Simple Tips For A Plentiful Thanksgiving

Holiday Turkey

From appetizers to desserts, these simple tips  will help take the guesswork out of how to make your Thanksgiving table plentiful and your guests happy. Thanksgiving is just two weeks away!  If you haven’t already started planning, shopping and possibly prepping, it’s time to start! 

Appetizers

appetizer
Photo source: Kraft Recipes

The amount of appetizers you serve depends on what you’re serving and what other foods you are offering. Remember, the purpose of appetizers is to make you guests feel welcome and keep them satisfied until the main event. Plan to make three or four bites of food per person.

Simple Tip:

4 guests: 12 small bites

8 guests: 24 small bites

12 guests: 36 small bites

16 guests: 48 small bites

Soup

soup

If you plan to serve soup before or during the meal, there is no need to plan for a large bowl, about 1 cup of soup per person should do.

Simple Tip:

4 guests: 4 cups;

8 guests: 8 cups

12 guests: 12 cups

16 guests: 1 gallon

Turkey

Holiday Turkey

The main event is the turkey! When buying your turkey, plan for 1 ½ pounds per person. This will ensure there is plenty of meat to serve each guest…and promise for plenty of leftovers too!

Simple Tip:

4 guests: 6 pounds

8 guests: 12 pounds

12 guests: 18 pounds

16 guests: 24 pounds

Gravy

Gravy
Photo source: Food Network

You should plan for at least 1/3 cup gravy per person; though you’ll want to plan for an additional cup for every six people. Remember, it’s always good to have more gravy than to run out!

Simple Tip:

4 guests: 2 cups

8 guests: 4 cups

12 guests: 6 cups

16 guests: 7 1/2 cups

Cranberry Sauce

cranberry
Photo source: Food Network

Cranberry sauce is a condiment that can also serve as a side dish all on its own. Plan to have 1/3 to ½ cups per person.

Simple Tip:

4 guests: 2 cups

8 guests: 4 cups

12 guests: 6 cups

16 guests: 8 cups

Stuffing

Thanksgiving stuffing
Photo source: Pinterest

Stuffing is THE big crowd-pleasing side dish that rivals mashed potatoes. You DON’T want to run out! So, plan for 1 cup per person.

Simple Tip:

4 guests: 4 cups

8 guests: 8 cups

12 guests: 12 cups

16 guests: 16 cups

Mashed Potatoes

mashed potatoes
Photo source: Food Network

You should plan to make about ¾ cup of mashed potatoes. This means when your shopping for potatoes plan for 1 large potato per person; this should make pretty close to what you will need. If you’re worried about running out, add a few extra. It never hurts to have leftovers.

Simple Tip:

4 guests: 3 cups

8 guests: 6 cups

12 guests: 9 cups

16 guests: 12 cups

Rolls

rolls and bread

Plan to serve rolls as a side dish; remember you don’t want people to fill up on bread before digging in to dinner. In order to keep your guests from filling up on bread before dinner even begins. Plan to serve 2 rolls per person.

Simple Tip:

4 guests: 4 rolls

8 guests: 16 rolls

12 guests: 24 rolls

16 guests: 32 rolls

Vegetable Sides and Salad

vegetable casserole

With so much going on at the table, plan for only about 4 oz. of vegetables and only 1 oz. of salad.

Simple Tip:

4 guests: 1 pound veg; 4oz. salad

8 guests: 2 pounds veg; 8 oz. salad

12 guests: 3 pound; 12 oz. salad

16 guests: 4 pounds; 16 oz. salad

Pie

pie pumpkin

The perfect end to any Thanksgiving meal is pie. One 9-inch pie usually feeds 6 to 8 people. However, if you have a few people you know are saving up to satisfy their sweet tooth, it can never hurt to make an extra!

Simple Tip:

4 guests: 1 pie

8 guests: 1 to 2 pies

12 guests: 2 to 3 pies

16 guests: 3 to 4 pies

Coffee and Tea

Coffee and or tea can be the perfect end to any feast. Plan to prepare 1 cup, of either, per guest to be safe. Though some people may not have saved room for it, it doesn’t hurt to offer coffee and tea to keep everyone happy!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Please leave your comments below, I would love to hear from you.  Until next time, cheers!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Top