Appetizer
Buffet
amounts for cheese
and meat platters
Perfect for an Afternoon
Wedding Reception
or Open House for any occasion.
One of the most frequently asked
questions is,
"How much cold meat, cheese or fruit do I need
to purchase to feed the quests at my afternoon wedding reception?"
Hmmm, my
relatives would eat ALL the carrot sticks and fruit and the DAISIES, but not
the shrimp or ham ~ the chart below will help me make an educated guess.
Hopefully the information below will help you figure out YOUR answer!
The guide line below is a planning
aide.
Variables to consider are the age of the crowd and time of day (will it overlap
a meal time).
Increase or decrease the amount slightly as you feel necessary.
Amounts needed to feed approx. 50
people
| Food: | Amount if only serving this ONE item: | Suggested amount if serving all or most of these items: |
| cheese ~ cheddar, jack, Swiss, etc. | 5 lb. assorted cheeses, thinly sliced, plus bread/crackers/pickles | 1 1/2 - 2 lb. assorted, thinly sliced or cubed cheese |
| meats ~ cold cuts, ham, beef, turkey etc. | 10 lb. assorted meats shaved or sliced, plus bread/crackers/pickles | 3-4 lb. thinly sliced meats |
| veggies and dip (this is the most inexpensive item and the easiest to have extra on hand) | 5 lb. prepared assorted veggies; 6 c. dip | 3-4 lb. prepared veggie sticks, 4 c. dip |
| fruit chunks - melons | 10 lb. melon balls or cubes | 3-5 lb. melon balls or cubes or some strawberries (allow 50 % waste when purchasing melons unpeeled weight) |
| Shrimp | 3 - 5 lb. and cocktail sauce (the count on a pkg. of shrimp will tell you how many are in 1 lb., i.e. 21-30 (large) or 175-200 - tiny) | 1- 1/12 lb. |
| bread, crackers, buns etc. | 3 small bread or crackers, or 1 1/2 buns per person | 1 1/2 - 3 small bread or crackers per person. |
| pickles, olives etc. | 3 lbs. | 1 1/2 lbs. |
| chips, dip | dips 1 1/2 qt. 5 lb. chips |
2-3 lbs. and 4 c. dip |
| Appetizer Tips | Platter Photos | Open House for 100 (this event extended over dinner time) |
As you add more items to your menu, reduce the others accordingly.
Veggies, crackers, chips are inexpensive fill-ins and fill people up, have extras of those.
Depending on the age and time of day, allow from 4 - 12 pieces per person.
The more things you add, the less amount of each item you will need.
The thinner you slice your meat, cheese and veggies and fruit, the more serving you will get per lb.
Decorate your plates and platters attractively, green leaf lettuce, parsley and flowers.
use toothpicks and small skewers to form interesting presentations.
Devilled eggs, smoked oysters, tiny open faced sandwiches, are easy and appealing.
Meatballs in a sauce, or a hot spread for dipping in a chaffing dish is easy and attractive.
Add hot appetizers if you desire, adjusting the total volume of food accordingly.
Thinly
sliced veggies go a long way.
Easy sandwiches
or appetizers
will fill them up!
