Need to know how much food for a crowd? Here's a table that gives you lots of food quantity information for a large group from a dozen to 48.
LRP from Lowell, MA
| AMOUNTS of FOOD for a CROWD | ||||
| FOOD ITEM | SIZE for 1 | 12 | 24 | 48 |
| Meat, Poultry and Shellfish (bone-in, unshelled) |
3/4 pound | 9 pounds | 18 pounds | 36 pounds |
| Meat, Poultry and Fish (boneless) |
1/4 pound | 3 pounds | 6 pounds | 12 pounds |
| Chicken Salad, Side Dish Main Dish |
1/2 cup | 1 1/2 quarts 3 quarts |
3 quarts 1 1/2 gallons |
1 1/2 gallons 3 gallons |
| Potato Salad, Baked Beans or Coleslaw |
1 cup | 1 1/2 quarts | 3 quarts | 1 1/2 gallons 3 gallons |
| Meat Cold Cuts | 1/2 cup | 2 pounds | 4 pounds | 8 pounds |
| Cheese Slices | 1 ounce | 1 pounds | 2 pounds | 4 pounds |
| Rolls | 1/2 cup | 2 dozen | 3 dozen | 6 dozen |
| Crackers | 2 1/2 cup | 8 ounces | 1 pound | 2 pounds |
| Tossed Salad | 1 1/2 cup | 4 1/2 quarts | 9 quarts | 4 1/2 gallons |
| Salad Dressing | 2 tablespoons | 1 1/2 cup | 3 cups | 1 1/2 quarts |
| Dip | 2 tablespoons | 1 1/2 cup | 3 cups | 6 cups |
| Chips | 1 1/2 cup | 12 ounces | 1 1/2 pounds | 3 pounds |
| Fruit or Vegetable Dippers | 4 pieces | 4 dozen | 8 dozen | 16 dozen |
| Cake, 13x9" , 12-cup Ring or 9" Layer |
1/16 cake | 1 cake | 2 cake | 3 cakes |
| Cookies | 2 | 2 dozen | 4 dozen | 8 dozen |
| Ice Cream | 1/2 cup | 2 quarts | 1 gallon | 2 gallons |
| Coffee, Brewed Ground Coffee |
3/4 cup | 9 cups water 1 1/2 cups |
18 cup water 3 cups |
36 cups water 5 cups |
| Tea, Brewed Losse Tea Tea Bags |
3/4 cup | 9 cups water 1/4 cup 12 bags |
18 cups water 1/2 cup 24 bags |
36 cups water 1 cup 48 bags |
| Iced Tea | 1 cup | 3 quarts | 1 1/2 gallons | 3 gallons |
| Punch | 1/2 cup | 1 1/2 quarts | 3 quarts | 1 1/2 gallons |
| Mineral Water | 8 ounces | 3 quarts | 6 quarts | 12 quarts |
| Ice | 4 ounces | 3 pounds | 6 pounds | 12 pounds |
We also have this as a printable PDF file:
This is a page about preparing chicken and noodles for a large group. Although it may seem overwhelming, increasing a recipe to feed a large crowd is completely doable.
This is a page about serving cold cuts to a large crowd. A plate of cold cuts is a good choice for for a large gathering.
This is a page about serving lemonade to a large crowd. Preparing food and beverages for a large group requires estimating portion size and the overall quantity to prepare, with a bit extra just in case.
This is a page about cooking scrambled eggs for a large group. Scrambled eggs are an easy dish to make for a large gathering.
This page is about making sloppy joes for a large group. Making sloppy joes is simple and can easily be adapted for a large group.
How many heads of cabbage does it take to make cole slaw for 150 to 200 people?
