How much potato salad for 50 people?
For 50 people, plan on about 16.5 lb of potato salad (6.9 qt), with 10% extra — Iowa State Extension’s 12½ to 15 lb for 50, at the top of the range plus the extra.
How to work it out
- 50 adults × 1.1 (appetite & extra) = 55 servings × 4.8 oz (about ½ cup) = 16.5 lb
- 6.9 qt ÷ about 4 qt per half-size pan = 2 pans
Potato salad is the cold side that anchors a cookout. Fifty guests eat a little more than you might think, because nearly everyone takes a scoop — and less than you might fear, because nobody takes three.
Adjust for your project
More options: Kids · Extra
- Finished dish by volume
- 6.9 qt · potato salad (1.7 gal)
- Half-size pans, 2½ in deep (about 4 qt each)
- 2 pans · potato salad
- Servings (incl. extra)
- 55 servings · potato salad
- Per adult serving
- 4.8 oz (about ½ cup)
- Keep mayonnaise-based salads at 40 °F or below: set the bowl in a larger bowl of ice, and swap in a fresh bowl rather than topping up.
- Perishable food should not sit out more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90 °F / 32 °C). Keep hot food at 140 °F (60 °C) or above and cold food at 40 °F (4 °C) or below (USDA FSIS).
This side dish by number of guests
| Guests | Finished dish (approx.) | Finished dish by volume |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 3.3 lb | 1.4 qt |
| 20 | 6.6 lb | 2.8 qt |
| 30 | 9.9 lb | 4.1 qt |
| 50 | 16.5 lb | 6.9 qt |
| 75 | 24.8 lb | 10.3 qt |
| 100 | 33 lb | 13.8 qt |
| 150 | 49.5 lb | 20.6 qt |
Two extension figures that agree
Iowa State Extension plans 12½ to 15 lb of finished potato salad for 50 guests. The Clay County, Minnesota quantity table plans ½ cup servings: 6 to 7 quarts for 50. They describe the same amount — a quart of potato salad weighs roughly 2 lb — and the calculator uses the top of Iowa State’s range, about 4.8 oz each, plus 10% extra: about 16½ lb, or 7 quarts.
| Guests | Potato salad (lb) | Quarts | Raw potatoes (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | about 6½ | about 2¾ | about 5–6 lb |
| 50 | about 16½ | about 7 | about 13–15 lb |
| 100 | about 33 | about 14 | about 26–30 lb |
Keeping 16 pounds of potato salad safe
Mayonnaise gets the blame, but it is the potatoes and eggs sitting warm that are the risk. Keep it at 40 °F or below until it is served, put out one bowl at a time set into a larger bowl of ice, and swap in a fresh bowl rather than adding to the one on the table. Perishable food should not sit out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90 °F — on a hot afternoon, that is quicker than people expect.
- Make it the day before. It tastes better, and it chills all the way through.
- Chill in shallow containers so the middle cools quickly.
- Two or three smaller bowls instead of one giant one.
The rest of the cookout: how much baked beans for 50 people, how much mac and cheese for 50 people and how many hamburgers for 50 people.
Different size? Use the full Side Dish Calculator.
What you’ll need
- Large coolerPremium price
A big cooler for drinks and ice. A drain plug matters when you are melting 40 lb of ice over an afternoon.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Disposable aluminum pans (half size)Budget price
For cooking, carrying and serving sides and pulled meat for a crowd. Lids make them easy to stack in a car or cooler.
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Frequently asked questions
How much potato salad for 100 people?
About 33 lb (13.8 qt) with 10% extra.
How much potato salad for 20 people?
About 6.6 lb (2.8 qt).
How much coleslaw for 50 people?
About 16.5 lb with 10% extra — Iowa State plans 13 to 17 lb for 50.
Other common sizes
- How much mashed potatoes for 100 people — 27.5 lb (39.6 lb raw potatoes)
- How much mac and cheese for 50 people — 5.5 lb dry macaroni (6.9 qt finished)
- How much baked beans for 50 people — 11 qt (24.8 lb)
- How much gravy for 50 people — 3 qt
- How much green bean casserole for 20 people — 2.8 qt
Sources
- Clay County, Minnesota — Amounts of food to serve fifty (cooking for large groups) (opens in a new tab) — Quantity table for 50 servings, built on a 3 oz cooked meat serving; sides, rolls, desserts, punch and lemonade.
- Iowa State University Extension (AnswerLine) — Graduation party tips (opens in a new tab) — Per person: sandwich meat 3–4 oz, sliders 1.5–2 oz, burgers 4–6 oz, sides 4–6 oz; 1 to 1.5 lb of food per guest; soda 2 cans and water 2 bottles per hour; punch 6 oz.
- University of Missouri Extension — In a Pinch: Food Yields (MP563) (opens in a new tab) — 1 lb of potatoes gives 1¾–2 cups mashed; 1 cup of dry macaroni gives 2–2¼ cups cooked.