A Quick Guide To Guest Serving Sizes

We've all attended a party where there was either far too much food left over (you really made 50 cupcakes for 15 people?), or the food and or/drink ran out before the good conversation even began. As a host, you already have to worry about the ingredients, the décor, the guest list, and your outfit, and determining how much food and drink to serve your guests can be an unexpected and taxing task...until now. Follow these simple tips for how much to serve your guests at your next party.
• Buy and serve ¼ pound of protein, whether it is beef, chicken, or shrimp, per guest. So if you're having 12 guests over, buy 3 pounds of meat.
• For dinner party appetizers, aim for 2-3 pieces per guest per hour if followed by dinner. If no dinner is included, aim for 5-6 pieces.
• With wine and beer, consider the rule of two. Have a bottle of wine for every two guests, and two bottles of beer for each person. When it come to hard liqueur, one 750 ml bottle usually yields 15 drinks, and estimate one drink per guest.
• And finally for dessert- with cakes or cupcakes, aim for 1.5 servings per guest (so if there are 10 guests, make 15 cupcakes), and with cookies and smaller treats, aim for 3 per guest.