Some of us will be enjoying Thanksgiving at the firehouse with our fire family.   Which may mean cooking for that large hungry crowd.   Cooking for a firehouse full of firefighters can be intimidating to say the least!  If you or your firefighter are thinking about cooking for the firehouse for Thanksgiving (or ANYTIME!) and need a few tips, you’re in the right place!   We gathered a few bits of advice from among the members ofour online community on Facebook and we’re going to list them to share with you.

1. Start with a plan and keep it simple. A simple menu can be great!

2. Be sure you have enough.

Enough food.  Enough plates.  Enough prepping and serving dishes.  Enough utensils and silverware.  Be sure there is enough of everything you will be needing. This is especially true if you will be cooking and preparing most of your meal at the fire house.  Do they have everything you need?  Do you need to bring anything with you?

3. If you aren’t anti disposable, use disposable everything.

Foil cooking pans, plates, cups, napkins, silverware, dessert pans… all of it.

4. Stick to what you know.

Don’t try a new recipe on a large crowd. Nothing stinks more than creating a large meal and realizing it is one that you will not be repeating. Not to mention all those leftovers and the awkward discussion about who wants to take them home. 

5. Food Safety:

Wash your hands and surfaces often to prevent cross contamination when dealing with raw foods. Keep foods at appropriate temps and store them safely after the meal. We don’t want to serve anyone a side of Salmonella 😉

6. Start with a clear counter and make sure you have everything you need before you start.

Have all of your ingredients out and ready.  Be sure you have all of the mixing bowls and dishes you need. Have all of your mixing spoons, measuring cups and other kitchen utensils and appliances handy. Don’t forget to lay out your kitchen towels, hot pads and oven mitts.  Having your cooking area organized will help TONS.

7. Prep everything you can ahead of time.

There are so many things that can be prepped or even pre-made ahead of time.  Chop vegetables. Cook soups, broths or gravy. Cook items to use later (Say you’re making potato salad or deviled eggs, you can boil your eggs ahead)  Cook any sides or dishes that are great re-heated.

8. Have storage plans for leftovers, if there are any….

This last little bit isn’t really a tip, we should all be used to it or already expect it.  If not, you need to be preparing yourself for it because it happens all the time!

Don’t lose your mind if as you’re putting food on the table and the TONES DROP.  Just laugh it off and cover the food.

And we won’t leave you without some of the BEST recipes for preparing food for large groups of people, say a firehouse full of hungry men!

Go to Fire Wife’s Kitchen {Thanksgiving Recipes} for for lots of great recipes and FREE PRINTABLES!