Fruit- You want about 5-6 ounces of ready to eat for each person for your fruit total, so you might start with the idea of 350-400 pounds whole fruits, or 260 pounds ready to eat. Remember that unlike grapes and canteloupes, UNCUT watermelons with unpunctured skins will keep many weeks in a cool place, so cut only about half to start and sell off what is left over.

then a half pan (15 people)
stuffed cabbage
eggplant parm

Is this teens, families, men, adults? Is this for one meal, a weekend, a party, what? What are your cooking and refrigeration facilities? How many people will be helping with the cooking and serving? You need about 70 people to serve this many, and finding the volunteers or staff and supervising them is a job all by itself.

This is a 5 hour event. To serve 500 to 600 people cafeteria line style (which is faster than per order)during a three-hour event requires 40 to 60 on-site volunteer servers. This does not count the cooks or kitchen crew, or the clean up after. If you try to serve 125 people per hour, quite difficult with the size staff you are considering, no one will get seconds and the last people will get nothing for the first 3-4 hours. Not the best plan. Think about the amount of food serving booths you see at a county fair- way more than one!
So first things first, the staff will become frustrated and exhausted, increase the size of the staff. For example, the fryer needs a bagger and possibly also a server for the fries. Also, all staff including the cooks needs to be switched out at least every hour for a 15-20 minute break!
If the booth is too small for more staff, set up auxiliary serving stations for the items suggested below.
You need 1-2 people who are just runners going back and forth to the kitchen and supplies and keeping the condiment tables filled.
Here are the changes I would make:
1) Change hot wings to several flavors of sticky wings, prepare in several Nesco roasters and hold hot from the start, so they are ready to serve at the beginning of the event and can be served quickly without tying up the fryer. Add a staffer for these.
2) Make steamed hotdogs or even better Polish sausage or kielbasa by layering sauages in two other Nesco roasters with a good quality sauerkraut. Have a third roaster for warming the buns. Put the relish table near but away from the booth so they pick up their buns and fries and move away from the serving line. Add another staffer just for these. If someone doesn't want steamed they can ask for grilled.
3) Use the grill for hamburgers and grilled onions only. People love grilled onions, they make the place smell great and you can use a 4 ounce patty instead of a 5 ounce patty without it looking skimpy.

3n 1/2 gallons for 2 scoop sundaes if you scoop the ice cream. Double that if teenagers scoop their own. Add about 20% extra if grownups scoop, 10% each for more than one flavor.

I would truly appreciate your help.

All the items including beverages you mention are discussed on the planning for 100 pages in the big pots section. If you prepare an estimate and email it to me, I will go over it for you. Are you bride ofr family, or is this a job?

Thanks, sally

The fruit tray page in the Big Pots Planning section has the cup and pound measurements for lots of different fruits. If it is a cold fruit compote and you are using some fresh fruits, melons, especially large watermelons, are a good economy. Just get rid of the seeds as you slice and dice.

I would split the snacks into two parts so they were not the same selection with cookies in the afternoon and muffins in the morning. Cheese both times- your audience will do better with the proteins- and a big basket of hardboiled eggs is cheap and popular. General idea of amounts on the breakfast and dessert planning pages. When you have an estimate email me and I will give yopu some feedback.

Zelda, are you trying to not use the taditional turkey menu? Check the quantities for 100 page and you can make up almost any menu. Usual colors are gold, orange, browns and yellows.

Thank you.

Salad info including is at the top of the Quantities for 100 page on Big Pots, or check the recipes for slaw for 100.

Check my large recipes for mac and cheese, etc.

Eleanor

Linda, 4 people per chicken, 2 pieces each, is enough, but I usually add 10% more. A #10 can of green beans makes 20 people's-worth of servings, 12 cups cooked. If you offer broiled chicken as well, some folks will prefer that...

I need to feed about 600 soldiers and family memebers in December, we will carve the meat on site. Turkey and Ham, I will probably go 400 turkey, 200 ham, I am not sure how many of each to get. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. V/R, Michael Isaza

My favorite memory of an overseas military thanksgiving as a kid, they gave every kid a whole box of Whitman's chocolates to take home. How thrilling!!!

I certainly appreciate the prompt response, I will definitely let you know how things turn out. Thanks again, this is a great site. V/R Michael Isaza

I have quite a lot of entree recipes for 100 in the big pots section, you need to double the recipe for 200 and add 10% if it will be 220 or if it is 200 people serving themselves buffet style.

For the stew, allow 4 ounces raw boneless meat, 6-7 ounces potato and about 8-10 ounces other veggies (onions, carrots, celery, etc) to start. Invest in a GOOD beef bouillon /gravy base to enrich the gravy )I like "Better then Bouillon" brand), and consider using some canned or pureed tomatoes as part of the gravy, you will want about 3-4 gallons of gravy for each 100 people.

turkey?
mashed potatoes?
carrots?
frozen peas?
dressing?

Lori, Since April 2004, I no longer do whole plans for people; too many requests. So I posted a bunch of planning pages in the bi pots section for BBQ, beverages, salads etc. What I WILL do is check your estimates if you email them to me at the link at the bottom of the page.
The usual estimate is 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds whole raw hog per person, (yes, 30+ pounds) which is 4 pigs or more or 10 suckling pigs or more and I have to warn you, this is an expensive and VERY difficult roast; you need expereienced pit crews, and at least 20 additional servers/cooks to pull it off. You would be well-advised to coonsider hiring grillmasters/ smoker masters for a pork loin and brisket roast instead, or do one pig and the rest pork and brisket.

The GGS
Gil and Geri Segarra

1. Brown sausage in a roasting pan over medium-high heat. Set aside, leaving the drippings in the skillet.
2. Mix bacon grease into the sausage drippings. Reduce heat to medium, combine with flour, and stir constantly until mixture just turns golden brown. This take at least a half hour. If you burn it you have to throw it away and start over, so do not turn your back.
3. Gradually whisk milk into skillet. When the mixture is smooth, thickened, and begins to bubble, return the sausage to skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 25 minutes, stirring, covering.

Also, it tends to separate if served standing on a buffet line-

A sauce of fresh dill and olive oil is another option. Greek style cooked in a freshly simmered sauce of cherry tomatoes and slivered celery is also great.

Cheryl, the food costs are 1/4 to 1/3 of the total charge for commercial catering. Go to the appetizer quantity planning page for help on your appetizer amounts.

THanks so much!!

Lots of children at 8PM? Sounds like a plan for trouble. Consider setting up a rocking room or quiet room for the tired out.

One secret to really good bean dishes is to use half a head of celery and an onion to each pound of dry beans.

You can also add:
1-2 pounds diced bell pepper
8 ounces prepared mustard

Darla

PLEASE read my article on catering your own wedding reception first. Unless it is a VERY small wedding (35-50) you need a lot of help.

Tea, you have plenty. Ice, you want 1 pound per person for drinks and chilling .

Meat and cheese trays, you want 4-5 ounces meat and 2-3 ounces sliced cheese per person. See the sandwich event page for more info, condiments and pickles, etc.

Mary Kay, the usual for chips is 6 pounds potato or 8 pounds corn chips per hundred people. For teens, add a counple pounds more.

The meats are harder. 5 sandwiches per cooked ready to eat pound of meat/meat balls, probably 1 and 1/2 sandwiches per person- depends on time of day, side dishes, dessert, alcohol- so say 3 people per pound of ready to eat meats. Chickens dress to 1/2 of their starting weight when skinned and boned, beef to 60% of raw weight after cooking. You have to decide how to split it up- I don't know what is more popular in your area- but if you stick to this total you will have plenty. Get really good buns (bakery fresh,maybe) and look on the sandwich events page for amounts of condiments.

Thanks Lisa

I would buy 1/2 pound of fruit per kid per day counting all fruits on the menu.

Shrimp Cocktail
sliced ham
turkey wings
bbq chicken
bbq pork ribs
candied yams
green beans
collard greens
white rice
mac & cheese
baked ziti

Do not forget an urn of coffee with the sodas and/or tea and/or punch.

Gloria, for quarter chickens, you need 82 pounds of quarters per 100 people for 1 quarter each. 35-40 pounds of potatoes per 100; 5 #10 cans green beans for 100, but 7 is usually enough for 150; or 1 pound fresh or frozen for each 4 people.

Look on the quantities for 100 page, there are very complete salad listings, make or buy 3/4 of the amount for 100 for each salad. You want about 7 gallons total, 3 should be potato, 2 of each of the others.

Otherwise it looks good. I would definitely add a slaw, green salad, marinated vegetable salad or second veggie side dish, but I am a veggie lover.

Thanks

if we serve fish for 20 people than how much kilo meat i buy.

Fish is usually served in smaller portions, so 1 pound for each 4 persons is enough for fish steaks, pieces or filets. But if you buy whole, cleaned fish, it takes about 1 1/2 pounds for 4 people.

There are a lot of pasta casseroles fopr 100 posted in the website. Make 2/5 or 40%- ylu dont need to allow extra, lades don't eat as much as a mixed group. Do consider using a tri-color rotini as the pasta- very pretty in the dish and a little different.

48 chicken breasts(BBQ)
30 Slabs babyback ribs (65lbs)
12lbs Mosticholi
27lbs Roasted red potatoes
14lbs baked beans
10lbs Green bean almondene (almonds & butter sauce)
10lbs cole slaw
140 rolls
1 cake (full sheet pan)
Fruit boat

Thank you,
Agnes

On the chili page, pickles and so forth are covered- these quantities will be close for your amounts. You might like the garlic pickles recipe there. 1 gallon of regular pickles is usually used for 100 people.

Punch:
Ham Bisquick
Fruit
cocktail winners

I have posted all the quantity tables I use for estimating for 100 people, so do not do initial estimates any more. If you will make your own estimates, I will be glad to check them for you and advise. For example, you need different amounts of ham for dinner, lunch, sandwiches, receptions- different amounts of fruit for dessert, fruit salad, or fruit trays- I don't know what your party plan is, but all these are covered in the tables.

www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/plan/sundae100.html

Who is actually doing the cooking, and where?? This is NOT a one person job?

Any help would be appreciated... Thank you in advance.

Essie, about 20 pounds would be generous.

Jan yo probably want bar type food- chicken wings, little smokies, maybe queso dip or nachos (quweso is easier). 7 layer dip platters on antipasto platters can be done ahead and put on the tables. If veggies sneak in, it should be spinach or artichoke dip or a relish tray- olives, pickles, etc.