A Guide To Thanksgiving Dinner: How Much To Serve Per Person - So Happy You Liked It (2024)

FAQs

A Guide To Thanksgiving Dinner: How Much To Serve Per Person - So Happy You Liked It? ›

I recommend 4 appetizers or bites per person. Most resources out there will recommend between 1 and 2 pounds of turkey per person. I think it's safe to plan for 1 1/2 pounds per person.

Plan to serve about 3/4 cup of stuffing per guest. That amounts to roughly 4 cups of prepared stuffing for 5 guests and 7-1/2 cups for 10 guests. However, if you have grand plans for using leftovers in Stuffin' Muffins or turkey potpie with a stuffing crust, feel free to make a little bit more.

Add the butter and warm milk to the bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork (or pass the potatoes through a ricer or food mill for a smoother mash). Season with salt and pepper. Plan on 1/3 to 1/2 pound potatoes per person for your feast.

Overall costs for a typical Thanksgiving meal, including the usual fixings, are also modestly lower compared with 2022, when prices hit a record high. Dinner for 10 will cost an average of $61.17, the farm bureau said. That's down from $64.05 last year but an increase from $53.31 in 2021.

How many dishes should I serve with the turkey? For 4 people, choose 1-2 appetizers and 3 sides. For 8 people, choose 1-3 appetizers and 3 sides. For 16 people, choose 2-3 appetizers and 3 or more sides.

Serving per Person

A good estimate is to use 1.5 pounds as the amount of food to be served to one person. Subdivide this by the number of servings, taking into consideration the main dishes and side dishes.

How much stuffing per person? A 14-ounce bag of stuffing makes about 11 servings; a 6-ounce box of stuffing mix makes 6 servings.

Serving Size: As a side dish, you should plan on ½ pound of potatoes per person. That means if you are planning on 10 people, use 5 pounds of potatoes. 4 people, use 2 pounds of potatoes. To freeze leftover mashed potatoes, allow them to cool then place them in a freezer-safe bag.

Generally speaking, 3 lbs. will be 6–12 potatoes, depending on their size, but the only way to know for sure is with a scale. Luckily for you, potatoes are often sold in 3 lb. bags. From 1 to 60 potatoes.

Why are Thanksgiving ingredients pricier? Labor and food production costs contribute to the increasing cost of produce this year, and food production costs are estimated to increase by 4.1%.

Is it cheaper to eat out for Thanksgiving? ›

Despite those rising costs, the fact that Thanksgiving's main course is more affordable means that 2023 may be the year to cook at home. That's opposite of 2022, when many economists said consumers may actually have saved money by going to a restaurant.

In 2021, the average American ate 15.3 pounds of turkey. Turkey hens (female) are usually sold as whole birds. Toms (male) are processed into turkey sausage, turkey franks, tenderloins, cutlets and deli meats. The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog.