Serving estimates for holiday meals:
- Whole turkey* – 1lb turkey for each guest up to a 14lb bird. Anything larger, estimate 3/4lb per person. (The skeleton of the turkey weighs less proportionally in large birds).
- Bone-in turkey breast – 2/3 lb per person
- Boneless turkey breast – 1/2 lb per person
- Dressing aka Stuffing aka Filling – 3/4 cup per guest
- Gravy – 1/3 cup per person go 2/3rds cup per for buffet style
- Mashed potatoes – 1lb of potatoes for every 2 guests (Are you happy, I increased it from last year?)
If you are serving two kinds (roasted and mashed) estimate 1lb for every 3 – 4 guests
- Cranberry relish / sauce – 1lb of berries for every 5 people
- Vegetables, including sweet potates – 1/2 cup per person of each type
- Rolls – 2 per guest minimum
- Rice – 1/2 cup per person
- Dessert – 1 – 2 servings per guest
Some of the very dedicated choose to serve both turkey and ham. In that case estimate one pound of ham for every four or five people and 3/4 lb of turkey.
*If you love leftovers, as I do, increase your turkey estimate by 50%.
via Countdown to Turkey Day November 8, 2010.
