Feeding a Crowd with Mi Casa's Taco and Enchilada Packages

Feeding a group is mostly arithmetic. You decide how many people are coming, how much each will eat, and if one box should cover everything or a custom pile of trays suits you better. Mi Casa's catering menu is built for both approaches, and it's posted on the site as a PDF you can download.

The complete meal packages

The catering menu offers four complete meal packages. Two are tacos and two are enchiladas, each in a size for 12 or for 24.

• Taco Package for 12, $225: 2 proteins, 36 tortillas or shells, all toppings, chips and salsa, guacamole, beans, sautéed vegetables and rice.
• Taco Package for 24, $425: 3 proteins, 72 tortillas or shells, with the same toppings and sides.
• Enchilada Package for 12, $225: 24 cheese enchiladas, 2 protein fillings, chips and salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, beans, vegetables and rice.
• Enchilada Package for 24, $425: 48 enchiladas, with the same extras.

The numbers work out simply. The package for 12 is $18.75 per person, and the package for 24 is about $17.71 per person. A taco package for 12 comes with 36 shells, which is three per guest, and the enchilada package gives each of 12 guests two.

Individual items

If a full package is more than you need, the catering menu also sells the main items on their own.

• Tacos: 6 for $40, or 12 for $70
• Enchiladas: 6 for $40, or 12 for $70
• Tamales: 6 for $35, or 12 for $60

As a rough yardstick, three dozen tacos bought as individual items would run $210 for the tacos alone. The Taco Package for 12 is $225 and adds the toppings, chips, guacamole, beans, vegetables and rice. It isn't a perfect like for like comparison, since the menu doesn't spell out the fillings in each, but it shows why the package is the easier route when you need the full meal.

Trays and extras

The trays are for building a spread piece by piece, or for filling gaps next to an individual order.

• Meat tray: $40 (serves 10) or $70 (serves 20)
• Beans: $20 or $30
• Rice: $15 or $25
• Sautéed Veggies: $30
• Corn Salad: $25
• Sour Cream: $10
• Pico: $10
• Salsa: $8 per quart
• Tortillas: $5 per dozen

Corn salad is a side the restaurant's guests mention by name, and it's one of the six sides on the combination plates. It's available as a tray at $25, which makes it an easy add for a table that likes it.

Tamales are worth a mention for events where people graze rather than sit down together. Six for $35 or twelve for $60 is an easy way to add variety next to a taco or enchilada order, and the chicken and pork tamales from the combination menu give two flavors to choose between.

Choosing between a package and trays

A package makes sense when you want one decision and a complete meal. Everything comes in the set, so nobody has to count tortillas. It's the better fit for an office lunch, a team meeting or a family gathering where the goal is to put food on the table and get back to the event.

Count heads honestly before you choose. Children usually eat less than adults and teenagers often eat more, so plan from the adult count and round toward the larger size if you want leftovers to send home. The Taco Package for 24 includes three proteins instead of two, which helps when a bigger group has more opinions about what they want on a taco.

Trays make sense when you want control. If half the group wants beef and the other half wants chicken, or if you already have rice and beans covered, ordering a meat tray and the extras gets you closer to what you need. A common rule of thumb for planning is two to three tacos per adult, and a bit more for a hungry crowd. For mixed menus, ordering an extra half dozen of whatever disappears first is cheaper than running short.

Guests say the portions at Mi Casa run large. One reviewer on Google wrote that "the portions are insane," If your group is somewhere between sizes, the 12 and 24 options give you a clear step up without a lot of guessing.

How to place the order

The site has a Large Order Request form on the contact page. It asks for your name, a subject, email, phone and a message, so include the date, the headcount and the items you're considering in the message. You can also call (949) 645-7626 and talk it through.

The restaurant lists separate Family Packs on their own menu PDF, which are worth a look if you're feeding a household rather than a party. The catering PDF, the family packs and the main menu are all downloadable from the site. Prices here come from the published catering menu, so confirm them at ordering time.