Your uncle may have an extra slider, or five. Your cousin’s girlfriend may have just brought her own vegan alternative. And the kids? You truly never know how much they will eat. We get it—guess-timating how much food to have at a party is almost up there with rocket science. This is why we’re here. Check our go-to numbers below to know how much food to order when catering a party. This way, if your brother’s dog snags a hot dog (again)... you can remain stress-free. You’ve accounted for that.
Whether you’re hosting a graduation party, wedding shower, or backyard barbeque, follow this guide for how much food to order for catering.
Note: These numbers are not an absolute science (surprise, we’re actually not rocket science status). However, the great thing about serving food buffet style… see below and we’ll tell you all about why it’s great.
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To whet the palate or complete a meal, whether with charcuterie or crockpot meatballs.
The A-list actor of the day.
Cherry on top, and candles on the cake.
Bottled, bubbly, beer, and bold.
Pro Tip: Simplify your thought process and consider that you’ll only need to pick 1-2 items from each of the categories listed. Done. Mouths fed. Guests happy.
As promised above, here is why buffet style is the way to go when hosting a larger group.
What we love about buffet style is minimizing food waste… since you can usually get away with ordering less food. Why? Because if there are individual slices/rolls/burgers/you-name-it, every guest will pick (at least) one serving each. Will they finish them? Unlikely. When you serve buffet-style meals, guests get to scoop what they think they will eat. Yes some will eat more, but others will eat less. Plus, you won’t need to stand anxiously counting the number of buns dwindling as guests continue to line up.
When everyone can pick their own food and see what ingredients are in each dish, this typically results in everyone being a lot happier… and you answering a lot less questions. From a food intolerance point of view, this also helps eliminate the uncertainty that guests with certain food allergies need to adhere to.
If you love ‘em, keep ‘em. If you have a lot left over (which using this method, we don’t foresee that happening), have disposable containers available or Ziploc bags that guests can fill and take home.
Just like that, your party planning continues along down your list. Now, time to pick out the dishes of choice for the big day. Will it be pesto chicken penne pasta or scalloped potatoes? We say both.
More expert tips to amp up your next gathering:
Add these food orders to one of these parties by Partytrick:
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