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Easy Oven Cooked Peas for a Crowd

This recipe for oven-cooked peas lets you easily make tender, buttery peas for 25, 50, 100 people or more. Assemble these ingredients in pans, then let the oven do all the work. This recipe is so easy that the peas can still be frozen with no thawing necessary. This is a beginner-level recipe to help anyone that wants to serve delicious food for a crowd of people.

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wood spoon inserted into cooked peas

Why this recipe works

This recipe works because it is so easy to make on a large scale. The ingredients are affordable, and peas are kid-friendly.

Cooking peas in water on the stovetop is one of the easiest things in the world… until you are dealing with pounds and pounds of peas. If I can avoid large amounts of scalding hot water, I do that.

By cooking in the oven, you are then free to focus preparing other dishes. And once the peas are done, they can be kept warm in a low oven or in a chafing dish.

collage of 2 photos: left: frozen peas in bake dish topped with butter; right: the dish covered with foil.

How to cook peas in the oven

To cook peas in the oven, we put the peas in pans, dot with butter, season, cover with foil to hold in the moisture, and throw the pans in the oven. One hotel pan accommodates 4 pounds of peas.

Check on them once in a while to give them a stir and check that they are not overcooking. Once the peas are thoroughly warmed through, they are done.

Once cooked, the peas should still be vibrant green. Overcooking will turn them to drab green like canned peas.

The cook time can vary dramatically depending on how much peas are in each pan, the oven temperature, and whether the peas are still frozen or thawed. So it is best to check on them after 15 minutes, then continue checking regularly.

Once cooked, the peas are best kept warm in a low (150 def F) oven.

How many pounds of peas to cook for 50 people or more

Grocery stores (Publix and Walmart for me) sell convenient 32-ounce bags of peas in the freezer section. Each bag feeds 22 people per the nutritional information on the package, at 1/2 cup per serving.

Let’s keep the math easy: plan 3 ounces peas per person and always round up. For 25 people, that is 75 ounces (about 5 pounds); 50 people is 150 ounces (about 10 pounds); and 100 people is 300 ounces (about 20 pounds).

FAQs

Do peas have be thawed before cooking them in the oven?

No peas do not have to be thawed. If cooking with frozen peas, just be aware that they will take longer to cook.

cooked peas in a dish

Want to complete your meal? Check out my Meatloaf with Guinness Gravy and Buttermilk, Boursin, and Chive Mashed Potatoes.

cooked peas in a dish

Easy Oven Cooked Peas for a Crowd

Oven-cooked peas lets you easily make tender, buttery peas for 25, 50, 100 people or more. Simply assemble and let the oven do the work.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: oven cooked peas, peas for a crowd
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Calories: 101kcal
Author: Erica
Servings: 22

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Put the peas in a hotel pan or 2 half pans.
  • Cut the butter into tablespoon sections and dot the butter over the peas.
  • Sprinkle the seasonings over top.
  • Cover pans tightly with foil and bake at 400℉ for 20 to 30 minutes (up to 45 minutes if starting with frozen peas).
  • After 15 minutes, give a stir to mix in the butter and to check how they are cooking. Peas are done when steaming hot but still vibrant green. Taste for seasoning.

Notes

The 400oven temperatures is provided in the recipe card, but there is flexibility depending on what else is being cooked. Peas will cook equally fine at 350, 375, or 400
Cook time will depend on oven temperature (hotter oven = faster cooking) and whether the peas were initially thawed or frozen (frozen peas will take longer, even up to 45 minutes).
The peas are done when they are steaming hot but still green almost like when they came out of the package. Overcooking will turn the peas drab green (like canned peas).

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g

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