Heather says:
Let’s make sure everyone is on the same page. We’ve found the dining room table, made a guest list (and invited them), we have made a soft menu plan, and if you’ve never even roasted a chicken that’s on the to-do list, right? Also, if you’re anything like me, you may need to put away all the stuff that has already found its way back to that recently cleared table.
Ok, today we’re doing another pen and paper exercise. Â Try to contain your excitement.
It’s time start figuring out the final menu. To do this, you need to know how many people are dining and a rough idea of their usual appetite. The list below accounts for average people. If you are serving teenagers or relatives you already know are greedy increase the estimates. I increase the dessert estimate just because it’s a holiday for Pete’s sake. These estimates work best for a formal meal where everyone sits down and eventually people get tired of passing items.
If you’re serving buffet style, definitely increase the gravy. I don’t know what it is about a buffet that makes people go nuts on the gravy, but that’s the way it is.
Serving estimates for holiday meals:
- Whole turkey* – 1lb turkey for each guest up to a 14lb bird. Anything larger, estimate 3/4lb per person. (The skeleton of the turkey weighs less proportionally in large birds).
- Bone-in turkey breast – 2/3 lb per person
- Boneless turkey breast – 1/2 lb per person
- Dressing aka Stuffing aka Filling – 3/4 cup per guest
- Gravy – 1/3 cup per person go 2/3rds cup per for buffet style
- Mashed potatoes – 1lb of potatoes for every 2 guests (Are you happy, I increased it from last year?)
If you are serving two kinds (roasted and mashed) estimate 1lb for every 3 – 4 guests - Cranberry relish / sauce – 1lb of berries for every 5 people
- Vegetables, including sweet potates – 1/2 cup per person of each type
- Rolls – 2 per guest minimum
- Rice – 1/2 cup per person
- Dessert – 1 – 2 servings per guest
Some of the very dedicated choose to serve both turkey and ham. In that case estimate one pound of ham for every four or five people and 3/4 lb of turkey.
*If you love leftovers, as I do, increase your turkey estimate by 50%.
I was doing really well ignoring the fact that TDay is coming so soon until you went and ruined my fantasy.
But I suppose since I've been kicked into reality, I should thank you for the helpful tips and plan. So thank you!
As always, you post it when I need it!!! I just picked up my "back-up" turkey breast (fzn) this afternoon and was thinking "wait, is it a pound per person or 3/4 per person for bone-in-TB?" And, HERE it is, all ready for me!
BTW, This is some sort of Blogaversary for us, I first found your site around the time you posted your 2007 Meal Planning Guide in that year's Countdown! Yours has been my favorite and most useful blog in the 3 years since. Thank you from the bottom of my Domestically Challenged heart!
That is one of the sweetest comments I've ever gotten. Thank you.
I can't believe I've been doing the Turkey Day Countdown for four years now. I keep tweaking it. I think next year I'll offer it as a newsletter, too.
that would be really awesome. 🙂
What, no rice? This is the South! You must have rice.
Oh, and dinner rolls. Nice warm dinner rolls.
I edited it for both. Thanks!
And fruit salad, and pumpkin pie, and green been casserole, and muchies for the guest to nibble on while dinner is running later, and wine to calm down those same family members. And lots of couch space for afterwards for napping!
Here in Tennessee, I've never heard of rice for Thanksgiving. I've also never seen mashed potatoes on a Thankgiving spread, but I know it's common elsewhere. We always have a green bean casserole. And deviled eggs. But, then again, we mostly potluck Thankgiving meals, and that means someone is bringing some deviled eggs….
I hate to admit this (confessional time!), but I am a lifelong Southerner of a certain age (40+) and have never made cornbread dressing (Mom always did!). However, I am hosting Thanksgiving this year for just my partner, myself and our two kids (both under 12) and would like some homemade dressing. Heather, do you have an EASY recipe for cornbread dressing?
Thanks!
Lee in AL