Cooking for 40-50

SteveKing · Mar 21, 2017

I'll be cooking for a birthday party this weekend. Headcount is 40-50. Here is what I'm planning:

2 - 14# Briskets
1 Full Size Chafing Dish Potato Salad
1 Full Size Chafing Dish Beans (with meat and veg, maybe the Keri Apple)
1 Full Size Chafing Dish Cole Slaw

Based on what I cooked for my wedding which was about 90 people I feel this will be a good amount of food. I know other people will likely bring some other food without telling me too.

poorolddan · Mar 21, 2017

You really haven't asked a question but I'm guessing you want to know if your amounts are too much too little or OK. I've always cooked by the weight of the serving per person. A full pan of beans means different things to different people but a 5 ounce serving is just that. Hope this helps.

SteveKing · Mar 21, 2017

Yeah, just checking quantities. I don't remember weights of the food in hotel pans, but surely there must be plenty of people here that do. When I cooked for my wedding I did more meat, but I doubled the sides and that was way too much food for the sides - I figure half of what I did will be plenty.

SteveKing · Mar 22, 2017

Updating with some weights. I've got the two briskets which are 12 and 12.5 pounds. I have 15# boiled potatoes for tater salad, 12 pounds of cabbage for coleslaw, and two of the 117oz bush's baked beans (this will get about 1-2# left over bbq meat, some onion and peppers to stretch it - a variation of Keri's Hog-Apple).

I think this will be plenty. Figure the briskets trim and cook down to 16# total = 5oz for 50 people. 4oz of coleslaw per person, 5oz taters per person, 5oz beans per person. These numbers are also before the fixins in the taters/beans/cabbage too

HBMTN · Mar 22, 2017

SteveKing said:
Figure the briskets trim and cook down to 16# total = 5oz for 50 people.

I personally think you are low here. 2 12.5lb briskets(25lbs) after trimming and cooking will most likely yield about 11.25lbs of edible meat divided by 50 people = 3.6oz per person. We find that the edible/sales portion of a raw weight brisket after trimming and cooking is about 7.2oz per lb of raw whole brisket.

Ayvatr · Mar 23, 2017

HBMTN said:
I personally think you are low here. 2 12.5lb briskets(25lbs) after trimming and cooking will most likely yield about 11.25lbs of edible meat divided by 50 people = 3.6oz per person. We find that the edible/sales portion of a raw weight brisket after trimming and cooking is about 7.2oz per lb of raw whole brisket.

^^^^^^ I agree! Especially if Uncle Lester is hungry! Not to mention that some folks would rather not eat beef. I would also consider another meat selection; say chicken thighs and drumsticks which wouldn't take as long to cook. It looks like you have plenty of sides.

Trinismoker · Mar 23, 2017

More meat. I agree with HBMTN.

Bbq Bubba · Mar 28, 2017

HBMTN said:
I personally think you are low here. 2 12.5lb briskets(25lbs) after trimming and cooking will most likely yield about 11.25lbs of edible meat divided by 50 people = 3.6oz per person. We find that the edible/sales portion of a raw weight brisket after trimming and cooking is about 7.2oz per lb of raw whole brisket.

This.

Khalstead61 · Mar 29, 2017

I always figure 1/2 pound meat per person....usually have leftovers but thats a good thing.....they dont last long

wolfie4wvu · Apr 25, 2017

So can I tack on to this discussion as it is very similar to the one I am looking at.
65 people
2 proteins: I was going to do 3 briskets (approx. 15lbs pre cooked) and about 20 lbs of boneless chicken breasts
3 hotel pans of mac and cheese
2 hotel pans of beans
15# of potato salad

Think I'm good?

BigBellyBBQ · Apr 30, 2017

the above answers are correct...not enough meat

Hawk Island BBQ · May 4, 2017

wolfie4wvu said:
So can I tack on to this discussion as it is very similar to the one I am looking at.
65 people
2 proteins: I was going to do 3 briskets (approx. 15lbs pre cooked) and about 20 lbs of boneless chicken breasts
3 hotel pans of mac and cheese
2 hotel pans of beans
15# of potato salad

Think I'm good?

I am considering starting a caterer if operation Just curious what you're charging per guest?

Cooking for 40-50

SteveKing

is one Smokin' Farker

poorolddan

Full Fledged Farker

SteveKing

is one Smokin' Farker

SteveKing

is one Smokin' Farker

HBMTN

is One Chatty Farker

Ayvatr

is one Smokin' Farker

Trinismoker

Found some matches.

Bbq Bubba

somebody shut me the fark up.

Khalstead61

MemberGot rid of the matchlight.

wolfie4wvu

MemberGot rid of the matchlight.

BigBellyBBQ

is Blowin Smoke!

Hawk Island BBQ

Wandering around with a bag of matchlight, looking for a match.

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