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Entertaining
a Crowd
has so many aspects. Planning a large enough space, order
enough decorations and people to put it all together, Invitations,
entertainment and very important calculate how much food to prepare
for the event. Exactly how much food does it take to feed an army?
That is a question that haunts even the most experienced dinner
party entertainer!
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Feeding a lot of people does not have to be hard; it only
takes some planning and a little confidence! If the thought of cooking all
of the food yourself is overwhelming, ask your friends to help you, or make
one or two of the dishes yourself and buy the rest. Remember to relax and
enjoy the process -don't stress too much, guest do not expect you to make
everything like an experienced culinary professional!
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Opt for a Buffet Line
The easiest and most simple way to feed guests is with a buffet line. A
general rule is that everyone will not eat everything. People normally will
eat more starches and meats than vegetables and anything fried will be the
first to go! Going through a buffet line can make people feel the pressure
of others behind them, so they move along quickly and won't take huge
quantities the first time through. Remember that it is much more preferable
to have leftovers than a sparse spread at your buffet table.
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How Much Food?
Here is a guide to help you estimate your food quantities for either a
buffet or a sit-down dinner.
For Individual Meats, Fish,
Poultry:
- 5, 6 ounces per person
- If the cuts of meat have bones in them, consider adding more weight
per person
For Multiple Meat Meals and Buffets:
For Pasta Dishes:
- For a sit-down dinner, a pound of pasta will serve 4-6
- For a buffet, a pound will serve 8-10 people
For Vegetables:
- With a premixed salad, estimate one handful per person
- One head of lettuce will feed approximately 5 people, 4 medium heads
will serve 15-20 people
For Appetizers:
- Estimate about 10-12 items total per person.
- Make 3-4 of each item per person, keeping in mind that everyone may
not take all of the items
For Desserts:
- Calculate one full portion of dessert per person
- For multiple desserts, people will taste smaller portions of each
item
- A normal cake will serve approximately 10, but 15 will be fed if you
are also serving pie
Remember that doubling and tripling recipes is something of
an art, so it is best to work small and work your way up. You will have a
much better success rate with most recipes if you make multiple batches of a
single recipe rather than trying to multiply the quantities by 3, 4, or
more.
Throwing a successful dinner party does not have to throw
you into a cardiac arrest! Just have fun, relax, and enjoy the time with
your many guests, they will remember the fun and fellowship much longer
than they will remember the menu.
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