amounts for cheese and meat platters
One of the most frequently asked questions is, “How much cold meat, cheese or fruit do I need to purchase to feed the quests at my afternoon wedding reception?”
Hopefully the information below will help you figure out YOUR answer! The guide line below is a planning aide. Variables to consider are the age of the crowd and time of day (will it overlap a meal time). Increase or decrease the amount slightly as you feel necessary.
Amounts needed to feed approx. 50 people
| Food: | Amount if only serving this ONE item: |
Suggested amount if serving all or most of these items: |
| cheese ~ cheddar, jack, Swiss, etc. | 5 lb. assorted cheeses, thinly sliced, plus bread/crackers/pickles |
1-1/2 – 2 lb. assorted, thinly sliced or cubed cheese |
| meats ~ cold cuts, ham, beef, turkey etc. | 10 lb. assorted meats shaved or sliced, plus bread/crackers/pickles |
3-4 lb. thinly sliced meats |
| veggies and dip (this is the most inexpensive item and the easiest to have extra on hand) |
5 lb. prepared assorted veggies; 6 c. dip | 3-4 lb. prepared veggie sticks, 4 c. dip |
| fruit chunks – melons | 10 lb. melon balls or cubes | 3-5 lb. melon balls or cubes or some strawberries (allow 50 % waste when purchasing melons unpeeled weight) |
| Shrimp | 3 – 5 lb. and cocktail sauce (the count on a pkg. of shrimp will tell you how many are in 1 lb., i.e. 21-30 (large) or 175-200 – tiny) |
1- 1/12 lb. |
| bread, crackers, buns etc. | 3 small bread or crackers, or 1-1/2 buns per person | 1-1/2 – 3 small bread or crackers per person. |
| pickles, olives etc. | 3 lbs. | 1-1/2 lbs. |
| chips, dip | dips 1-1/2 qt. 5 lb. chips |
2-3 lbs. and 4 c. dip |
- As you add more items to your menu, reduce the others accordingly.
- Veggies, crackers, chips are inexpensive fill-ins and fill people up, have extras of those.
- Depending on the age and time of day, allow from 4 – 12 pieces per person.
- The more things you add, the less amount of each item you will need.
- The thinner you slice your meat, cheese and veggies and fruit, the more serving you will get per lb.
- Decorate your plates and platters attractively, green leaf lettuce, parsley and flowers.
- use toothpicks and small skewers to form interesting presentations.
- Devilled eggs, smoked oysters, tiny open faced sandwiches, are easy and appealing.
- Meatballs in a sauce, or a hot spread for dipping in a chaffing dish is easy and attractive.
- Add hot appetizers if you desire, adjusting the total volume of food accordingly.