I'm cooking a picnic for about 80 people, and I'm not sure how much food I should buy!?

Question

I'm serving hamburgers and hot dogs, potato sald, macaroni salad, picnic type stuff like that, and baking a cake. How big should my cake be? Do you think it would be better to just buy a cake? Help I'm an entertaining idiot!

Answer 1

One thing to take into consideration is how many children will be coming. They tend to gravitate towards hot dogs, while the adults tend to eat more hamburgers. If you are estimating high on the number of people that will attend, then go with the 80 count. If you are not sure, plan on 5-10% more to cover extra guests that may show up. Since it's just hot dogs and hamburgers, it won't hurt your budget as if you were doing lobster or some exotic food to buy a little extra.

I would plan on making about 60 hamburgers and 30 hot dogs.

Depending on how much time you want to spend on everything, you can buy pre-packaged stuff or do it yourself. You will save a lot of money on the hamburgers if you buy bulk ground beef and do them yourself. I can give you a great recipe for hamburgers that people will love because it's not the generic run of the mill hamburger they would get at most bbq's. You will love it because it's easy to do, and you probably already have most of the things laying around your kitchen.

The macaroni salad and potato salad I would suggest you buy in bulk, unless you have lots of time and a huge kitchen with industrial size pots/pans/strainers/etc... If you do these yourself, you can start the pasta a day or two ahead of time. It will keep in a sealed container for a couple of days. However, make sure it's JUST the pasta. Don't add anything to it until the day of the event. The potato salad will keep for a couple of days. However, you get into a storage space issue again. It will save you a lot of time and stress to hit Costco or somewhere similar and load up on a few choices. I would recommend 4-6 oz. per person. And you don't have to do that on both. If you have 80 people coming, I would plan on 320 oz. of sides. You can split that three ways, or just down the middle if you only want to do two sides.

Save yourself a major headache! Buy the cake and don't attempt to do it yourself. You can buy pre-cut cakes, or you can get large sheets of cakes from your grocery store or local bakery. Let them know how many people you are expecting, and they should be able to point you in the right direction depending on exactly what it is you are trying to do. On this, I would not go over on the numbers. If you think 80 will show, stick with 80. Also remember to keep it simple. Stay away from the cakes with all the fruit and multiple layers of different things. I would keep it to one flavor of cake and one or two flavors of icing.

Answer 2

For the cake, if you have a Costco near you, buy their 1/2 sheet cake. It's only $20 and saves you a lot of time.

For 80 people, I say plan on 1 hot dog and 1 burger per person and that's being unconservative since there are always people that will scarf on the hot dogs and hamburgers and skip the salads. Also,it depends upon the crowd, college student in the dorms I would buy more. Seniors in a retirement community maybe a little less.

For potato salad and mac salad, I would assume 2 to 3 ounces per person which works out to about 160 ounces (10 pounds). For the mac and potato salad, I would split it 50/50 plus a little extra. Also, available at Cosco, Smart and Final, Cash and Carry, Sam's Club. Look at the servings per containter to get an idea of how much you need.

For drinks, you can also go to a party supply store or buy a big drink cooler (the one's football players use to soak their coaches) and fill it with punch or Kool-Aid and ice.

Answer 3

We figure a little over half of each type of meats {Like 45 hamburgers and 45 hot dogs} if you are feeding men or big eaters do at least 10 extra of each. {it's better to have too many then not enough, they can always be warmed up the next day} and 1/4 cup of salads per person. if you have access to a lager restaurant size baking pan I suggest 2 of those for the cakes, if not try cupcakes they are easier to control the size and portions that way you know you'll have enough. Always do a few extra. You could buy a cake but for that many it will cost you out the wazoo

Answer 4

1. If you can order the cake and save yourself some real time you will thank all of us who suggested that.

2. You are not an entertaining idiot. But if you do not feel so confident about it then cater some and cook some, this way you will diminish the stress level and the very day of your pic-nic you will look relaxed. If you do not enjoy cooking at all and this is too stressful then cater all the way.

3. If you live in a hot weather make sure to bring some ice-cream to be served with the cake, otherwise, it will be to dry for everybody´s throats.

4. As other member suggested make sure you have plenty of each, left-overs can always be frozen and you can use them for emergencies.

5. If your friends are going you can always ask them for carry-in food, they will be delighted to help you out and you will have one more thing not to worry about.

6. The important thing of helding this kind of events is to have fun and be everywhere without exhausting yourself, pic-nics are relaxed and so you would have to be.

7. Do not forget the rice-squares, they are totally a must for picnics! Enjoy your day and if food is missing somehow, make a contest and offer 50usd to any guy willing to go to Costco for some sandwiches!!!

Answer 5

You should be buying about 140 hamburgers and about 50 hot dogs. Have the mustard and ketchup onions, lettuce, tomato, relish on the side for people.
I would buy sheet cake. You can go to sams or costco or BJ's you can get a chocolate and vanilla.
Salads, I would say that 5# feeds about 10-15 people but it depends on your crowd. If this is outside and hot, I would make sure you can keep you cold foods cold and hot foods hot so nobody gets sick.

Answer 6

Buy a full sheet cake an cut it into small squares.Ask the bakery how many it will serve and what size squares to serve.Just buy it,that way you can pick it up the day of the event.

Answer 7

65 burgers
35 hot dogs
figure 4 oz of potato salad or 4 oz of macaroni salad for each

sheet cake-4" x 4" cut for each person