Planning a Holiday Feast for A Crowd

The holidays are a time for families and friends friends to gather-- lots of them!   It may be the only time of the year you decide to do some serious quantity cooking.    Here's are a few tips on how much to purchase and on serving sizes for meats, side dishes and gravy.

Let's talk turkey
When choosing the holiday bird, first decide if you want leftovers and second, identify the number of hearty eaters who will be at your table.   For both situations it is wise to increase the amount of turkey by 25-50%.  

When purchasing your turkey and other cuts of meat, consider the size and capabilities of your oven.  Also ask yourself, do you feel comfortable handling a turkey over 20
 pounds?  It is heavy!  Consider cooking more then one bird or other meats to equal the total amount you will need or have others cook with or for you.   Also remember, large cuts of meat require big roasting pans and lots of counter/table space.  

It is difficult to calculate exactly how much meat the cooked turkey will produce and it is difficult to judge how much your guests will eat.  Use the following suggestions as a starting point and as always use your best judgment.  And remember what mother said, "It is always better to have too much then not enough".    

Whole turkey - Allow about 1 pound of uncooked turkey per person.  One pound of uncooked turkey will yield a little over 1/2 pound of cooked meat, minus the skin, bones and other inedible portions.  

Turkey Parts - A whole turkey breast has less inedible portions and you will need approximately 15-25 pounds of whole breast parts to feed 25-50 guests (whole turkey breast weight between 4-12 pounds).  

For turkey legs and wings, figure that each quest will eat at least 2 pieces, which is about 20-30 pounds of turkey parts.  You could do a combination of whole turkey and turkey parts.  The parts are much easier to cook and serve. 

holiday ham and other meats
If you are serving both turkey and ham or some other meat, such as brisket or lamb, most people will eat both, and likely more turkey.   You can reduce the amount of turkey you purchase by a little, or not.  

For this chart, amount to purchase is for 25-50 quests respectively

side dishes and the like 

If you want to stay within a tight budget, here is where you can bulk up the  meal.  Holiday side dishes are generally starchy or creamy and filling.  We like to serve stuffing and potatoes and peas.  This fills and satisfies your guests but it can also save you money as you can buy less high-priced meats.    

For this chart, amount to purchase is for 25-50 quests respectively

See Holiday Quantity Cooking Chart for more help

Stock for Gravy - Serving 50
To make the turkey stock for gravy,  you will need about 6 celery stalks, and 1/2 pound each of carrots and onions for each 1 whole turkey you are preparing.    You will also need to roast an additional 5 pounds of turkey drumsticks, wingtips, or necks to make 1/2 to 1 gallon of stock.   Otherwise, you will need 1 gallon of purchased, low-sodium or unsalted chicken stock.   See Quantity Recipes for Gravy and Sauces  

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