I grew up in a family where one side was small and simple. My mom has two sisters; both married and never had children. I have one brother and our grand total for any holiday or function has never exceeded 8 people.

My dad’s side however, is an entirely different story. He’s one of four and all of his siblings have children. All together there are 11 grandkids and several of my cousins have started families of their own. To top it off, my dad grew up in a double house with his aunt, uncle and cousins and they’re all very close. Last year for Thanksgiving we rented a huge cabin in a park and had dinner for approximately 55.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s loud, it’s kind of crazy and it’s so much fun. When hosting a meal for so many people, it can be tough to make sure there’s always enough hot food and drink to go around. That’s why my family has enough commercial foodservice equipment to open a catering company. If you’re entertaining the masses, during the holidays or otherwise, you should check out the products below. Normally they’re used by restaurants and banquet halls but when you’re feeding a family like mine, they’d certainly come in handy!

First is a 60-cup coffee maker. For just $134.95 you can eliminate the need to spend the entire event tending to the coffee and actually enjoy yourself.

We’ve also got food warmers for $49.95 that will keep mass quantities of side dishes (like mashed potatoes, veggies and pasta) warm and ready to serve. Plastic pitchers are another great investment. For just $6.35 you can make sure there’s water, soda or juice on every table.

Make sure to check out the Go Plate too! Not only is it one of my favorite products (hey, it got us on The Today Show!) it will keep everyone organized and save you from having to do dishes.

TAGS [ THANKSGIVING DINNER | FAMILY GATHERINGS | LARGE PARTIES | GO PLATES ]