as mayonnaise, salt and spices to taste.
The resulting mass remains to be spread over the cooled mushroom caps.

The delicacy will be baked for a quarter of an hour at a temperature of 195-200 degrees. Another option is to cook the dish in the microwave at maximum power for 6-7 minutes.

How to serve a dish

The treat should be served while still hot or warm. If you increase the number of mushrooms in the recipe and add minced meat rather than ham to the filling, you will get a full-fledged hot dish. All that remains is to choose a suitable meat side dish for it.

Salad with beef and beets

The menu for a festive table for 10 people often includes salads. It is better to prepare at least a couple of such snacks so that there is definitely enough treat for everyone present.

Composition of ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

pre-cooked beef pulp - half a kilo;
boiled eggs, carrots and beets - 3 pcs.;
cheese – 120-140 g;
walnuts – 80-90 g;
mayonnaise, garlic, salt, herbs.

Mayonnaise for such a treat is taken to taste. You can independently regulate its quantity. This ingredient is added to the sauce. For example, 2-3 slices will be enough.

Step-by-step cooking process

The cooking process includes several stages:

For the sauce, you can immediately add salt to the mayonnaise and mix it with crushed garlic.
The meat must be removed from the veins, all excess and cut into neat cubes.
Pre-cooked eggs and vegetables should be grated separately. It's best to have large holes.
It is best to grate cheese on a fine grater, and chop nuts with a sharp knife.
When assembling the treat, it is convenient to use a baking dish. First, you need to send meat into it, then, in turn, eggs, carrots, cheese, and beets. Each product should be generously coated with sauce.

Before serving, it is advisable to let the salad stand in a cool place and soak well.

How to serve a dish

To decorate the treat, just top it with previously chopped nuts and chopped herbs. You can decorate the dish in a more original way. For example, draw patterns of pickled vegetables, herbs, sauces on it.

Useful tips

The following tips will help you create a successful menu for a large company and accurately prepare it:

desserts and salads that require infusion should be prepared about a day before the holiday, this will make the housewife’s task easier and make the dish tastier;
if you are not sure that all guests eat mayonnaise, you can lay out the salad in portions without dressing, and put different sauces nearby to choose from (this is only relevant for unlayered appetizers);
snacks on bread, pita bread, and tartlets should be prepared immediately before serving so that the bases do not have time to get soggy.

For 10 people at the festive table, you need to try to create the most varied, satisfying, original menu. Let it contain several types of salads, appetizers, and hot dishes.

Meatloaf with mushrooms

The menu of a festive table for 10 people can be diversified with two types of hot meat at once - poultry and pork. The recipe for the delicious second option is published below in the article.

This is a meatloaf with mushroom filling. It can be cut into 10 servings at once before serving.

Composition of ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

boneless pork – 1.1-1.2 kg;
mushrooms – 230-250 g;
cheese and onions – 90-100 g each;
garlic clove – 1 pc.;
salt, oil.

The best mushrooms for this dish are fresh champignons and chanterelles.

Step-by-step cooking process

The cooking process includes several stages:

The washed and dried meat should be cut in the middle and unfolded like a book until it becomes a thin layer. In this form, you need to cover it with cling film and beat it with a special hammer. As a result, the meat base should be no more than 2 cm thick. Already pounded pork should be sprinkled and rubbed with salt. You can also take spices.
For the filling, you will need to finely chop the peeled onion and fry in a frying pan until transparent. Then you can add small pieces of mushrooms to the vegetable. You need to fry foods until they are ready.
When the filling in the pan has cooled slightly, add chopped herbs, chopped garlic and grated cheese. Be sure to add salt.
The resulting mass will need to be placed on the meat layer on the short side.
Afterwards, roll the workpiece into a neat roll. In this case, the entire filling should be inside and should be covered with meat on all sides.
First, the resulting roll will be fried in a frying pan on all sides. It should be cooked over high heat until golden brown.
Afterwards, you should let the treat “rest” for about a quarter of an hour. After which you can transfer it to the oven and leave it for 80-90 minutes at 175-180 degrees.

When the pork is sufficiently browned, all that remains is to cover it with foil and bring it to full readiness.

How to serve a dish

Before serving, you need to cut the dish into portioned pieces. You can place them on a large plate covered with lettuce leaves and garnish with any fresh vegetables.

Portioned dessert “Tiramisu”

For a large number of guests it will be convenient to prepare a portioned dessert. For example, Tiramisu, beloved by many. But below in the article an unusual version of the dessert is published. This is a delicacy with persimmons.

Composition of ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

ripe persimmon – 3-4 pcs.;
soft cottage cheese – 240-260 g;
sponge cake or biscuit cookies – 260-280 g;
natural coffee – 1 tbsp.;
eggs – 4 pcs.;
sugar – 160-170 g;
cognac – 2 tsp;
cocoa – 6 tbsp. l.;
fresh rosemary - 3-4 sprigs.

Instead of cottage cheese, you can also use soft cheese. For example, ricotta.

Step-by-step cooking process

The cooking process includes several stages:

Persimmons should be washed and cut into small cubes. If the fruits are large, then you can take smaller quantities.
The resulting persimmon pieces must be mixed with torn rosemary leaves and left in this form for about half an hour.
Coffee should be brewed immediately before preparing dessert.
Then cool, pour into a wide bowl and mix with cognac.
The eggs need to be divided into components, the whites of which should be cooled and beaten until thick foam, and the yolks should be ground with sugar and sent in a water bath, constantly whisked. You will need to heat the sweet yolks until they thicken.
Afterwards, remove the mixture from the heat and whisk until cool. As a result, it should become smooth and creamy. The mixture must be combined with cottage cheese/soft cheese and beaten again. Next, lush whites will be introduced into the cream. But this must be done carefully with a spatula, without beating the products.
Place 1 tbsp on the bottom of the serving bowls. l. cream. The biscuit/cookie pieces should first be dipped in coffee, and then sent into the creamy mixture.
All that remains is to add pieces of persimmon and repeat all the layers again. The cream should come last.

The dessert will be infused under cling film for approximately 8-9 hours.

How to serve a dish

Just before serving, sprinkle the delicacy with cocoa and garnish with persimmon pieces and rosemary.