When you’re cooking for a crowd, it’s one thing to have a recipe for large groups which clearly tells you how many it people it serves. With a recipe from a trusted source in hand, you can be fairly assured of the quantities you need to purchase of each ingredient.
But what do you do when you’re trying to figure out how much salad mix to buy for 230 or how much nacho sauce you need for 300 youth? Too much and you’ve wasted money on the ingredients and possibly time on the prep. Too little and you have hungry folks who aren’t getting fed.
Let me share my many years of volunteer cooking for groups of 50 – 400 with you, so you don’t have to guess and worry. If you use my quantity guidelines below with my proven large group recipes, I promise you’ll have plenty of people interested in seconds.
Starchy side dishes and casseroles: a 9 X 13 pan makes about 12 one cup servings. A 2 quart casserole will make 6 to 8 cups. A typical serving size for potatoes, stuffing, and yams is 1 cup. However, if you are having more than four sides most people will only eat 1/2 cup.
Chicken freezer shelf life
- Raw or cooked chicken will keep up to 4 months in the freezer. Although it’s not a safety concern, after 4 months, depending on packaging, the quality of the frozen chicken begins to degrade.
- To maximize the shelf life in the freezer, wrap the original packaging in another layer of freezer paper, plastic wrap or heavy duty aluminum foil and store in large heavy-duty freezer bags.
- Plan on time to thaw in the refrigerator. Raw chicken that has been defrosted in the refrigerator (which is the best way to do it) can be kept for 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator before cooking.
- Raw chicken that was thawed in the microwave or in cold water should be cooked immediately.
A quarter pound burger (4 ounces) is a bit larger than the recommended 3 ounce serving size. And sometimes restaurant burgers are even 1/3 to 1/2 pound (5 1/3 ounces to 8 ounces).
You should plan on 3 ounces per person if you’re incorporating it with other ingredients or making smaller hamburgers. I would plan on 4 ounces (think a Quarter Pounder burger) for a more substantial burger.
If you are purchasing hamburger in large quantities, it will come in a tube-like package called a chub. The above is a 10 pound chub. See below for hamburger serving sizes.
- 1 pound – 4 (4 ounce) to 5 (3 ounce) servings
- 2 pounds – 8 (4 ounce) to 10 (3 ounce) servings
- 3 pounds – 16 (4 ounce) to 20 (3 ounce) servings
- 5 pounds – 24 (4 ounce) to 30 (3 ounce) servings
- 10 pounds (chub) – 48 (4 ounce) to 60 (3 ounce) servings
Food for 50 Servings
Canned vegetables = 2 1/2 (Number 10) cans
Frozen vegetables = 4 (40-ounce) packages
Fresh Broccoli = 16 pounds
Fresh Brussels Sprouts = 12 1/2 pounds
Fresh Carrots = 12 1/2 pounds
Mashed Potatoes = 13 pounds
Baked Potatoes = 19 to 20 pounds
How much does 10 pounds of mashed potatoes feed?
FAQ
How many potatoes for 20 servings of mashed potatoes?
How many pounds of potatoes do I need for 30 people?
How much potato per person?
How many sweet potatoes do I need for 14 people?
How many people does a 913 cheesy potatoes feed?
The dish is often prepared in large quantities for sharing among family and friends during these events. How many people does a 9×13 of cheesy potatoes feed? This recipe typically serves about 12 people, however it depends on what other dishes are being served. Why is my hash brown casserole soggy?
Should one have potatoes every day?
It depends, as it is a good source of carbohydrate. If the person is making a control in the consumption of carbohydrates, he should eat in moderation, that is, not somatising with other foods that are sources of carbohydrate. Like, macaroni and potatoes, ends up with a high load.
How big is a cheesy potato casserole?
It is a dish that is super popular in the midwest and something that most of us here grew up eating! This casserole is great because it makes a huge 9×13 inch pan of cheesy potatoes. Big enough for anywhere from 10-20 people, depending on serving size.
How long do you cook potatoes at 350?
I allow a minimum of 2.5 hours on 350 degrees F when stirred every 20 – 30 minutes. Diced potatoes or hashbrowns can be used. Fresh potatoes could be used too, but pieces would need to be evenly sized to cook evenly. Potatoes at room temperature will also cook a little bit more quickly than frozen potatoes.