Safety Precautions for Preparing Food for a Large Crowd

BBQ Catering in Carmel, Indiana 317-688-7290

BBQ Catering in Carmel, Indiana 317-688-7290

Preparing meals, snacks, buffets, or beverages for a large crowd is a big job to take on. It is time consuming and requires a large amount of planning. This does not mean that it is impossible. Many caterers, professionals and non-professionals, prepare these size portions every day. There is quite a difference in preparing food for a small crowd versus a large one. Majority rules apply, and generic standards have to be incorporated to suit everyone’s palate.

Clean Catering

The first rule of thumb when it comes to large scale food preparation is cleanliness. Washing hands, sanitizing cooking stations and surfaces, cleaning and sanitizing dishes, and separating the two from raw and uncooked foods is crucial to safe catering. Washing hands eliminates the potential for spreading germs and illnesses through food. Our hands touch our faces over 1000 times a day! When serving a large crowd, you never know who is more vulnerable to illness and who is not. Keeping your hands clean while preparing food avoids spreading the flu or a virus through food and possibly infecting hundreds of people.

Sanitizing all cooking stations, cookware, dishes, and utensils is also a very important component to safe catering. It is necessary to be sure all skillets are clean and dry, and anything else that contributes to the preparation of food is checked. Dishes have to be cleaned and dried and utensils need to be clean as well. It is a good idea to avoid plastic utensils to help the environment! By having all these items clean and functioning properly, it avoids contamination and the spread of food-borne illnesses.

Fresh Foods

Double checking the food inventory for spoiled or contaminated products is important before preparing food for large crowds. It is possible that a stray animal or insect can gain access to food products during the commute to the venue or store. Fresh food is key to safe cooking and dining. Other than food freshness, it is necessary to ensure that deep fryers have fresh oil in them and coolers and refrigerators are working and maintaining the fresh food properly.

Catering for Children

Preparing food for a large crowd including children requires some extra attention. Since it is such a large crowd, applying majority rules as far as taste preferences is important. Pleasing children’s’ palates can be achieved by using few and simple ingredients. Kids are picky eaters so easy finger foods are a great way to keep kids entertained while eating, and gives the adults a break from having to feed them! As far as safety, eliminating potential for bones or other choking hazards in kids’ food is crucial Drumsticks should be replaced with chicken fingers, and apple slices with applesauce. Small ideas like these are safe meals for children in large crowds.

Want an Easier Way to Feed a Crowd?

For Great Smoked Meats and BBQ, Call 317-688-7290!

For Great Smoked Meats and BBQ, Call
317-688-7290!

If you are looking for a simpler, more cost-effective approach to catering in Carmel, call Rackz BBQ at 317-688-7290 for authentic smoked meats and southern classics that are sure to fit the budget! We can customize a catering menu specific to your party’s theme, personal preferences, dietary restrictions, and more! We also offer delivery services, drop off service, set up, breakdown, and cleanup for all clients.

Helpful Tips for Buffet-Style Catering

Buffets are one of the easiest and most affordable options for catering a large event or party. A self-serve style lunch and dinner plan is an excellent option for big crowds since it allows everyone to customize their own meals, gauge their own appetites, select their own portions, and best of all, clean up after themselves!

Continue reading to learn more reasons why buffets are an excellent catering plan for your upcoming gathering or event, including a fantastic meal option that suits all occasions.

BBQ Catering in Carmel, Indiana 317-688-7290

BBQ Catering – Carmel, Indiana 317-688-7290


When you have several mouths to feed, but a limited amount of time and/or money to make it happen, a buffet is the way to go. Not only does a buffet plan help you in terms of schedule and budget, it works well to please everyone by providing options. It can also reduce costs since you needn’t hire professional waiters and cleanup crews. There are many advantages to buffet-style catering, but it is important to remember a few tricks of the trade for a flawless operation.

If you are planning a buffet for an upcoming event, consider these pointers ahead of time to create a terrific experience for your guests:

Manage Crowd Flow

When a buffet is not set up properly, the movement of buffet-goers can become quite unruly. The line can get backed up, packs can gather, and spaces can get invaded, all of which can disrupt the flow and turn the buffet into a disorderly process. To combat poor buffet flow, set up your line in a way to direct the movement of your crowd. There should be a start, middle, and end.

For instance, plates should be at the front, followed by inexpensive appetizers and snacks, main cuisines in the middle, and then utensils and napkins at the end. If you notice, drinks are not mentioned because it is better to have a drink station that is separate from your main buffet. This also helps to manage and control crowd flow.

Drink stations and dessert stations should be at separate tables, moderately far from the main buffet, in order to help improve fluidity of movement, as well as, provide more breathing room for guests to enjoy their treats. Also, having a drink station makes it easier for guests to grab refills.

Another tip for crowd flow management is to set up a predesignated dining area that is away from the buffet line. This gives guests a destination to end up at after serving themselves at the buffet and helps to prevent dawdlers. You may want to even consider putting utensils and napkins on tables in the dining area to better direct guests after the buffet.

Remember the Small Stuff

It is the small things that matter when serving yourself at a buffet line. Things like salt and pepper shakers, condiments, sugar packets, coffee stirrers, and more make dining that much more convenient and enjoyable for your guests. Don’t forget these small items for their sake!

At the same time, you want to make sure everything is in abundance. Guests hardly reuse plates and glassware for refills or second helpings. So put out extra stacks of everything from plates and glasses, to saucers, napkins, utensils, and more. A helpful hint: place napkins with their folded edges facing forward to make them easier to grab!

When hosting a buffet-style event, a huge bonus is that guests throw away their own trash. But if there are no trash cans available, it nullifies this bonus entirely. For this reason, it is imperative to have an abundant amount of trash receptacles available for guests to dispose of their garbage. Place two by the buffet line, and a few around the venue to ensure ease of accessibility for guests.

Hire the Right Caterers

BBQ Restaurant Catering 317-688-7290

Carmel BBQ Restaurant 317-688-7290

Choose Rackz BBQ if you are looking for a fun and delicious meal idea to serve to your guests! We provide custom BBQ catering services at an affordable price here in Indianapolis and its surrounding areas. Choose from a wide range of custom, homemade catering options, from smoked meats and homemade appetizers, to made-from-scratch side dishes, pies, and more! Contact us at 317-688-7290 to place a call ahead order, or to learn more about our catering selections and prices, anytime.

Come Enjoy Authentic Smoked Meats at Rackz BBQ!

If you are looking for delicious smoked barbecue and tasty southern classics in Carmel, visit Rackz BBQ for authentic flavors at an affordable price!

Smoked Meat Dinners in Carmel 317-688-7290

Smoked Meat Dinners in Carmel 317-688-7290

Here at Rackz BBQ, we specialize in home-style barbecue and southern classics, offering an ever-changing and exciting menu filled with a wide selection of smoked meats, savory sides, and delectable starters, all of which are made to order by our culinary experts and chief pit master!

We Have Your Favorite BBQ Meal!

When you visit our restaurant, you will be in for a memorable and satisfying meal. Start with some of our delicious appetizers, like pork belly burnt ends, BBQ chips and dip, homemade pork rinds, and more. And then indulge yourself with one of their smoked meats, including barbecue ribs, pulled pork, smoked chicken, pulled chicken, beef brisket, and a variety of combo platters.

But no meal is complete without some homemade, Southern-inspired side items! So be sure to add on some of our custom side selections, like macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, peach baked beans, glazed carrots, French fries, and more! And when you are all done with your meal, it’ll be time to finish with something sweet, like our assorted Hershey’s frozen treats or our rotating pie selection of the week!

Here at Rackz, we make dinner convenient for everyone by offering call ahead and takeout orders. And if you do not want to leave the house, you can simply order our delectable barbecue on DoorDash! For larger gatherings and event, take advantage of our BBQ catering services!

A Family Restaurant in Carmel

There is something for the whole family at Rackz BBQ, and you won’t be disappointed on your first visit! Even better, we are conveniently located in Carmel, Indiana, right off of Hazel Dell Parkway, and just North of Main Street. As a locally owned and operated barbecue restaurant, you can expect hot fresh barbecue at economical prices. Come check out our fantastic deals and delicious meals, today!

Learn More About Us

Rackz BBQ Carmel, IN 317-688-7290

Rackz BBQ
317-688-7290

Rackz BBQ is eager to impress you with our delicious, made from scratch barbecue cuisines. As a Carmel BBQ restaurant dedicated to quality and value, you can trust us for exceptional customer service, neighborhood prices, and most importantly, authentic barbecue fare that you will love. Contact us at 317-688-7290 to place a call ahead order, or to learn more about our menu selections, prices, and specials.

Tips for Smoking Deer Meat

In our last blog, we recommended an excellent recipe for a basic, but very popular, venison brine. But making a brine is just the beginning of the overall process. You still have one more step, which is to actually cook your meat!

And as mentioned in our previous blog, tasting venison out of the smoker is one of the best ways to enjoy its unique and rich flavors. So continue reading to learn some important tips for smoking deer meat.

Smoked Meat Dinners in Carmel 317-688-7290

Smoked Meat Dinners in Carmel 317-688-7290

Ending the Brining Process

It is best to leave your venison in the brine for at least 12 hours, but no longer than 24. After that time, the salt has done its job and the seasonings have integrated into the muscle tissues. But prior to ending the long brining process, begin your culinary endeavor a few hours before by soaking your wood chips. You will need to soak 1 pound of wood chips in water for one to two hours.

For deer meat, you can use almost any common variety wood chip. It depends on your personal flavor preferences. See our blog, “Various Wood Chip Options for Smoking Meat” to review the common flavor profiles of the most popular woods. Hickory is a common choice for smoking venison. Although it can be a bit pungent with its strong, smoky taste, it ends up accenting the meat with flavors of bacon or cured ham.

After you remove the venison from the brine solution, rinse it thoroughly with water. Next, pat your cut of meat dry with a paper towel, and then season it any way you like. You can use a rub, baste, or paste!

Preparing the Smoker

After your wood chips have soaked in water for a couple of hours, you can prepare your smoker grill. Start by filling up the water pan and the wood chip box. For electric smokers, go ahead and set the temperature and allow it to heat up. For all other smoker grills, you want to achieve a consistent temperature between 250 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add your venison to the smoker, and cook for roughly 1.5 hours per pound, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to check the water pan and wood chip box every 30 minutes to see if they need topping off.

If your smoker begins to get too hot, open the vent partly to allow a steady temperature drop. If the smoker is not hot enough, it may help to add coals to a charcoal smoker. If you are using an electric smoker, you will not likely have temperature regulation problems.

When your venison is done cooking, remove it from the smoker and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before cutting it open. Then simply enjoy the delectable flavors of smoked deer meat!

Need a Smoker?

See our blog, “Top-Rated and Recommended Pellet Smokers on the Market” for a list of highly-reviewed pellet smokers for sale. Here are some additional popular smoker grills for sale on Amazon that are well-suited for hearty game like venison:

✔ Masterbuilt 20078616 Electric Bullet Smoker $89.95
✔ Char-Broil Vertical Electric Smoker $139.99
✔ Masterbuilt 20071117 30″ Digital Electric Smoker $142
✔ Masterbuilt 20075315 Front Controller $280

In the Mood for a Smoked BBQ Meal?

For Great Smoked Meats and BBQ, Call 317-688-7290!

For Great Smoked Meats and BBQ, Call
317-688-7290!

Rackz BBQ is eager to impress you with our delicious smoked barbecue meals and barbecue cuisines. As a Carmel BBQ restaurant dedicated to quality and value, you can trust us for exceptional customer service, neighborhood prices, and most importantly, authentic barbecue fare that you will love. Contact us at 317-688-7290 to place a call ahead order, or to learn more about our menu selections, prices, and specials.