How Much Food Do I MAKE ?

That is one of the most often asked question in catering.

Well, how much do I need?

For starters, if you order from us you don't have to worry about that. But if you are planning on doing some cooking for your family or a party or maybe a combination of catering and cooking; that is an important question.

What I will do here is give you what we use as guidelines for a few situations. Remember there are many variables in this type of calculation and you have be aware of them all.

First Variations that you need to account for

Time of day

Is it a normal meal time?
Lunch regular size portions,
Dinner UP them a bit
Is it after a function (like a speech or a funeral) that ran through a normal meal time and people may be starving?
UPUP your portions
Is it after a meal time
DOWN your portions

Type of Crowd

Is it for the college baseball team after a practice
UPUPUP your portions
Is it for a women's card meeting
DOWN your portions
Is this a drinking crowd
UP your availability of food in the beginning so people can fill up before they start drinking. You won't need as much after the first hour.

What Kind Of Party

Cocktail Party

General rules for a cocktail party when people are drinking and mingling and there is no meal being served is:

If Hors d' oeuvres are passed:

5 to 6 portions per person per hour for 2 hours
2 to 3 per person per hour for the last 1 or 2 hours

Make sure to have a few filling items like

mini muffalatas or
mini croissant sandwiches
If budget permits, you could have a carving station with rolls and condiments

If buffet style:

7 to 9 portions per person per hour for 2 hours

4 to 5 per person per hour after that.

People think you save money on the buffet because of less staff, but you need more food because people can grab at their leisure. With passed Hors d' oeuvres people eat less, because they feel like they have to leave something for the other people on the tray.

Passed Hors de ourvers with a meal to follow

General rules are:

Usually this is only for 1 hour

5 to 6 portions pr person before a buffet

You should make some of these filling so people don't over serve themselves on the buffet. Again, if the appetizers/hor de ourvers are on a buffet you have to up that to:

8 to 10 portions per person

Also by filling them up on the passed hors de ourvers before you open the buffet you will need little less on the buffet.

Hors d' oeuvres Calculator

Two tabs one for cocktail only party and one for a hour of cocktails then buffet.

Buffet

General rules are, you want to set up your buffet to lead people through it quickly and to guide them to the filling less expensive items first.

For a full buffet you want to have things at the beginning of the line that are inexpensive yet filling. So, you want to start the buffet with salad, bite size sandwiches, deviled eggs, fruit, cheese and veggie displays. Then you go with a pasta because everyone loves pasta and it is filling. Next go to the sides like mash potatoes, corn grits or rice then the entree that goes with that side like smothered pork, or red beans.

There are some caveats to these rules and you have to adjust to the needs of your crowd. For example if a large group is coming all at once you want to break up the stations, if possible, to different areas of the room to spread people out. Also, if possible, be able to serve from both sides of the table.

If you don't have the room you may want to put the slow serving items like something you have to build such as a taco bar or a carving station or even fruit and cheese and vegges at the end so it doesn't slow up the line.

Serving sizes for a buffet

Salad about 1 oz per person (we find people don't eat this as much as you would think.) If you feel like you have a big salad crowd you could up that to 2 or even 3 oz per person. 1 oz is on the low side but we find it works.

Fruit, cheese, veggies, about 1 oz per person for each item. If you are only having 1 or 2 of these items up that to 1.5 oz per person.

1 entree only:

1 pasta entree would be 6 to 8 oz per person

1 meat entree would be 3 to 5 oz per person

2 Entree's with one being pasta

Pasta 4 to 6 oz per person

Meat 2 to 3 oz per person

Sides:

Enough sides to go with the item if it is complimentary, such as mashed potatoes and roast beef. You should have 2 to 3 oz per person

2nd side:

about 2 oz per person like green beans

Dessert:

Depends on your crowd and usually the hardest to gage.

We have about 80% of the count in servings. It depends on when the dessert will be served (early or late) Is it something special or something you see all the time. Is it a center piece or just available. Time of day is important too because if the dessert is not presented like a wedding cake until the end of the event a lot of people may have left. (Note to brides to remember that when ordering their wedding cakes)

Variety:

Issues with more choices: