Food Quantity Chart

This food quantity chart lets you know how much food to purchase for cooking for a crowd of 50 or more.

This food quantity chart represents approximate amounts of food you should purchase when you are cooking for a crowd of 50 people. Food items are typical of what might be served at a party or meal for a large crowd.



How to use this food quantity chart:

This chart gives amounts for 50 servings. For 25 people, divide amounts indicated by 2. For 100, multiple by 2. All serving amounts are approximate. Please use your best judgment.

Cooking for a smaller crowd? Quantity chart for 10-25 guests


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Food Type

 Approximate Amount for 50 Servings Serving Size Per Person

Beverages

Coffee (regular ground)

 11/2 lbs. 1 cup
Half & Half, for coffee 2 1/2  pints 1½ tablespoons
Sugar, for coffee 12 ozs 11/2 teaspoons
Fruit juice, lemonade, tea, etc   1 cup
Bottles, cartons, cans 4 32 oz.   
Frozen 7 12 oz. cans  
Cocoa To make 2½ gals. ¾ cup 
Instant mix 2½ lbs.

 "
Unsweetened powder  8 oz.

"
Tea, hot or cold (follow package directions 2½ gals ¾ cup 
Cider, hot or cold 2 gals ½ cup

Sodas, Punch

 4 1-liter bottles or 3 gallons 8 ozs. Purchase more for extra servings

Bottled Water

 as packaged 1 each

Breads, Rice, Pasta, Beans
Bread, sandwiches or side dish 4 loaves (22-24 slices per loaf) 2 slices
Rolls, biscuits, croissants, small muffins, bagels, etc  determine by pkg. size 2 pieces
Crackers  determine by pkg. size 4 
Pancake Mix app. 6 lbs, see pkg directions 2 4-inch cakes
French Toast 4 loaves (22-24 slices per loaf) 2 slices
Cereal    
Cooked, oatmeal, grits about 2 gals. cooked (app. 2 lbs dry)  2/3 cup
Cold app. 5 boxes ½-1 cup 
Coffee Cake 4 8" bundt cakes 1 regular slice
Pasta, as side dish, spaghetti, macaroni, noodles 4-5 16 oz. pkgs. 1/2  cup, cooked 
Rice, uncooked 3-4 lbs 1/2 cup, cooked
Beans, canned 8-12 15.5 ounce cans  1/2 cup

Dairy

Eggs, scrambled, omelets, frittatas

 8 1/2 dozen 2 eggs

Butter, for bread 

 1lb. 1 pat, 1/2 inch thick

Cheese, cut as appetizer

 4 lbs.  2 oz.
Milk 3 gals 1 cup
Heavy whipping cream 11/2 pints

2 tablespoons whipped

Meat, Poultry-Quantity Uncooked

Beef, Lamb, Pork, 
boneless

 16-18 lbs  3 ounces cooked
Beef, Lamb, Pork, roast, bone-in 22-24 lbs 3 ounces cooked
Beef or Pork Ribs 25-40 lbs 1 pound cooked

Pork Chops

 17 lbs 1 chop 3/4" Thick
Chicken, pieces with bone-in 18-20 lbs 1-2 pieces
Chicken, boneless, skinless, cut-up for casserole, soup, stew etc. 16-18 lbs 3 ounces
Turkey, whole, to roast 40-50 lbs. (2-3 large birds) 3 ounces

Bacon

 6 lbs., 12-20 slices per lb 2 slices
Ham, bone-in, to bake 18-20 lbs. 3 ounces, cooked
Purchased ready to eat 15 lbs 3 ounces, cooked
Sausage, links i.e.. Pork, Polish, Knockwurst or other variety sausages 10-12 lbs. 1-2 links=2 to 3 ounces, cooked 
Hamburgers, ground beef or mixture of ground meats 13-15 pounds (app. 25% fat) 4-8 ounces, cooked
Ground Meat, beef, turkey, pork, veal for meat sauce, lasagna, tacos, casseroles, etc 12-16 pounds (app. 25% fat) 1/2 cup cooked
Hot Dogs 12 lbs 2 hot dogs

Sandwiches
Beef, Ham, Turkey, deli sliced 4 lbs, in total 2 slices (about 1 oz)
Cheese, deli sliced 3 lbs. 1 slice
Bread 4 loaves (22-24 slices per loaf) 2 slices

Condiments, Relishes and Salad Dressings
Mayonnaise  32 ozs 1 tablespoon 
Ketchup 2 20-oz bottles 1 tablespoon 
Mustard 8 ozs. 1 teaspoon
Pickles, whole, dill or sweet 2½ qts 1 pickle
Pickle relish 2 qts 1 oz.
Olives, ripe, whole or pitted 1½ qts 3-5
Salad dressing, self serve 1 quart 1 tablespoon
Mixed in salad 3-4 cups  
Salsa 2-3 qts. 2-3 tablespoons
Jelly, jam preserves,  2 32-oz jars 1 tablespoon

Seafood
Lobster, in shell 1 lobster per person 1 1/2 lb
Crabs, whole, steamed, boiled in shell 4-5 bushels, (medium crabs, app. 80-90 crabs per bushel; check with your local seafood market as this varies by region) 6-8 crabs per person, depending on how much other food is served
Fish, Fillets and steaks, fresh or frozen 14-16 lbs uncooked 3-4 ounces, cooked
Whole, cleaned 40 lbs uncooked app. 3 ozs
Shrimp, raw in shell (any size) 18-20 lbs 3 ozs. cooked (app. 6-7 medium shrimp) 
Cooked (packaged frozen variety) 10 lbs  3 ozs. cooked (app. 6-7 medium shrimp) 
Sea Scallops, fresh or frozen 10-12 lbs. 4 scallops
Crabmeat, lobster meat, squid, cooked, canned or packaged 12-15 lbs  app. 1/2 cup 
Mussels, Oysters, Clams, in shell   12 each per person

Vegetables and Fruit
Potatoes, red, white, Yukon gold, Russet or sweet; mashed, scalloped, au gratin, salads. etc.  18-22 lbs raw 1/2 cup, cooked
Frozen, French fries, wedges, hash browns 12-13 lbs 1/2 cup
Lettuce, romaine, red leaf, iceberg About 6 large bunches 1 cup

Vegetables, served as side dish, untrimmed, most varieties: broccoli, cabbage, carrots, eggplant, green beans, mushrooms, spinach, zucchini; sliced, diced or whole, 

Fresh
16-20 lbs

Frozen
Green beans, peas, corn, spinach, 
10 lbs

 1/2 cup cooked

Vegetables served in salad or in vegetable platter, untrimmed

Fresh
Such as cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, radishes
4-6 lbs for each vegetable in salad/tray

 1/4 cup, as ingredient in salad
  Canned
Most varieties
18-20 cups (8-10 14.5-15 oz cans, drained		 1/2 cup cooked
Tomatoes, sliced, for salad 20-30 medium 3 slices
Fruits, served as side dish or salad, cut up, most varieties, apples, grapes, melons, berries, bananas Fresh
10-15 lbs
In total
Ex. 2-3 pounds each of 5-6 types of fruit		 1/2 cup
  Canned
Most varieties
18-20 cups (8-10 14.5-15 oz cans, drained		 1/2 cup

Desserts
Cakes 2 13x 9 x 2" sheet cakes
4 9" layer cakes
4 loaf pound cakes		 1 small square or 1 slice
Pies, 8-9 inch 7-8 pies 1 regular slice
Cookies determine by pkg. size 2-3 cookies
Ice Cream, Sherbet  2 ½ gallons 1/2 cup
Purchased Desserts determine by pkg. size 1/2 cup or 3-4

Other
Nuts, mixed

2 lbs

2 tablespoons (1 good handful)
Potato Chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, cheese curls etc

3-4 lbs (check package size)

1-3 ozs
Dip

16-20 ozs

1 tablespoon






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