For 60 people, you'll generally need 3 to 5 full catering trays, depending on the dish and if it's a main course or side, with standard full trays often serving 15-20 people. For a substantial meal, aim for 3-4 trays of your main dish and 2-3 trays of sides (like salad or pasta), but always check with your caterer for their specific tray capacity and adjust for heartier eaters or longer events.
What are the dimensions of the trays? I mean the caterers probably have a rough idea how many people their trays feed better than anyone here would. So you are going to need 3 or 4 trays of each for 45 to 60 servings of each.
Consider Your Guest Count
Generally speaking, a good rule of thumb is to plan for about 6-8 pieces of food per person for snacks or finger foods. For more substantial meals, this number may need to be increased. It's also essential to consider whether the platters will be served as appetizers or as the main meal.
For a large crowd Lin suggests making it simple with a buffet: "A fork buffet is a lot less fuss on the day than fingerfood, where you're continually heating nibbles up and passing them around." "A cold fork menu is easier than hot and can be prepared in advance leaving you free to talk to guests."
The 2-2-2 food rule is a simple guideline for leftover safety: get cooked food into the fridge within 2 hours, eat it within 2 days, or freeze it for up to 2 months to prevent bacteria growth, keeping it out of the temperature "danger zone" (40-140°F or 5-60°C).
80% healthy, whole foods, and 20% for fun, less-nutritious treats. The key is consistency over time, not perfection at every meal. So, if one day you have a pizza, no big deal—just aim to get back on track with your next meal.
Storing chilled foods at an incorrect temperature is a food safety risk, as it promotes the growth of harmful bacteria. FSA guidance states that the fridge should be 5°C or below.
Key Takeaways
Calculate about 1 pound of food per adult and a half pound per child. Allocate 2 to 4 ounces of appetizers per person and 8 ounces of sides per person. For drinks, anticipate two drinks in the first hour and one drink per hour following that.
For 60 guests, you'll need 22-30 pounds of meat or main dish, 15-22.5 pounds of side dishes, and between 60-120 small bites for starters. Plan for 60 sweets or desserts, and 120-180 drinks. Set up your food as a buffet to let guests choose what works for their eating needs.
To cheaply feed 50 people, focus on bulk, filling staples like pasta, rice, potatoes, and beans, creating DIY bars (taco, baked potato, hot dog) with affordable toppings, or making large-batch casseroles, soups, or chili for a crowd-pleasing, economical meal. Think breakfast/brunch items like pancakes or quiches, or a simple BBQ with sausages and salads for maximum savings.
Ordering sandwich platters is simple and easy. Here are some handy tips to be mindful of when you're ordering your delectable sandwich platter for the office: As a general rule, ordering 1.5 sandwiches per person is the perfect number.
Food to Feed 50
What Does a Typical Catering Tray Feed? Generally, a catering tray can feed 15-20 people. For example, a full tray of chicken breasts should have enough protein for 15-20 people.
The average cost of a buffet is usually around £20-30 per head, however, this can also vary depending on the selection of dishes on offer and the type of cuisine. For example, chicken and chips will be far more affordable than hand-made sushi!
Our 60s whudunnit game lends itself to serving 60s classics such as jelly salad, onion soup dip, prawn cocktail, cheese fondue, Beef Bourguignon, Duck a l'Orange, and pink champagne cake. The hippie influence of the 60s means that peace signs, flowers, hearts, and butterflies can add a 60s vibe to even ordinary food.
You can even cater to what people want or make to order to avoid additional waste but they'll love having 1 or two patties with their burger. If you have some left overs, you can keep it for another meal rather than “over buy”. For hot dogs, I'd either get 30-40. 1 for each person plus some extra to sure.
For 50 guests: Plan 300–800 pieces depending on event length and food style. For 60 guests: Plan 360–960 pieces to ensure variety and steady flow of service. For 70 guests: Plan 420–1,120 pieces, especially if the food is acting as the main meal.
Budget meals for large families
Appetizers: 6-8 pieces per person for a cocktail party, 2-3 pieces per person for dinner. Main Course: 6-8 ounces of protein per person, 4-6 ounces of side dishes per person. Desserts: 1-2 pieces per person. Beverages: 2-3 drinks per person for a two-hour event, plus extra non-alcoholic options.
We recommend 2-4 items per guest, but don't worry, we'll help make sure you have enough servings to go around! To create your own estimate, please look through all the options below. Then, choose up to the maximum quantity of items/flavors based on your guest count.
Grilling burgers, hot dogs, sausages, or chicken in bulk is a great way to feed a large crowd on a budget. Add baked potatoes or veggie skewers as a delicious side, and cook everything at once. The best part is that, unlike some other cooking methods, you don't have to watch a grill every minute.
It's pretty simple too: We just determine an appropriate size portion of any dish in ounces per person, the we multiply that times the number of guests and divide by 16 (# of oz in a pound) and just like that you get the number of pounds you'll need.
Food held between 5oC and 60oC for less than 2 hours can be used, sold or put back in the refrigerator to use later. Food held between 5oC and 60oC for 2-4 hours can still be used or sold, but can't be put back in the fridge. Food held between 5oC and 60oC for 4 hours or more must be thrown away.
“Any longer than two hours and you risk the cream cheese spoiling or dangerous bacteria, like Salmonella, growing,” explains Edwards. She adds that foods containing cream cheese should be refrigerated within two hours of preparation and can be stored safely for up to five days in the refrigerator.
"Danger Zone" (40°F - 140°F) Leaving food out too long at room temperature can cause bacteria (such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Campylobacter) to grow to dangerous levels that can cause illness.