Expert: Kay Cole - 10/15/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hello,
I am having a luncheon for 80 people (men).  I'm serving flank steak, pasta with a marinara sauce, a simple salad, and bread.  What quantities of these foods should I purchase?
Thank you,
Pat

ANSWER: Hi ~ I understand the general rule for flank steak is 6 to 8 oz purchased weight should be good for most adults - if I were serving only men...I might consider 8 - 10 instead.

Are you purchasing premade salad mix? or preparing salad yourself? Will the pasta be served as a side dish or an alternative entree? What type of bread are you serving - a french bread or rolls?  It is hard to advise quantities to purchase without some more specifics.

Best regards,
Kay

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Kay,
The salad will be a spring mix from Costco, and I will add my own salad dressing.  The pasta will be served as a side.  I am going to look for dinner rolls so that bread does not have to be sliced at the last minute.
Thanks,
Pat

Answer
You can probably figure how much of the bagged salad to buy from the bag itself - it should tell you number of servings...rule of thumb is a handful per person. You can almost eyeball this to see how many out of their size bags. Typically, pasta for a side dish is 2 oz. per person...I always would figure high to be safe - especially since it is a relatively inexpensive item.  I would figure 2 rolls per person; then, perhaps throw in an extra dozen to be safe. I agree that rolls would be the best (easiest) bet for you with less prep.  I hope that this info helps!
Kay