As a company focused on bettering our communities and our planet, we love sharing ideas on how to lessen your waste during the holidays. With Thanksgiving meals being prepped as we write (literally, if you are doing the hosting!), here some guidelines for exactly how much food you should make for your guests thanks to FoodNetwork.com.
Appetizers
The purpose of appetizers is to make “everyone feel welcome and comfortable, to take the edge off people’s hunger and to whet their appetites.” Keeping that in mind, 3 to 4 bites (or pieces) per person should be plenty, unless you are serving a more substantial appetizer (i.e. shrimp cocktail) where 1 to 2 pieces per person will work.
Turkey
“When purchasing a turkey for the big day, think 1 ½ pounds per guest.” If you know most guests prefer white over dark meat, consider purchasing separate breasts and legs instead of the entire bird. For boneless birds? You can assume 8 ounces per guest.
Stuffing
This is one parts of the Thanksgiving feast where it is actually OK to cook more than you think you might need. Why? Stuffing is typically the most popular side dish of the day and even if you have some leftovers, you can use them on next day sandwiches. Assume each guest will eat about ¾ cups of cooked stuffing (this same measurement can be used for mashed potatoes, too!)
Vegetables
While not as popular as stuffing, vegetable sides are always a welcome sight on the Thanksgiving buffet. Each guest will eat about 4 ounces of vegetables TOTAL.
Wine
“The right amount of wine to serve varies from guest to guest”, but you should estimate that each person will drink 2 to 3 glasses. Traditionally there are 6-4 glasses of wine per bottle, which means you will need 1 to 2 bottles for every 4 guests.
Pie
If turkey is the star of the Thanksgiving table, pie is the standing ovation. “One 9-inch pie typically feeds 6 to 8 people.”
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Talk to us: What is your favorite food on the Thanksgiving table?
image courtesy of flickr cc/Gerry