From Maggie’s kitchen
Practical answers for anyone feeding a crowd in North Texas: headcounts, budgets, office lunches, holiday orders, reheating, and the traditions behind the tamal. Written by Chef Maggie.
Showing 1–12 of 25 articles

How many tamales per person? A caterer’s guide for parties and offices
Two for lunch with sides, three when tamales are the whole meal. My headcount-to-dozens chart, plus the cases where the rule changes.
8 min read
Tamales catering in Dallas–Fort Worth: how it works and what to expect
From the first phone call to the empty foil pans: what ordering tamales for a party or office in north Dallas actually looks like.
8 min read
What does catering cost per person in DFW? A realistic budget guide
The honest per-person math for feeding a crowd in north Dallas, what quietly doubles a catering bill, and where you can safely save.
8 min read
How far in advance should you order catering? Lead times by event type
The lead times I find comfortable for offices, parties, quinceañeras, and holiday weeks, and what to do when you are calling late.
8 min read
Buying tamales by the dozen in DFW: bulk orders, delivery, and pricing
A dozen is $60, a half-dozen is $30, and bulk orders for churches, teams, and fundraisers are how my kitchen spends most Saturdays.
8 min read
Tamale Day: how to start a monthly office lunch your team loves
A recurring tamale lunch is the easiest office tradition to start and the hardest to cancel. Here is how I set one up with an office manager.
10 min read
Corporate catering ideas for Plano and Richardson offices
Seven office lunch ideas I cater for Plano and Richardson teams, from a 12-person lunch meeting to a 60-person training day, with sizing and cost.
10 min read
Teacher appreciation lunch ideas: feeding 40 staff without the stress
How I cater teacher appreciation lunches for north Dallas schools: food that holds through three lunch waves, sizing for 40 staff, and a budget.
8 min read
Planning a Cinco de Mayo office party, respectfully and deliciously
A Cinco de Mayo office lunch can be joyful without being a costume party. Here is how I help offices do it: real food, real story, no sombreros.
9 min read
Tamales or burritos for the office? How to choose, or serve both
Tamales hold heat and stay clean at a conference table; burritos travel to the desk. Here is how I decide which to send an office, and when both.
8 min read
Quinceañera food ideas: feeding 150 guests with food they talk about
How I plan food for a 150-guest quinceañera: the menu, the numbers, the timing, and the mistakes I have watched families make.
9 min read
Tamales as a wedding late-night snack: the Texas trend guests love
The late-night tamale is the part of the wedding people photograph. Here is how I plan it, from headcount to the 10:30 PM send-out.
8 min readNothing matched
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