Really, how much turkey should you have per person? How many sides, how much dessert, and HOW MANY BOTTLES OF WINE? I mean, these are all questions I’ve been having lately while preparing for Friendsgiving! I thought I would share my findings with you, add a bit of my own knowledge, and make a handy-dandy graphic that you can bookmark, save on your phone, or pin on Pinterest to reference for all your gathering needs!

Read on below for some details, and a few recipes linked for inspiration!

HOW MUCH FOOD DO I MAKE FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER?

PROTEIN

I bought a 22 pound turkey this year for 13 adults and around 7 children. I think that’s a pretty good size, and will probably yield leftovers since another person is supposed to be bringing his prize-winning pulled pork. YUM! It’s been said to do around 1-2 pounds for a turkey PRE-COOKED. If you aren’t working with a bone, you can probably do around 1/2 a pound per person. (Ham, steak, lamb, burgers, etc.) This will assure you have plenty to go around, and if you’re lucky, you will have some leftovers!

POTATOES

This is the sweet spot for me. I love me some potatoes. I actually got into a fight with a past attendee of my annual Friendsgiving because he brought store-bought mashed potatoes! He’s no longer invited. (Just kidding, I kinda like him, so he’s still sticking around…unless he makes this horrible mistake again!)

You should assume around 3/4 cups of potatoes per guest. If you’re looking to mix things up this year and make a twist on your potatoes, you can try my Colcannon with Bacon recipe, that I’ve linked for you here!

STUFFING

Stuffing is my husband’s number one, so I could him as 3 people in this area! (You have to know your crowd, right?!) Whether you make it from scratch or just fix it from a box, you should allow approximately 2/3 cup per person. Or you could be like my mom and allow 2 CUPS per person. It’s becoming clear to me now that my family has a stuffing addiction.

STARCHY SIDES

Gimme the noodles, mac & cheese, casseroles, etc! These are some of the BEST sides, but the truth is, people don’t load up on them TOO much. Usually there are a few offerings in this category, so you can make around 1/2 cup per item per person! My girl, Kelli from bighairandfoodiefare.com, has an AMAZING recipe for Doritos White Horseradish Mac & Cheese if you are looking for a show-stopping side to impress your friends with!

VEGETABLES

Cooked veggies go the extra mile on Thanksgiving! Be sure to prepare a cup per person, and don’t skimp on the green beans!

PIE

I’d like all the pie, but you know what? That’s just me. I’m currently LOVING carmel apple pie, so if you have a good recipe that is E A S Y, let me know! Your guest will each need to be allotted 1/8 of a pie!

DESSERT

If you have other desserts besides pie, like cake, apple crumble, peach cobbler, etc, you will want to allow a 2X2″ piece per person! You will likely have leftovers if there are a lot of desserts, but you will want to be sure each person can try everything!

ALCOHOL

1 drink per person per hour, that is, if you don’t have a bunch of lushes for friends! You will know your crowd and if they are the drinking kind, you can always up the amount! My friends are quite the opposite. I can probably do 1 drink per 2-3 people per hour. It’s that kind of party, y’all!

OTHER BEVERAGES

Allow one drink per hour of soda, water, tea, lemonade, etc. Some people will sip on their drink all night, some people will have 8 oz every 20 minutes, but it should all even out. Having tea or lemonade mix on hand should be helpful in case you run out of your famous fruit punch or soda!

OTHER FOOD ITEMS:

ROLLS: 1-2 per person

COOKIES: 1-2 per person

CHEESE TRAYS: 2-3 oz per person

FRUIT & VEGETABLE TRAYS: 3-4 oz per person

I really hope this has all helped you in your holiday party planning preparation! I can’t believe it’s all almost here, and I am so ready to dive into this season! Hope you have an amazing Thanksgiving week and holiday season- and I definitely hope this helps!