The Smart Way to Plan Food for a Party of 50

Planning food for a party of 50 people can feel overwhelming—especially when you're juggling work, family, and everything else life throws at you. You’re probably searching for realistic, stress-free solutions that don’t require a catering budget or a culinary degree.

If you’ve ever wondered what to serve, how much food is enough, or how to stay sane while doing it, you’re in the right place.  Let’s make feeding a crowd feel easy, doable, and even fun.

Always Start with the Budget

Before you plan your party for 50 guests like you're catering for the Oscars, remember—your budget is boss. It determines everything, from the menu style to how much food you serve.
 
So, do yourself a favor—start with your budget and work backwards. That way you won’t blow your dollars on filet mignon when you can only afford to serve finger sandwiches. Dream big, plan smart.

Aside from planning food for 50 people, you’ll need to think about space, equipment, and storage. If your kitchen is teeny tiny, it’s okay. Borrow extra tables, coolers, and even a friend’s fridge if necessary.  Pull out (or purchase/borrow) serving platters, large pots, pans and cookware.  

Think about it, the final menu will depend on your "culinary comfortableness", kitchen space, available equipment, access to food storage, and help throughout the process, as needed. 

Planning the Menu

What to Serve

Appetizers: These tiny treats are optional but can be served before the main food is placed on a buffet service table or before a seated service. Cocktail parties are all about appetizers so include finger foods, sliders, mini quiches, and meat and vegetable platters.

Main Course: Entrees are the star of the show. Opt for crowd-pleasing staples like oven baked chicken, roast beef, chili for a crowd, lasagna, baked pasta with added protein.  Elevate these comforting classics by infusing them with bold flavors and creative twists. Don't forget vegan and/or vegetarian options. 

Side Dishes: Side dishes should compliment the main courses and should be plentiful.  Consider classic combinations such as chicken or beef with potatoes, plain pasta with meatballs and tomato sauce and seafood stew over rice.  

Desserts: Depending on the occasion, include a selection of cake and pie slices, cupcakes, mini pastries and/or, a fruit platter 

Beverages:  Depending on the occasion, menu and time of year, you may not need a large variety of beverages. For example: Breakfast: Coffee, Tea, Water.  Lunch: Soda, fruit drink, water, Dinner: Coffee, Water. 

See More: 
Cooking for a Crowd - Includes Large Quantity Recipes

How Much to Serve

The number one question I receive at Chef-Menus.com is, “How much food do I serve?”.  This will probably be a troublesome yet almost impossible question to answer. 

Here are a few hopefully helpful tips:     

• The portion size of each dish can be determined by the serving suggestions of the recipe.  If possible, use larger serving (i.e.; 10-12 servings) recipes to prepare dishes.  
  
  
• Nonetheless, it is not necessary to prepare 50 servings of every menu item for 50 guests. Party goers typically sample small portions of various dishes but do not sample every dish. Proteins and carbohydrates will be the most desirable selections. 
  
  
• If possible, prepare about 10–15% more food (overall) than the exact number of guests to account for seconds or unexpected guests.  This is especially a good idea for meats and sides such as potato and pasta dishes.  These are often what people go for on their first “pass” of the buffet table. Also, place these hearty items at the front of the buffet line
  
  
• If guests are allowed to serve themselves, plan on larger portion sizes in general 
  
  
• You can influence serving sizes with the utensils you provide:Use a small ladle for shrimp in butter sauce. Use a larger ladle or spoon for rice. Choose a serving fork instead of tongs for items like beef steaks or sliced roasted chicken breast. 
  
  
• Adjust down if kids with smaller appetites are a substantial part of the guest list. Age matters and young ones generally eat more as they get older.
  
  
• If your party/event is a long one, guests may go back for more, so increase quantities a bit

Quick Food Quantity Chart for 50 

Having a general idea of the desired portion sizes will help in deciding food quantities and in estimating and controlling food costs.  Here's a quick food quantity chart to figure out how much food to purchase for a party of 50.  Remember, all measures are approximate. Please use your best culinary judgement

Food Item	Portion Per Person	Total for 50
Protein (meat, seafood, plant-based)	6–8 oz	20–25 lbs
Potatoes, Pasta, Rice, Grains	4–6 oz cooked	15–20 lbs
Vegetables	4–6 oz cooked	15–20 lbs
Salad Greens, all types	1–1.5 cups	6–8 lbs
Bread/Rolls	1-2 pieces	50-100 pieces
Dessert Cake or Pie	1 piece or slice	50 portions
Beverages	1-2 drinks per hour	Varies by duration of event

For more details check out our expanded food quantity chart for serving 50 and food quantity chart for 10-25 persons