Scaling for Events & Parties
How to scale recipes when cooking for a crowd
Guest Count Planning
Rule of thumb: For a main dish, plan 1 serving per person. For appetizers at a cocktail party, plan 6-8 pieces per person. For a buffet, scale to 1.2× the guest count to account for seconds.
Scaling by Event Type
Dinner party (6-8): Scale main dishes ×1.5 from a 4-serving recipe. Buffet (15-20): Use ×5 for mains, ×3 for each side. Large gathering (30+): Consider preparing 2-3 different dishes at lower scales rather than one massive batch.
Handling Large Batches
When scaling ×10 or more, equipment matters. Check that your pots, pans, and oven can handle the volume. Consider cooking in multiple batches rather than one huge batch that won't cook evenly.
Event Checklist
Before your event: 1) Scale all recipes and write shopping list, 2) Check equipment capacity, 3) Plan cooking timeline, 4) Prep what you can the day before, 5) Have backup simple dishes ready.