For turkey, plan 1 pound per person, or 1.5 pounds if you want leftovers. For everything else, no federal or university source gives a per-person amount, so plan by dishes and size each dish to your headcount. Perishable food should not sit out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90 degrees F.
Perishable food should not sit out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it is above 90 degrees F.
Put the numbers on one page. Each item gets a quantity and closes when it is full. Guests tap an item and type a name. It's free.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln and USDA say 1 pound of whole turkey per person. University of Illinois Extension says to buy about 1 pound per person, and 1.5 pounds if you have hearty eaters or want plenty for leftovers.
The table multiplies those two numbers by headcount. We computed it; no source publishes it.
Whole turkey needed, in pounds. Computed from 1 pound and 1.5 pounds per person.
| Guests | At 1 lb per person | At 1.5 lb per person (leftovers) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 6 lb | 9 lb |
| 10 | 10 lb | 15 lb |
| 15 | 15 lb | 22.5 lb |
| 20 | 20 lb | 30 lb |
| 30 | 30 lb | 45 lb |
Sources: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, University of Illinois Extension, USDA FSIS. Checked 2026-11-03. Sources differ for turkey breast, so the table covers whole birds only.
There is no sourced per-person amount for sides, pie or drinks, and we will not invent one. What the University of Minnesota Extension does give is a yield rule: a recipe that makes 50 one-cup servings feeds 50 people if each takes one serving.
Use it backwards. If you want every guest to try a dish, the dish needs at least as many servings as you have guests. Then choose how many dishes to serve. With more dishes, each person takes less of each, so each dish can be smaller.
Minnesota Extension also says to plan enough food to serve everyone without excessive leftovers.
It depends on the group. A dinner for six works with a turkey and four or five other dishes. A dinner for thirty needs more of each kind, not just more kinds.
The who brings what page has a full list for 6, 10, 15, 20 and 30 guests. Its dish counts are planning choices, labeled as such.
No more than 2 hours for perishable food, and 1 hour when the room is above 90 degrees F. USDA states this rule, and University of Illinois Extension gives the same 2-hour margin for turkey, counted from the moment it leaves the oven.
Count from the time the dish is set out, not from the time guests arrive. A buffet that starts at 6pm should be put away by 8pm.
Food safety rules for a potluck table. Checked 2026-11-03.
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Perishable food out at room temperature | No more than 2 hours | USDA FSIS |
| Perishable food when the room is above 90 degrees F | No more than 1 hour | USDA FSIS |
| Hot food on the table | 140 degrees F or warmer | USDA FSIS |
| Cold food on the table | 40 degrees F or colder | USDA FSIS |
| Whole turkey, minimum internal temperature | 165 degrees F | University of Illinois Extension |
| Leftover turkey in the refrigerator | 3 to 4 days | University of Illinois and University of Minnesota Extension |
For anything medical or high-risk, go by fsis.usda.gov directly.
Keep hot dishes hot in slow cookers, chafing dishes or warming trays, and cold dishes cold on ice or in small trays that you swap often. USDA guidance for buffets says this.
Ask each guest to bring a dish that already suits its job. A cold salad that needs ice, a stew that needs a slow cooker and a pie that needs nothing all travel differently, and the sign-up list is the place to say which is which.
Cool and refrigerate leftover turkey within 2 hours of cooking (University of Minnesota Extension), and eat it within 3 to 4 days.
Put "containers" on the sign-up list so guests can take food home. It is one of the cheapest slots to fill.
Put the numbers on one page. Each item gets a quantity and closes when it is full. Guests tap an item and type a name. It's free.
For turkey, 1 pound per person, or 1.5 pounds with leftovers. For other dishes, no official per-person number exists, so plan by dishes and make each dish serve your headcount if you want everyone to try it. Junto holds the list with a number per item. Set your dish count, then post the link.
Perishable food should not sit out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90 degrees F, according to USDA. Count from when it is set out. Junto does not send reminders, so set a phone alarm for the host. Put leftovers in the refrigerator before the window closes.
About a dozen: two turkeys, gravy, eight or so sides, a vegetarian main, starters and five desserts. That is our planning choice, not a sourced figure. Junto can hold each of those as an item with a quantity. Copy the 20-guest list from the who-brings-what page and adjust it.
Plan 15 pounds of whole turkey at 1 pound per person, or 22.5 pounds at 1.5 pounds per person if you want leftovers. These are computed from the USDA and extension numbers. Junto cannot weigh a bird, so check the label. Add your turkey to the list under your name before guests start claiming.
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Last updated 2026-11-03