Thanksgiving Dinner - How Much Food Do I Need to Feed 33 People??

One word: POTLUCK
Seriously, yikes! Not only is that a lot of work but a LOT of money. My husband's family is huge (around 40 to 50 people per holiday.) Whoever is hosting provides the main meat/gravy, and everyone else brings something to contribute (including a second and sometimes third meat.) The host (or hostess) sends out an email with requests and everyone "replies all" with what they are bringing. Those who don't like to cook bring the store bought dinner rolls, paper goods, soda and wine.
Good luck!!!

We have a family of 10 when we are all together. I'd say 3 turkeys, 9 pies, at least 20 pounds of mashed potatoes, and 3 times whatever you would ordinarily make.

It depends upon how many side dishes you will have. I worked in a deli and we used to tell people 1/4 pound /person because not everyone will eat some of everything. I would go with a 20lb turkey if that is the only meat you are serving. 10lbs potatoes and then judge your other menu items on personal likes and dislikes. For instance if you serve a relish dish not everyone will take some veggies. I always make squash or yams and broccoli and maybe a bag of corn, so that is 3 veggies. Are planning a dinner salad? If so then maybe not so many veggies.
If you can have each family bring one of the side dishes. One family can bring the veggies, one a salad, and the other a desert. Then you only have to consetrate on making the turkey, the stuffing and potatoes.

Good luck and have fun.

With that many people I think you should only be doing the turkey and ask people to bring side dishes. It is a really hard meal to cook if your doing it yourself!

We do aprox 26 people not including the wee little kids since they don't really eat much.

we get a 17lb turkey or around there and then do a decent size ham 10lbs ish also. (ham on the grill) turkey in the oven. We also typically take care of the stuffing and the condiments.

Now we have family bring the sides, someone brings potatoes, then another bread/buns, candy/snacks, drinks (pops), pies, etc you get the idea. We do not host it all that would be crazy expensive!!

Wow, that's a LOT of people!! My sister has 25ish at her house for Thanksgiving. She does two 15 lb turkeys and two 10 lb hams. (Her MIL lives across the street and has a double oven) She DOES have a lot of leftovers, but she likes it that way!

She also does a 10 lb bag of mashed.

Many of us bring our own signature side dish every year. I do oven roasted herbed baby carrots. I use a 5 lb bag of carrots.

Good Luck!

:)

sounds like my ILs family....we're at 35, with only a handful married w/ kids. Our guesstimate is that we'll hit 50 by the time everyone's married &/or with kids!

here's our menu:
one smoked turkey, one oven-roasted turkey, & one big ham
10-15lbs mashed taters
4 pans of dressing...we make our from scratch
a #10 can of green beans (more than fills the crockpot). I season them w/ bacon, onion, & garlic.
fresh cranberry sauce -3 bags of cranberries

I also make the gravy & a dessert, but the rest of the meal & desserts are potluck'd by the other families. I keep a master list & ask that each family gives me a head's up on the dish they're bringing.

Couple other things to think about: paper products....plates, dessert plates, utensils, cups, & napkins; drinks; ice; & activities to keep everybody occupied!

Other thoughts: we smoke the turkey the day before & reheat in the oven. I sprinkle some water on it to keep the meat from drying out, & I foil-pouch the pan. I bake the other turkey in my oven, & the ham is baked in an electric roaster. Hope all of this helps.....

Uhh, wow! I would say you do the turkey and then each family gets assigned a side :) There was a post the other day on here how doing side in crockpots helps with oven sharing and keeping food warm. That may help.

I don't know how much room you have...so I don't know what you can cook...

Figure 1lb of meat per person - yeah - even the kids. Maybe do a large 22lb turkey and a 15 lb ham? I don't know if you have the oven for that? If not - consider deep frying the turkey...it's YUMMY!!!

A bag of potatoes should be enough...you can make them in advance and reheat them.

Stuffing? are you making from scratch or a box? I would say 4 boxes should do it.

here's our menu for Thanksgiving:

Turkey
stuffing
mashed potatoes
candied yams
waldorf salad
gravy
asparagus or some other veggie
cranberry sauce - whole and jellied

we usually have munchies (veggie platter, guacamole, chips, etc.) as we typically don't eat until 4 or 5...and people show up around noon.

Friends bring things too - like a greenbean casserole, dinner rolls and pies...

It's OKAY to ask for help. This is a huge group.

Remember that the "lb" you cook is based on a turkey with bones..
So usually you think 1.5 lbs per person.. This does not mean they will actually eat that amount.. that is the amount including the bones.. Does this make sense?

When you think of children you are thinking children 12 and under, not teens.. A teen male, will eat like an adult..

And "Live Bold is on the right path.."

6 to 8 ounces of turkey per person unles you have some real heavy eaters, like teenagers going through a growth spurt.

6 ounces of potatoes per person.

4 - 5 ounces of vegetables per side dish per person for the first two side dishes.

IF you like a moist turkey, get a meat thermometer, and cook your turkey to an internal temp of 170 to 175 degrees. The pop-up timers pop at 185 degrees and that will give you turkey cardboard the second day. Rub your turkey with EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and then rub your spices on the out side. Put 1/4" to 1/2' of water in your turkey pan. That will add extra humidity to the air around the turkey. That will help keep the moisture inside your turkey.

Good luck to you and yours.

My SIL has more than that every year. She makes a 20+ lb. turkey and an additional large turkey breast. She cooks it early and slices it & puts it in big foil pans with gravy so it's "done" ahead.
Make at least 10 lbs. of mashed potatoes. and a big foil tin of stuffing.
(You know the tins I'm talking about? Like the 9x13 cake pan on steroids?)

I'd also make at least a 9x13 of 2 or 3 veggies/veggie casseroles.

And a lasagna or two...but we're Italian. :)

For 40 people... we do 1 35lb turkey (my mum orders it ahead of time, and bought her oven specifically because it would be big enough to accomidate "the beast" and 1 25lb turkey. It's more than we "need" so that each family gets to take home a bit of leftovers and my mum gets leftovers.

In general;

1-2lbs of turkey per adult and half a pound per kid under 10.

1lb of potatoes per person (halve that for regular and sweet... to 15lbs of regular potatoes and 15lbs of sweet potatoes)

1 can of cranberry sauce per 5 people

1 9x11 tray of stuffing per 10 people

Dear GOD, MAKE the gravy... don't buy it!!!

POTLUCK THE REST

For just the above, my mum spends about $500

When i have it here, it is about 16 people. You would have to double what i do. I do 5 lbs of mashed potatoes, so i agree with at least 10 lbs. It takes about 4-5 bags of cubed bread to make enough stuffing. I get about a 26lb. turkey. (they say it is a lb per person though) We dont usually end up with a ton of left over. We must be big eaters...lol! I would get a huge turkey and a ham like some mom's mentioned. That gives people options. You can always make soup with the leftovers :) I like to ask my sisters and mom to bring the veggies and help with pies. Hope you have a great time!

I would do a 25+ pound turkey and a ham. We do the ham in a separate roaster or crock pot because the large turkey takes up the whole oven. 15 pounds of potatoes, stuffing to fill the turkey, 5 pounds of yams and a large green salad.

If the others live locally, ask them to bring their favorite side dish to share.

Have fun. It is not hard to cook for a large group, you just need to plan the logistics. Turkey in the oven (stuffing inside of turkey), ham in a roaster, yams in the microwave, potatoes on stovetop and salad right from the refrigerator.

Hosting means it's at your house. I would ask that everyone bring a dish. Ask that the sides be brought. that way your oven is free for the turkey and dressing (you will need the whole oven for a bird that big) and if i was you I would plan a ham also put it in the crockpot.

If you have a local library call and ask them if the have old copies of Taste of Home magazine. They used to have a section for feeding a crowd and it often had recipes for 12-50 or even up to 100. I used their guidelines for purchasing meats and things too for several different meals I organized at church activities. If they don't have them locally you can try TOH website, they do have them still there you just have to hunt a bit. Each and every recipe I ever used was truly wonderful and every bit of it was eaten.