How to Plan a Thanksgiving Meal With Math
- 1). Make a list of how many guests will be in attendance for the meal and any food allergies or stipulations to consider. For example, if someone is a vegetarian you won't need to factor her in when purchasing the turkey.
- 2). Purchase a turkey based on the number of guests attending. Allot 1.5 pounds of meat for every guest who will be eating the turkey. For example, if you have 10 people in attendance, plan to purchase a 15-pound turkey. This will ensure that each guest gets plenty of turkey meat and that you also have plenty of turkey leftovers.
- 3). Calculate how many appetizers, including soup, you'll need to make based on number of guests. Make three per person of each kind of appetizer. For example, if you have six guests, you could make 18 baby quiches and 18 pigs-in-a-blanket, or stick with one appetizer and make 36 servings of it. If you are serving soup, make a cup per guest --- for six guests that would be at least 6 cups of soup or more if you want leftovers.
- 4). Calculate how much of each vegetable side dish you'll need to prepare. A good guideline is to make 3 ounces per person, again adding a couple of ounces if you are planning for leftovers. If you have eight guests attending and are planning to make three sides you would prepare 24 ounces of each side.
- 5). Figure out how much dessert you will need to prepare for guests. For this step it is easiest to gauge with your eyes. For example, if you are making pies, look at the size of your pie dish and measure how many slices you can get from it. Plan to serve at least one slice per guest, which means if your pie pan serves eight people but you have 10 coming, plan to prepare two pies.
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