Instead of a casserole, what about making polenta with a meatless red sauce, with cheese served on the side, so it can be added or not?

I know that was what was served to the vegetarians in dd's choir when they were travelling, and the kids loved it.

Frito salad/hay stacks always go well when there is a range of likes and preferences because folks can choose the things they like and get a good meal. We just did that for DS & his fiancee's graduation Saturday. It is also easy for carry-in/pot luck. College kids should like it quite well. It is not very expensive to make a pot or two of beans, rice, chips, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, cheese...

LInda,
This is like a math word problem from high school and my head is spinning! I feel sorry for you!
I know this is no help with your conundrum, but I just have to ask..... can somebody really be allergic to lettuce????

Grace

Oy Linda! At least from my perspective, that as long as these special-needs diet folks can find *something* to eat you have met your obligation to them. So as far as I can tell, if you served the sauce separate from the pasta, everyone except for the the two people allergic to wheat could make a meal of pasta (perhaps with a meatless red sauce option for the vegetarians). Other than the one person allergic to lettuce (who could eat the pasta), the people allergic to wheat could make a dinner out of a big salad, and you could maybe add some chickpeas to the salad for protein.

But I agree with Grace -- this does really feel like a high school math problem!

Emily

I think he means he "doesn't like" lettuce.
Polenta brings in thsoe allergic to corn....
How can you makea "red sauce without onions or garlic?
Can't add cilantro because one is allergic to that too?

Cotehele...I am feeding 100 people and they all have to be served and through eating in less than an hour....

Yeah...like if the goose eats the corn and the fox eats the goose and the lion eats the fox but not the corn....how many trips in a boat will it take to get them all across the river?

No one has said they are allergic to rice, so what can I put into rice that isn't meat, cheese, onions, cilantro, wheat, nuts, pineapple, shellfish, salmon, mushrooms, chicken broth or red peppers?...AND is low salt?
I am guessing that broccoli wouldn't make it either.
What could I mix with the rice?
I am tempted to save out some of the meat/tomato sauce and some of the grated cheese and serve it along side a bowl of cooked rice for those who can't eat wheat, cheese, meat and let the onion hater just eat plain rice.

I am going to go with the pasta and tomato meat sauce because the components are bought. There are 7 kids with "issues". I'll serve rice, with tomato sauce and cheese on the side. Those allergic to wheat can eat rice with tomato sauce and cheese, those allergic to dairy can eat rice with tomato sauce and no cheese and the kid who doesn't like onion can eat rice and cheese and the one who needs low salt can eat rice with tomato sauce and skip the cheese...
All but the wheat allergies can eat the bread and all but the lettuce guy can eat the salad.
What am I forgetting? I'll see if I can borrow some kitties as there are 10 ( out of 85 college kids!!) who say they are allergic to cats!!!!

And these kids will be housed in houses of people who have volunteered....Wonder if they are aware of all the allergies? I know one woman who is putting up 6 of them has two cats....bwahaha!!!

Linda,
Then frito salad is an easy fix. Set up three buffet tables with all the fixings. Using lines on both sides that's 16 kids per side. Say grace and let them go. Of course you do whatever your heart desires, it's your project. :)
Judy

This meal is engraved in stone.....but tell me again how you do the frito salad and what all goes into it....
We don't have room for 3 buffet tables AND tables to seat 100.
But there are a few occasions in the fall wehre we feed 45 to 50 kids.
What all goes into the frito salad thing?

LindaC, I wouldn't even try to figure it out, LOL, I'd just tell them I have 15 cats and a herd of horses and that I was serving fish. That ought to cut down the guest list, LOL.

I agree, just serve the pasta and rice plain, with sauce and cheese to be used as the kids choose. Add bread and salad ingredients and let it go, some will just eat the cookies anyway. I might add a pot of beans to that menu, so those lactose intolerant non-meat eaters had a protein choice, and just because they are cheap, easy and filling.

The frito salad idea is a good one for a bunch of kids, kind of like a "taco bar". We've fed kids at church several times with flour and corn tortillas, some tortilla chips, taco meat, shredded chicken, a pot of beans and lettuce/tomato/onion/cheese/salsa for topping and just let them make their own. Some wrap the beans and veggies in a tortilla, some use the meat and some just make a salad with whatever on top. They all pretty much eat the chips with salsa.

Annie

I'm with annie - she took the words out my mouth :)

Or I would do a HUGE pot of Spaghetti, another smaller pot of gluten free pasta, make a meat sauce and a vegetarian bean based one, a huge bowl of lettuce with all the salad fixings separate, garlic bread and dessert. Something for everyone to fix themselves what they like and no one will die if they miss a meal.

Oh, Linda, don't you wish you wouldn't have been so considerate to even ask! I'm sure alot of people wouldn't have even bothered asking.

The kid that doesn't like onions....maybe a sliced raw onion, but if he is like my son, he eats them all the time in sauces and is never aware of it. Or like my daughter that 'hates' tomatoes, but loves red sauces, pizza sauce and can drink a bottle of ketchup! So the kid that doesn't like lettuce, well, lettuce is usually served raw and can be picked out or avoided at their trouble, not yours.

You are very gracious to serve this dinner and very caring for asking about allergies. The kids that thought they should share their likes and dislikes are being quite 'ungracious'. You of course are concerened about HEALTH issues, not trying to cater to the likes of 100 kids. Remember, it is one meal, they will not live or die on this one meal. For the majority, they will be happy and appreciative for your efforts and offerings. For the two or three that aren't, well if they are that picky, they are used to showing up and not eating and they probably will have planned accordingly by eating before or after or having snacks available.

For college kids I wouldn't do much more then beer and pizza. They can just pick off what they are allergic to.

Recommend buying beer by the barrel as they spill a fair amount doing beer bongs. Perhaps remind them that spilling beer is alcohol abuse.

: )
lyra

I think I would go back and ask for clarification that allergy meant a trip to the hospital or death if eaten. Me thinks they gave you a list of dislikes.

IMHO, they are invited to a dinner, as guests and should be thankful for the wonderful menu you have planned. For a known allergy, not a preferance in lifestyle or food choice, I would make a special dish for that person.

I do not see how you can control a meat eater taking from teh meatless choice....

Just MHO.

Sorry, Linda, I didn't realize it was a final decision.

Annie, yep, that's it.

Judy

These aren't kindergartners. In many other cultures, they'd have been functioning as adults for a long time by this age. They're old enough to deal with their own food issues and avoid any foods that might actually be a threat to their health. They live away from home and have to do it on a daily basis without mommying. Don't tear your hair out. You've already done more than enough to accommodate their needs.

Beans.....what a good idea!....but they are getting rice....because that's what I have....besides I don't think 3 will eat it, and if I put out a dish of baked beans I won't know how much to make....but perhaps a crock of simply cooked pinto beans for the lactose intolerant and the no wheaters and the veggies.

funny you should mention Beer Lyra/Bunny....I stopped by church this morning to put meat in the refrigerator to thaw, and there was a pony keg in the sink.....
I looked, I wondered....
Then the janitor came in and told me they had gotten a keg of root beer for some youth function last night!

How about a bowl of antihistamines on the side. I wouldn't worry about it. Plan your dinner and put out a menu card listing ingredients and let them graze around the scary stuff.

A bowl of antihistamines!!!!!!!! hahahahahahahah!!!

Yep just serve what you cook and let them choose what they can eat or can not eat.

I think all these "allergies" just mean you put a note next to dishes that contain the allergens. Wheat allergies/intolerances especially can be nasty (celiac disease), but someone with that condition is already really careful and probably is packing a meal anyway.

So I'd just recommend listing the ingredients on everything. And salad dressing on the side, if possible!

(When I was a kid after every potluck, recital, and church function it seemed we'd stop by the emergency room on the way home so my brother wouldn't die from his violent nut allergy.)

I can't offer andy ideas, but I think your plan is a good one. I can also commiserate. Sebastian will be 7 on Saturday and his class has, 1 allergic to wheat, 1 allergic to citric acid and 1 vegan. I made a batch of gluten free vegan bornies as a test run. It would have been great if I subbed white flour for the buckwheat and soy flour, butter for the oil, used real sugar and added eggs.

In the end I made real brownies and the teacher has "treats" for the 2 kids who can't have them.

-Robin (who is mostly grateful that we can even send in a homemade snack)