Cater Your Own Party Like a Pro

Burgers, bratwurst, beer, fire-hot chili, and baby back ribs--this is the stuff that tailgate parties are made of. But changes in football fans' tastes are afoot. Sushi? French cuisine? A 1996 Cabernet? These days, sports fans are taking their food as seriously as their football. Serious enough to have their tailgate parties catered? Perhaps. While you might pick up the phone and call the caterer for a wedding or other large event, consider taking a catering class to offer that catering flair to all your entertaining, but without the professional caterer price tag.

Just One Catering Class Could Make the Difference

While you might not want to start a whole new catering career just to make your next dinner party or tailgate party top-notch, a catering class could give you some tips on keeping the bratwurst hot, the coleslaw cold, and the beer just right. Food safety is one of the top things you'll learn in catering class. After all, contract catering jobs generally require you to transport food from wherever you've made it to the final destination. And food safety is paramount.

If you take a catering class, you'll also

learn food and beverage management
find out what food service careers are hot right now
receive a general introduction to catering
learn basic safe and tasty food preparation
learn about options in the catering world, in case it does become a job choice
learn to produce food in quantity
and learn how to work at events.

You'll also learn valuable cooking and baking tricks of the trade and get some nifty ideas on how to transport food. If you're taking a catering class to learn how to best feed that hungry crowd outside the stadium, though, figuring out how to cook everything in team colors is probably up to you.