The Party Planner: Cooking for a Crowd (2024)

FAQs

How to cook for a large number of people? ›

Rules to Plan By

Each adult will consume 1 pound of food total; children, about 1/2 pound. The more options you have, the less you need of each; decrease the main course portion sizes by 1 to 2 ounces if served on a buffet. Guests will always eat — and drink — more at night than during the day.

Cheap catering food ideas include rice or pasta-based dishes, hot dogs, burritos, tacos, cookies, and muffins, which are loved by everyone and are often more affordable than sophisticated seafood or meat dishes.

Buffet catering is much less expensive than traditional sit-down service, and you won't need to hire servers either! Your guests will serve themselves free of charge. Serving budget-friendly cuisines like salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes can be a very cost-effective choice.

How many trays of food for 40 guests? ›

For 40 guests, you may need around 4-5 trays of food, depending on the dish and the serving size.

How many bites per person? If you're hosing 25 -35 guests, plan 3-4 bites per person if a full dinner is to be served afterwards, or 5-7 bites per person if a lighter meal will be served. If you're hosting a party of 50, then you can offer 6 to 9 different items.

Heaping Pans of Lasagna

Lasagna is a classic Italian dish that's perfect for feeding a crowd. Make a couple of large pans filled with layers of pasta, rich meat sauce, creamy béchamel, and melted cheese. It's hearty, flavorful, and guaranteed to satisfy even the hungriest of guests.

To feed 50 people with sandwiches, you may need around 100-150 sandwiches, depending on the size of the sandwiches and the other food being served.