Cookies depends on size and type, but you want about 3 ounces per person.

Remember, it takes those 60 cup coffee machines over an hour to brew- start early.

See my article on planning tea sandwiches- depending on the timing of the event, you may be short to very short. Also depends on whether you are counting sandwiches made with whole slices of bread, which cut into 3-4 little sandwiches, or counting the already cut sandwiches.

Fruit - grapes, pineapple,

Generally, up to 60 is pretty possible in a home kitchen, so if you really have 100, you might consider 2 parties, such as 2 nights in a row. You can start by reading my article on self catering your wedding dinner or event in the Big Pots section.

P.S. I find your website very helpful.

Thanks.

I would serve the chicken salad in big bowls, maybe add a big bowl of egg salad and one of tuna salad; have lots of nice rolls and bread in baskets, sandwich fixings on the side; and add 12-18 pounds tray of sliced cheeses.

Do one of the relish trays for 60 as outlined at the top of the veggie tray page, and use the guidelines below it for your veggie tray.

Add fruit trays- 4 of the fruit tray for 25 would be about right.

Punch amounts are on the beverage planning page. Recipe ideas in the punch thread on this forum.

Add dinner level coffee. People like it with the cake.

Sweet potatoes, you can cook as if canned, but still need to bake on the toppings day of. Refrigerate to store. Neither potato does well if simply baked and then reheated.

Pumpkin? Pies? Can be made day ahead but need to be refrigerated.

as for a fruit platter of strawberries, raseberries, watermoelon, cantelop and honey du melon, how much would i need?

Question: How many Bananas weigh the same as one Cantaloupe?

2 cantaloupes = 1 grapefruit + 1 banana
1 grapefruit= 5 bananas

fruit, use the deluxe fruit tray for 100 or equivalent weight in other fruit
veggies, Use one classic relish tray and regular veggie tray with dip for 50, see the veggie tray page
dips,chips- 2 dips, about 7 quarts each; 8-10 pounds chips
crackers,cheese, 15-20 pounds cheese, some slices, some balls or logs; 6-8 pounds crackers
cold sliced meats- see the sandwich page, use amounts for meal, not reception
Add 120 regular or 200 small rolls and condiments per the sandwich page, people will make sandwiches.

Thanks ever so much for your help!

Thanks ever so much for your help!

Thank you for being such a resourceful person! I appreciate your site immensely. I was asked to cater a dinner (working dinner) and they are requested mixed green salads with chicken. The salad is the main course (they are not asking for anything else). This is for 30 people, what am I looking at portion wise? How many lbs of greens and chicken do I need?

smoked salmon, 1 pound per 5. You also need cream cheese, 1 ounce per person, capers, and some nice tiny cocktail breads, mini bagels or rolls- 8-12 pounds per 100
veggie trays with dip, see veggie tray page
fruit with a chocolate fountain, full details on the chocolate fountain page
crackers with cheese- 20 pounds, some can be dips or balls/logs. 8 pounds crackers per 100

If you have many children, have a dip or spread they would like as a sandwich bite, they are not salmon eaters- chicken salad? egg salad? ham salad? Pizza bites?

mints, nuts, 8 pounds each

cake- just remember that the estimates on serving size for wedding cakes are really small. With this reception-time party, you might consider adding an assortment of small desserts, or cookies and bars, at the chocolate fountain- people do love their sweets.

cucumbers, celery, broccoli florets and mini carrots
add cherry tomatoes for color, possibly sliced or mini bell peppers, and dip
You want 4-6 pieces per person, the veggie tray page will give you counts per pound for each item in your final choice of veggies:
www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/plan/appesalad.html

onion dip- 1 cup per 6
spinach dip- 1 cup per 6
pita chips, crackers, total, 10 pounds

apple slices, grapes and pineapple
I would definitely add melons and strawberries, and a dip. See the discussion and guides on the fruit tray page. And be sure to dip the apple slices in fruit fresh or pineapple juice so they don't brown.

www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/plan/fruit100.html

Have 2 pounds of crackers.

4 pints strawberries and 4 pounds grapes are enough.

You might consider bars (lemon, cheesecake) and maybe brownies, rather than cupcakes, they eat easier.

strawberries
watermelon
honeydew
cantalope
grapes
pineapple
berries

I am cooking for a baby naming tomorrow I have 70 people i need to do a fruit, veggie, relish tray, pasta and greek salad's and italain beef. can you tell me what i would need to feed 70 people?

i was told for 70 people 1/4 of a pound for each person for the beef would be enough? can you tell me if that is correct? so liek 18 lbs? does that seem correct?

fruit, 2 trays for 25 from the fruit tray page, assuming there will be plenty of desserts also
veggie, 2 simple trays for 25 from the veggie tray page
relish tray, one classic relish tray from the top of the veggie tray page
pasta salad, 5 pounds dry pasta plus add-ins
Greek salad, see recipe this site:
www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/plan/salads1100.html

I plan to make cheese plate with dark chocolate, what kind of cheese and dark chocolate should i buy to make a good pearing.
Also, How much cheese and chocolate shoud i buy?
how many gram or ounces of cheese or chocolate per person will be appropriate.

Sorry, I forgot to mention number of people. I will prepare for 20 people.

www.eatwisconsincheese.com/assets/pdfs/cheesechocolate.pdf

You will be drooling by the time you get to the end of it. Of course, you can use European rather than Wisconsin, cheeses.

A lovely wine with this would be the Susana Balbo Malbec from Argentina. For 20 people, at least 5 bottles.

I STRONGLY suggest you do fruit trays instead of fruit salad, prettier, keeps better, easier to eat, and the leftovers are more useful. See the deluxe tropical tray for 100 on the fruit tray page- that would be about right.

Consider adding one interesting dip or spread, hummus is popular right now- about 1 cup per 5-6, 1 ounce pita bread or chips per person.

for veggies, use the veggie tray page, plan 5-6 pieces per person, you select what veggies you want. Add Ranch dip.

Cheese, about 1 pound sliced or cubed per 12
Pepperoni, about 1 pound per 15
crackers, 6 pounds per 100 people

www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/plan/sundae100.html

3 pounds bananas is plenty if they are sliced in circles and you have the other toppings. If you are allowing splits, purchase about 1 banana for 5.

Count kids under 10 as 1/2 adult, and calculate your total "adults".

Then use the fruit tray page and the veggie tray page to figure how much of what you need. For veggies, it works out to 1 pound ready to eat veg per 10-12 (larger amount if stand alone, less if part of a meal) plus 1 pint Ranch dressing per 12. For fruits, 6 pieces/bites of fruit per adult is usually plenty. The fruit tray page tells you how many bites there are in various pieces of fruit.

When you do your calculation, you can post it and I will check it for you.

Hummus dip, since midafternoon, 1 cup per 10, 1 pound chips per quart

fruit trays
cantaloupe, cuts 36 pieces, 2 pieces per person
watermelon, each pound cuts 12 pieces, 3 per person
strawberries, 25 per quart 2-3 per person

carrots, cucs, celery, & cherry toms- 2 pieces each per person, throw in some extra carrots. Normally kids and many grownups prefer Ranch dressing type dip, allow 1 cup per 10

meatballs, at least 10 pounds per 100, 3 quarts sauce per 100
bruschetta, 3 pieces per person
skewers, 3 per person

cheese 1 pound per 10, some can be logs or spreads. 6 pounds crackers per 100

fruit tray, 2 1/2 times the deluxe fruit tray for 100 on the fruit tray page, or equivalent amounts

Strongly suggest you add 4 classic relish trays from the top of the veggie tray page

One of the finest and most memorable (and inexpensive) fruit choices for this event is cold watermelon, and large ice chests for 3-4 hours is a great way to chill them. You would want about 1/2 pound per person. Chunk them up with large knives at the site as you serve, plenty of napkins and wetnaps and hose down later.

If you don't want to do this, use the fruit tray page to calculate about 5 bites per person, counting 1 ounce of grapes as a bite; but remember people want bites and they don't want to bother with peels, seeds, etc.

For cheese, traditional string cheese, which is individually wrapped, usually packaged as a kid snack, would be great. 2 strings per person. Slices and cubes are messier and slower eating.

For veggies, cold crisp baby carrots, and/or peas in a pod and/or celery sticks or mini peppers, 1 pound per about 10 (how much other food?)

I would not have thought of waffles as a staple for this many people; when do for 18, we keep 2 irons going for a couple hours. Please consider doing my baked French toast

www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/frtoast1.html

or maybe the brunch stratas for part of you brunch entrees

www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/plan/brunch100.html

That brunch article might give you lots of help and ideas about planning for this large party. You could still do waffles, but i would be much less of a challenge!

waffle bar including fresh strawberries and blueberries among various other toppings,

A very generous fruit serving for 5 people is 12 ounces strawberries (=2 cups) plus 10 ounces raspberries or blueberries (=2 cups). For toppings, you might use 1/2 to 2/3 that amount

For just waffle toppings, you might also consider using frozen sliced strawberries, which are a much more trouble free option- no washing and slicing.

sausage links, for each 100 PEOPLE, Small links- 2 per person
14-15 pounds
Patties- 2 per person
24 pounds- it shrinks 50%

Italian soda bar, 12-14 gallons per 100

yogurt for parfaits, 1 gallon makes 20 large parfaits, 6 0unces. You can go to 4 ounces by using a smaller cup or bowl.