How Much Should I Make for Thanksgiving Dinner? Planner

Hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and not at all sure how much food to make? Not to worry, I’ve got a printable for that. It includes all the information you need to determine what size turkey to buy, how many side dishes and desserts to make and even how many dinner rolls you can expect each guest to eat.

Just as important, it includes recommendations for how many drinks to have on hand, so you don’t end up running out before your family even sits down to eat.

Since kids don’t typically eat as much as grown-ups, this printable also shows you how to factor them into your head count.

Need to know how many servings you can expect to get out of a 13″x9″ casserole, or a 2-quart pan? You’ll find that information, too.

And because you may be left scratching your head when it comes to planning your menu around vegetarians or simply planning for leftovers, I’ve addressed those issues as well.

One of the great things about hosting Thanksgiving dinner is that you know more about your guests eating and drinking habits than you typically do when planning a party or special event. Use that knowledge to your advantage. If you know a particular dish is a family favorite, make extra of it. If you know who will consume alcohol and who won’t, use that information to fine-tune your shopping list, so you don’t waste money by purchasing more wine and beer than is necessary.

What Size Turkey Should You Buy?

Figure on one to one and a half pounds of turkey per guest. That includes the weight of the bones, so it’s not nearly as much as it sounds. Here’s how much you can expect to get out of several common turkey sizes:

12 lb turkey = 8-12 servings
15 lb turkey = 10-15 servings
20 lb turkey = 13-20 servings

Planning Around Special Dietary Needs/Preferences

These days, hosting Thanksgiving dinner often includes the extra challenge of having to plan your meal around guests with allergies or special dietary needs. If you have any guests who are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or Keto, or who have known food allergies or sensitivities, be sure to consider how this will impact the meal. Your Keto guests for example, are likely to eat more of your no-carb/low-carb dishes, and little to none of your carby dishes, so you’ll probably need to adjust how much you make of each type of dish.

How Much Should I Make for Thanksgiving Dinner? Printable

Print How Much Should I Make for Thanksgiving Dinner? Planner

Many web browsers have their own built-in PDF viewers, but they tend to be buggy. If you’re having trouble printing or editing one of our printables, click here for help.

Tuck a copy of this printable in your recipe book, so you’ll have it to refer to year after year.