We're having a graduation open house -- have invited 300 people -- how do I plan how much food to make?

Option #1:

Buy enough for 300. Save reciepts and properly refrigerate stuff so you can return it if not needed. Prepare enough for 150 in advance. Have a cadre of relatives / best buddies on standby to rush the kitchen and make more if it becomes necessary.

Return any unopened items for full refund the next day.

For cake: Instead of one big cake (which tells the guests how many people you were expecting), get one main cake with the message or special picture on it (maybe serves 50?) plus several smaller cakes to suppliment it.

Option #2:

Buy enough for 300. Enjoy the party with no fear of running out. Whatever is left over after the party can be donated to a local homeless shelter. They will be extremely grateful & you can count it as a tax-deductible donation and feel really good about yourself.

Yikes! I'd plan on 200 myself....and with more than enough for those 200 (plan on seconds and then you are covered). I'd make 2 bowls of punch, in addition maybe have canned pop in a cooler on ice beside the beverage table, so others can have other choices (then you aren't having to keep making more punch). I would make everything simple, such as sandwiches on platters, fruit platters, and chip bowls. For dessert I would get a big cake with ice cream and some a cookie tray. Then call it a day. Those don't last all day, I don't think, just a couple of hours. Good Luck!

Plan on the 300 people showing up. It would be better to have extra food, than not enough.

This is a list from the back of a cook book I have....

Based on 100 guests

coffee, lemonade and tea.........6 gallons

desserts....layer cake....6 10inch cakes

" .....sheet cake.....2 12" by 20" cakes

turkey or chicken........50lbs.

hamburgers........35lbs.

hot dogs......25lbs

potato salad....4 1/2 gallons

These are just a few I thought might be helpful. Remember to triple them for 300. Try checking your cook books for more. Good luck!!

Use a service that reimburse you on any unused foods. You should always expect 75% and even 100% if you didnt do invites. You dont want to less and you dont want an abundant amount. Shop around. The Punch you should keep tons of plus bottled water. Call Coco-Cola and ask if they can donate their bottle water. That can save money. Pepsi is excellent with donating goods also. Since its a graduation; shop around.

sparkling healthful ingredients. pupils prefer to consume nicely and graduates are not going to be in for shiny ingredients flow common - if its purely finger nutrition, decide for salmon bits wrapped around cream cheese, tapas nutrition including olives sundried tomatoes and so on. get some bread out in a single day, permit it get somewhat stale - unusual i be conscious of, yet you place some issues on it, and its a canape. you will be able to as nicely do stuff like pasta - and placed out small short cups and forks. purely as stable as finger nutrition. in case you're doing easily nutrition, you're suitable off going to a community marketplace/keep and asking them to cater - or finding up a community catering employer. as after the hardship of procuring for/making waiting/cooking/serving up the nutrition - you will prefer you may purely had it made.

A proficient caterer could sure save you a lot of grief.

...Just a thought.

That's why you put "Please RSVP" by whatever date on your invitations.