Party Shopping List Tips

HOW MUCH FOR HOW MANY? The easiest way to prepare your shopping list for a party or dinner is to follow the recipe ingredients, but a number of items you will want to serve are not prepared from recipes. It’s difficult to know how much you will need of foods such as potato chips, crackers, dips, tossed salad ingredients, vegetable dippers and ice cream. This table will make it easier for you to decide how much of these non-recipe foods to buy. Click here to see the easy to use chart APPETIZERS FOR 12 SERVINGS FOR 24 SERVINGS FOR 48 SERVINGS Dips, spreads and Pâtés 1½ cups 3 cups 5 cups Nuts ¾ lb. 1½ lb. 3 lb. Potato chips 2 (6 oz.) pkgs. 4 (6 oz.) pkgs. 8 (6 oz.) pkgs. Corn chips 2 (9¼ oz.) pkgs. 4 (9¼ oz.) pkgs. 8 (9¼ oz.) pkgs. Crackers ½ lb. 1 lb. 2 lb. Bread rounds 2 (8 oz.) pkgs. 4 (8 oz.) pkgs. 8 (8 oz.) pkgs. MAKE YOUR OWN SUNDAES FOR 12 SERVINGS FOR 24 SERVINGS FOR 48 SERVINGS Ice cream (1 large scoop per person) 2 qt. 1 gal. 2 gals. Fudge or butterscotch sauce (1 oz. per serving) 12 oz. 24 oz. 48 oz. Strawberry, pineapple or marshmallow sauce (1 ½ oz. per serving) 18 oz. 36 oz. 72 oz. Whipping Cream, whipped (2 tbs. per serving) ½ pint 1 pint 2 pints Chopped nuts (2 tsp. per serving) ½ cup 1 cup 2 cups TOSSED SALAD OR SALAD BAR FOR 12 SERVINGS FOR 24 SERVINGS FOR 48 SERVINGS Iceberg or romaine lettuce 2 heads (2 lb.) 4 heads (4 lb.) 8 heads (8 lb.) Boston or red leaf lettuce 4 heads (3 lb.) 8 heads (6 lb.) 16 heads (12 lb.) Cherry tomatoes 1 lb. 2 lb. 4 lb. Croutons 1¼ cups 2½ cups 5 cups Cucumbers, sliced 2 med. (1½ lb.) 4 med. (3 lb.) 8 med. (6 lb.) Green onions, diced ½ lb. 1 lb. 2 lb. Radishes, sliced 4 to 5 (¼ lb.) 1 bunch (½ lb.) 2 bunches (1 lb.) Mushrooms, sliced ¼ lb. ½ lb. 1 lb. Bacon, cooked, crumbled 1 lb. 2 lb. 4 lb. Hard-cooked eggs 3 5 10 Salad dressingFor tossed salad (1 oz. per serving)For salad bar (2 oz. per serving)  1½ cups (12 oz.)3 cups (24 oz.)  3 cups (24 oz.)6 cups (48 oz.)  6 cups (48 oz.)12 cups (3 qt.) FRESH FRUIT FOR PLATTER OR WATERMELON BASKET FOR 12 SERVINGS FOR 24 SERVINGS FOR 48 SERVINGS Watermelon 1 small (6 lb.) 1 large (12 lb.) 2 large (20 lb.) Strawberries 1½ baskets (1 pint) 3 baskets (3 pints) 6 baskets (6 pints) Pineapple 1 small 1½ medium 3 medium Cantaloupe 1 medium 2 medium 3 medium Honeydew or casaba melon 1 medium 2 medium 3 medium Grapes 1 lb. 2 lb. 4 lb. VEGETABLES FOR RELISH TRAY OR BASKET FOR 12 SERVINGS FOR 24 SERVINGS FOR 48 SERVINGS Carrots 1½ lb. 3 lb. 6 lb. Celery 1½ lb. 3 lb. 6 lb. Radishes 1 bunch (½ lb.) 2 bunches (1 lb.) 4 bunches (1½-2 lb.) Cauliflower 1 med. head (1½-2 lb.) 2 med. heads (3 lb.) 3 lg. heads (6 lb.) Cherry tomatoes 1 lb. 2 lb. 4 lb. Cucumber or zucchini 2 med. (½ lb.) 4 med. (3 lb.) 8 med. (6 lb.) Mushrooms 1 lb. 2 lb. 4 lb. Green beans 1½ lb. 3 lb. 6 lb. MISCELLANEOUS FOR 12 SERVINGS FOR 24 SERVINGS FOR 48 SERVINGS Butter for spreading (1 pat per serving) ¼ lb. ½ lb. 1 lb. Cream for coffee 1 cup 2 cups 4 cups Sugar, granulated ¼ lb. ½ lb. 1 lb. Lemons, sliced for tea 2 4 8 Cookies (3 per serving) 3 doz. 6 doz. 12 doz. After dinner mints ¼ lb. ½ lb. 1 lb.