Free tool
Potluck food calculator.
Tell it how many guests are coming. It tells you how much food, drinks, and ice to plan — and how many sign-up slots to open so you end up with enough, and not five of the same dish.
Your gathering
Planning for 22 guests — your 20 confirmed, padded 10% for plus-ones and seconds.
What to put out
| Appetizers | 88–132 pieces |
|---|---|
| Main protein | ~8.3 lb total |
| Salad | ~22 cups |
| Bread / rolls | ~33 pieces |
| Dessert | 22–44 servings |
| Drinks | ~88 over 3 hrs |
| Ice | ~33 lb (everyone forgets it) |
Sign-up slots to open
Open exactly this many slots per category, so guests fill the gaps instead of all bringing a side. The caps do the balancing for you.
- Main dishes3
- Side dishes5
- Salads2
- Bread / rolls1
- Desserts3
- Drinks2
- Ice & supplies1
Turn these slots into an actual sign-up sheet.
PitchInDish opens just these slots so you don't end up with five potato salads and no main — and no guest needs an account.
These are estimates for a graze-the-buffet potluck with several options. Adjust up for big eaters or a long event.
How much food for a potluck?
The whole plan hangs on one number: your headcount, padded by about 10% for plus-ones and second helpings. If 20 people said yes, cook and assign for 22. Everything else scales off that.
Per padded guest, a buffet-style potluck runs roughly 4–6 appetizer pieces, 6 oz of main protein, 4–5 oz of each side, a cup of salad, 1.5 pieces of bread, and 1–2 dessert servings. Drinks go 2 in the first hour and 1 per hour after, with about 1.5 lb of ice per guest — the single most forgotten item at every potluck.
The trick that prevents both running out and drowning in leftovers: decide how many dishes each category needs up front, then open only that many sign-up slots. The full portion guide walks through the method, and the modern potluck playbook covers running the whole thing.