When you're cooking for a crowd, knowing how much to cook is your biggest concern. The following tables help you determine how much food you need to prepare — everything from appetizers through desserts — for your big gatherings:
Appetizers
| Type of Appetizer |
Number of Different Appetizer Types |
Per Person |
Crowd of 25 |
Crowd of 50 |
|---|
| Appetizers preceding a full meal |
At least 4 |
6 to 8 pieces |
150 to 200 total appetizers |
300 to 400 total appetizers |
| Appetizers without a meal |
At least 6 |
12 to 15 pieces |
300 to 375 total appetizers |
600 to 750 total appetizers |
Drinks
| Type of Drink |
Per Person |
|---|
| Soft drinks |
1 to 2 eight-ounce servings per hour |
| Punch |
1 to 2 four-ounce servings per hour |
| Tea |
1 to 2 eight-ounce servings per hour |
| Coffee |
1 to 2 four-ounce servings per hour |
Soups and Stews
| Soup or Stew |
Per Person |
Crowd of 25 |
Crowd of 50 |
|---|
| Served as a first course |
1 cup |
5 quarts |
2 1/2 gallons |
| Served as an entree |
1 1/2 to 2 cups |
2 to 2 1/2 gallons |
4 gallons |
Main Courses
| Entree |
Per Person |
Crowd of 25 |
Crowd of 50 |
|---|
| Baby-back ribs, pork spareribs, beef short ribs |
1 pound |
25 pounds |
50 pounds |
| Casserole |
N/A |
2 to 3 13-x-9-inch casseroles |
4 to 5 13-x-9-inch casseroles |
| Chicken, turkey, or duck (boneless) |
1/2 pound |
13 pounds |
25 pounds |
| Chicken or turkey (with bones) |
3/4 to 1 pound |
19 pounds |
38 pounds |
| Chili, stew, stroganoff, and other chopped meats |
5 to 6 ounces |
8 pounds |
15 pounds |
| Ground beef |
1/2 pound |
13 pounds |
25 pounds |
| Maine lobster (about 2 pounds each) |
1 |
25 |
50 |
| Oysters, clams, and mussels (medium to large) |
6 to 10 pieces |
100 to 160 pieces |
200 to 260 pieces |
| Pasta |
4 to 5 ounces |
7 pounds |
16 pounds |
| Pork |
14 ounces |
22 pounds |
44 pounds |
| Roast (with bone) |
14 to 16 ounces |
22 to 25 pounds |
47 to 50 pounds |
| Roast cuts (boneless) |
1/2 pound |
13 pounds |
25 pounds |
| Shrimp (large — 16 to 20 per pound) |
5 to 7 shrimp |
7 pounds |
14 pounds |
| Steak cuts (T-bone, porterhouse, rib-eye) |
16 to 24 ounces |
16 to 24 ounces per person |
16 to 24 ounces per person |
| Turkey (whole) |
1 pound |
25 pounds |
50 pounds |
Side Dishes
| Side Dish |
Per Person |
Crowd of 25 |
Crowd of 50 |
|---|
| Asparagus, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, corn
kernels, peas, black-eyed peas, and so on |
3 to 4 ounces |
4 pounds |
8 pounds |
| Corn on the cob (broken in halves when serving
buffet-style) |
1 ear |
20 ears |
45 ears |
| Pasta (cooked) |
2 to 3 ounces |
3 1/2 pounds |
7 pounds |
| Potatoes and yams |
1 (medium) |
6 pounds |
12 pounds |
| Rice and grains (cooked) |
1 1/2 ounces |
2 1/2 pounds |
5 pounds |
Desserts
| Dessert |
Per Person |
Crowd of 25 |
Crowd of 50 |
|---|
| Brownies or bars |
1 to 2 per person |
2 1/2 to 3 dozen |
5 1/2 to 6 dozen |
| Cheesecake |
2-inch wedge |
2 9-inch cheesecakes |
4 9-inch cheesecakes |
| Cobbler |
1 cup |
2 9-x-9-x-2-inch pans |
4 9-x-9-x-2-inch pans |
| Cookies |
2 to 3 |
3 to 4 dozen |
6 to 8 dozen |
| Ice cream or sorbet |
8 ounces |
1 gallon |
2 gallons |
| Layered cake or angel food cake |
1 slice |
2 8-inch cakes |
4 8-inch cakes |
| Pie |
3-inch wedge |
2 to 3 9-inch pies |
4 to 5 9-inch pies |
| Pudding, trifles, and the like |
1 cup |
1 gallon |
2 gallons |
| Sheet cake |
2-x-2-inch piece |
1/4 sheet cake |
1/2 sheet cake |
