When you’re cooking for a crowd, knowing how much to cook is your biggest concern.  Better to err on the side of too much.  Leftovers are a goal!

Drinks:
On average, guests will drink between three to four drinks in two to three hours, and you’ll want to have a mix of hard and soft drinks available, in addition to about two pounds of ice per person (more in hot weather.) Some quantities to remember:

• A 750 ml bottle of wine serves between four and six glasses.
• A 750 ml bottle of spirits yields 17 servings of 1 1/2 ounces each. (Plan for three bottles of mixers for each bottle of booze)
• Serving beer? For every ten people, have five six packs on hand. A 5 gallon keg will have 40 16 ounce servings
• Coffee/tea: plan on 1 -2 4 oz cups per hour.
• Soft drinks:1 to 2 eight-ounce servings per hour.   A two-liter bottle of soda contains about ten eight-ounce glasses.
• Punch:  1 to 2 four-ounce servings per hour

Savory Dishes:

• Chips and dip: for ten people, about one pint of dip and 16-ounces of chips
• Crudités: about one pound of veggies for ten people (or about eight vegetable pieces per person)
• Appetizer – before a meal: at least 4 different appetizer types per person and at least 6 to 8 pieces per each per person.
• Appetizer – without a meal:  at least 6 different appetizer types per person and at least 126 to 16 pieces per each per person.
• Cheese:  at least 3 ounces per person

Meat:

• For a boneless cut, you’ll want about four or six ounces per person.
• For cuts with some bones—like steaks, chops, or a rib roast—you’ll need to up the amount to between five to nine ounces per person.
• And for meats with loads of bones like spare ribs, lamb shanks, or brisket, figure between 12 and 16 ounces.
• Ground beef: 1/2 pound
• Shrimp: 5-7

Salad:
If it’s a side salad, go for one big handful per person. 1 head of lettuce is about 6 cups.

Vegetable and potato side dishes:
About four or five ounces of each should do.

Pasta, beans, rice, and grains:
Plan on 2 – 3 ounces cooked pasta per person.

• Spaghetti:  1 pound is 5 cups raw, 9 cups cooked
• Pasta: 1 pound is 4 cups raw, 9 cups cooked
• Rice:  1 pound raw is 2 cups raw, 6 cups cooked
• Beans, dried: 1 pound raw is 2 cups raw, 2 1/2 cups cooked

Soup, stew, chili

• Served as a first course: 1 cup
• Served as an entree: 1 1/2 to 2 cups

Casserole

A 9×13 will serve 6-8

Bread

• 1 pound loaf:  18 slices, including heels
• Sandwich loaf:  24 slices, including heels
• Thick sliced: 15 slices including heels

Dessert:

• Pie, cake, or tart: one slice per guest
• Sheet cake:  2 x 2 piece
• Cookies: For standard sized cookies, 2 to 3 per person
• Ice cream: Five ounces per person
  Note: If you’re serving more than one of these, you can reduce the amount for each by about half.  If you have teenagers, double everything.

Paper Products:

• Glasses: At least two glasses or cups per person — one for alcoholic beverages, one for water or soda. Don’t forget hot cups for coffee.
• Napkins: At least four paper napkins per person or if you’re using cloth, go for two per person.
• Plates: Two per person—one for savory and one for sweet.
• Always have a roll of paper towels, and many trash bags.