Help! Anyone have an answer for my post above? Too much is ok but don't want to skimp >>

A five pound bag of potatoes, with all the goodies, like celery, eggs, onion, etc.

is plenty for 35 for a potato salad. What kind of pasta are you going to use for the pasta salad?

 
Can you calculate it from the recipes you are using? It it makes enough

for 8 servings multiply it out?
Or are you purchasing.
I was just at the store and on a 2# container of potato salad, they said 6 servings. Same for 2# macaroni salad.

 
It's a nice chart, but 4-1/2 quarts of potato salad to feed 25...my recipe just says

It makes 4 servings and that's with 2 lbs potatoes...which also doesn't help because it doesn't say what a serving size is. I thin I'm just going to make 4 recipes (8 lbs potatoes) and double the pasta salad which means 1 lb uncooked pasta - but it also has chicken, lettuce and tomatoes in it.

Thanks Charley smileys/smile.gif

 
That would make enough for 12 according to the instructions. I think for 20 adults

who are more likely to eat pasta salad than hot dogs, that won't be enough. And some children. Just my thought.

 
Your pasta recipe only serves 4--and I know it has chicken in it, but it is

serving size that matters, I think. Maybe just take a look at another pasta salad recipe (that doesn't have chicken) and see what kind of number of servings it will make.
As for the 4.5 qts for 25--if that is a 6oz. serving by weight (4.5 qts=144oz.), that is about right. I think that would be about a half cup (by volume) serving.
I think it is this kind of calculation you will need. ;o)

 
I won't know my potato salad weight until it's done, unless I weigh out each component...

Too much thinking for me smileys/smile.gif

I'm going to look at servings for other pasta salad and see.
Thanks!

 
Always make more than you need, have containers ready to send left overs home

with those who want them, and don't forget the elderly neighbor who doesn't cook much anymore, or the super busy mom with children.

 
And you may wish to consider sitting the bowl of pasta in a slightly bigger bowl of ice if

the pasta and/or potato salads are going to sit out for any length of time, especially if they are mayonnaise-based (particularly homemade mayo) and/or protein-based. Just a food safety thing for these hot days of summer.

 
I'm not a scientist, but I have heard that mayonnaise is almost never the culprit of food poisening

simply because it contains vinegar and lemon. Here is a link that explains the science behind this.

It is always smart to take precautions with any food that is served outdoors, and it should never sit more than two hours.

I had a catered event two years ago, it was summer and very warm outside. My caterer instructed me to move the food indoors after two hours, because the ice would be melted anyway and it was the safe thing to do. People were still picking at the food and I asked everyone to assist in the move. It was rather fun, and everyone dug in again, inside the house.

http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2010/01/10/potato-salad-food-poisoning-an/

 
The mayo problem has been pretty well laid to rest in later years, BUT mayo

just isn't very appetizing looking when not kept cool at least a bit. But also, probably just to allay others' "fears", it would be good. IMO. ;o)

 
Just as an update to the salad quantities...it made a whack-load as my daughter would say

22 adults, 15 kids.

5 lb bag of potatoes would have been PLENTY. I made 4 times the pasta salad, which was '16 servings'. 3 recipes would have been more than ample.

On the plus side, lots of people got leftovers to take home (I took take-out containers for that purpose)

 
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