I love parties!! I love planning them and I love going to them. However, for most people, planning a party can be a stressful experience and one of the most stressful things is wondering if you have enough food!! To help you answer the age old question of "how much food do I need" I created this chart with guidelines for food quantities for a variety of events.
Still have questions?? Go to the Contact page and drop me an email!!
Appetizer Party - Before Dinner
Plan on 6 to 8 pieces per person (4 different appetizers)
Appetizer Party - Where Appetizers are the meal
Plan on 12 to 15 pieces per person (6 different appetizers)
Sit down Dinner
First Course
Soup (as appetizer): 8 - 10 oz. per person
Salad (romaine): ¼ head per person
Salad (mesclun mix): 1 cup per person
Dressing: 1 - 2 Tbsp. per person
Oysters/clams/mussels: 4 - 6 per person
Sides
pasta, rice, couscous - 2 oz. per person
potatoes: ½ medium potato per person
Entrees
Boneless chicken, duck or turkey: ½ lb. per person
Bone in chicken/turkey: 1 lb. per person
boneless cuts (beef,pork, lamb): ½ lb. per person
Bone - in: 14 - 16 oz. per person
Chops: 12 - 14 oz. per person
lamb chops: 4 per person
baby back pork ribs: 1 lb. per person
ground meat: ½ lb. per person
Chopped meat(stew, chili, ragout): 5 - 6 oz. per person
Seafood
filets: 6 - 8 oz. per person
Shrimp(large) - 5 to 7 per person
scallops: 4 - 6 oz. per person
Clams/oysters/mussels: 6 - 10 per person
Vegetables
asparagus/carrots/cauliflower
beans/broccoli/etc.: 3 - 5 oz. per person
Pasta
Linguine/fettuccine (dry): 2 - 3 oz. per person
Linguine/fettuccine(fresh): 4 oz. per person
Filled pastas: 4 - 5 oz. per person
Pasta sauce: ½ - ⅔ cup per person
Dessert
Ice cream/sorbet/gelato: 6 oz. per person
Trifle/tiramisu/bread pudding: 1 cup per person
cobbler: 1 cup per person
mousse: ¾ cup per person