Throwing a party - how many burgers??

[mamadelbosque]

Hi there, so I'm throwing my dad a surprise 50th birthdy party on Saturday. I currently have 60 hamburger patties orderd from a local butcher/grocery store, and ~50 hotdogs set aside (though we have a couple more packs in the freezer that we could always pull out too). Thing is, I have 44 people *confirmed* to be coming... but there could easily be quite a lot more show up (May have been rather stupid of me... but I kinda just put the word out that 'hey, throwing dad a 50th surprise party on june 27th at 2... any/all old friends are invited!'...). Should I call up and order another 10-20 burgers? Or just assume that if folks are hungry after the burgers are gone, they can eat hotdogs?? (I am also planning on buying a couple boxes of veggie burgers & veggie dogs in case theres any vegetarians show up...). There will obviously be other food (I *KNOW* I have baked beans, cole slaw, & pasta salad coming, along with veggie tray(s), salsa, bean dip, potato chips, corn chips, but likely other stuff as well), so IDK... what would you do?

[crunchy_mama]

Personally, I would order more. If nothing else you can freeze the leftovers for yourself.

[Ruthla]

I could probably eat two burgers myself if I was coming, plus maybe a hot dog. 60 burgers for 44 people doesn't sound like enough food to me, even if that was a confirmed number. I'd get at least 20 more burgers.

[onlyzombiecat]

I think what you already have is sufficient with 60 hamburgers, 50 hot dogs, vegetarian options and side dishes.
My family would eat 1 burger/hot dog each and feel sufficiently well fed with side dishes.
If it isn't a problem to get and cook more than I guess it wouldn't hurt to have extra.

[Magelet]

I'd get more, but then, I was raised and still believe, that it is better to have too much food than too little for a party. And yes, 1 hamburger a person is not really enough, often, though it depends on their size. If they are average sized, I would allow 1.5 per confirmed person, plus some extras, and then if a lot more people show up, you have the hot dogs too. But that's just me.

[katiesk]

oh wow, that is so much food. i also agree with "better more than not enough" but who eats more than one hamburger along with side dishes? and hotdogs! well, ruth said that she would (i hope you did not invite her...just kidding!!!!) ...and evidently many people must, but i have never planned for that much food and i always have tons of leftovers. you have 44 confirmed? probably some of those will not make it, although you will have others who show up 'unconfirmed'

i would say you have plenty already. and do you think that people will also bring some dishes with them?

[crunchy_mama]

Everyone I know could/would eat more than 1 hamburger. Especially the guys. I don't eat grains and the kids are gf so generally we just eat the burger and side dishes are iffy, so just eating a burger that doesn't go very far. Most people around here anyway prefer the main dish. Or make sure you got some awesome side dishes. If you are going to invite people for a meal feed them well I think.

[cristeen]

I would always plan on at least 2 burgers per adult, and 1/2 (burger) per child plus 1 hot dog per child. In this case, I would count any puberty aged children as adults.

But I am like several of the others on here - I'd be liable to eat the burger without the bun and not a lot of the sides, so by myself I might eat 3 or 4 burgers.

And I'm also in the camp that it's better to have too much food than not enough. Both hot dogs and burgers freeze just fine for later eating.

[Carley]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mama

Everyone I know could/would eat more than 1 hamburger. Especially the guys.

Yep. We have a lot of guys in our group of friends & they average 2 burgers + 1-2 dogs each bbq.

The problem with too little food isn't just that people might not get seconds, it's that some people might take seconds & there will be nothing left for the people that haven't eaten yet. Some people just don't like hotdogs!

Good luck! Next time make it a potluck we have to out of financial neccessity!

[Kirsten]

Originally Posted by katiesk

oh wow, that is so much food. i also agree with "better more than not enough" but who eats more than one hamburger along with side dishes? and hotdogs!

I am really surprised to see some answer that they'd eat 2/3/4 burgers or hot dogs at a party. My dp might eat two at home, but never at a group function unless/until everyone had eaten and it was obvious there were leftovers. To me, eating more than one main dish item at a party is like going to a staff dinner party and ordering the most expensive thing on the menu - not the appropraite choice in that situation IMO. You can if YOU are footing the bill, but if someone else is then no.

Hard thing is having both hot dogs and burgers - knowing who will eat what is impossible. I'd guess that more adults would eat burgers and more kids would eat hotdogs.

Also, you have an open invitation out. 44 confirmed means nothing if you've put this in the paper (what is done in my hometown) or distributed widely via email, etc.

But if you really had 44 show up, I think 60 burgers and 50 hotdogs is WAY MORE than enough. It is not your job as the hostess to provide a meal that is double or triple the normally accepted meal size. You have main dishes, side dishes galore, I assume a big Costco cake or two since it is a birthday?

If someone has specific foods they can't or won't eat, you can't know and accommodate for that. I have a friend who is vegan. He brings his own food discreetly but only gets it out if there isn't anything there he can have - in a large group/party situation like you describe. When we have him over for dinner, we bbq a portabello for him, and leave the feta out of the salad bowl - but that is with six or eight of us, not a large party.

[babydanielsmom]

I'm with pretty much everyone else....I 'd order more. The guys that come to our bbq's can easily eat 2-3 hambergers

[Carley]

Originally Posted by Kirsten

I am really surprised to see some answer that they'd eat 2/3/4 burgers or hot dogs at a party.

Hey, just comming from experience! We have a lot of men & a lot of kids ages 3-16 in our pack & they always eat more than one burger. Hotdogs are almost an appetizer... 3-4 each for sure; even the kids eat at least 2.

Hence, we have potlucks & I buy Hebrew National, huge packs of frozen patties and cheap buns. There's no way I'm paying for grass fed organic nitrate free anything for the mass consumption

[crunchy_mama]

I wouldn't go to a party and get 4 burgers to start with before others ate. I would get one and try to wait. Then I would go home hungry. However, I just think it is rude to say meal and not provide a meal. If you don't want to provide that much have it at a different time or say snacks provided or some such thing or as another person suggested make it potluck. Sorry it is a pet peeve of mine. But please if you are having just a snack don't have it at meal time, it totally screws up things especially w/ kids.

[mamadelbosque]

Well, we definetly *didn't* put it in the paper (its a surprise party, remember?!?!), but I really don't know exactly how many people will show up. I also didn't put down that there would be food (or that theres a keg), and its 'starting at 2' - so I'm planning on having burgers/hotdogs/sides ~4-5ish and the appetizers (chips, dip, veggie trays etc) out before then. As one of my friends pointed out to me last night, if I have TONS more people show up we could always run to the store and buy more burgers... so I think I'll just stick with what I have right now, and then play it by ear.... Thanks for everyone's input though!!

[Kirsten]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mama

I wouldn't go to a party and get 4 burgers to start with before others ate. I would get one and try to wait. Then I would go home hungry. However, I just think it is rude to say meal and not provide a meal.

Yes, it would be rude to say meal and not provide a meal. But the OP already has enough for EVERY PERSON to have at least one hamburger AND one hot dog AND multiple side dishes! That is a meal no matter how you slice it.

If you go to any restaurant in America and order a burger, you will get A burger - one. With fries or a salad, and likely you have a drink. The OP is providing much more than that.

I understand that growing teenage boys or men could easily eat two burgers or two hot dogs. But I'd guess there are some seniors or kids who will eat only one - so it balances out. And I still don't understand expecting that kind of overabundance - three or four burgers for one person? - at an event you were invited to. And really, honestly, do any of us need to have three or four burgers?? With chips and potato salad and vegies and a drink and cake and who knows how many other side dishes??

I do NOT think a hostess is rude when she has enough food for one to two servings of the main dish plus multiple sides for each person. I do think it is rude to expect her to feed each guest three meals meals worth of food when she invited them to one.

If someone is accustomed to eating three or four burgers plus sides at a sitting, then yes, I suppose they could go home hungry. But I don't think it is common or healthy to do that in the first place, so I can't imagine why a hostess would plan for that.

[lil_earthmomma]

Originally Posted by Kirsten

Yes, it would be rude to say meal and not provide a meal. But the OP already has enough for EVERY PERSON to have at least one hamburger AND one hot dog AND multiple side dishes! That is a meal no matter how you slice it.

If you go to any restaurant in America and order a burger, you will get A burger - one. With fries or a salad, and likely you have a drink. The OP is providing much more than that.

I understand that growing teenage boys or men could easily eat two burgers or two hot dogs. But I'd guess there are some seniors or kids who will eat only one - so it balances out. And I still don't understand expecting that kind of overabundance - three or four burgers for one person? - at an event you were invited to. And really, honestly, do any of us need to have three or four burgers?? With chips and potato salad and vegies and a drink and cake and who knows how many other side dishes??

I do NOT think a hostess is rude when she has enough food for one to two servings of the main dish plus multiple sides for each person. I do think it is rude to expect her to feed each guest three meals meals worth of food when she invited them to one.

If someone is accustomed to eating three or four burgers plus sides at a sitting, then yes, I suppose they could go home hungry. But I don't think it is common or healthy to do that in the first place, so I can't imagine why a hostess would plan for that.

I think part of it comes down to cultural differences. Some cultures are very big on having an over abundance of food, making sure their guests are stuffed and then encouraging them to take more.

I tend to overdo it when hosting, mostly because I love to feed people and love to make good food and share it with others. At the same time I would tend to make a ton of different salads, sides and appies to go with a burger and hotdog for each person.

I think a burger and hotdog for each, as well as sides is absolutely fine. People won't go home hungry, they just may not go home rediculously stuffed.

[crunchy_mama]

To each theri own. I would rather have more than enough, most adults I know really, really dislike hotdogs and I consider them second class food. So, designating that your expecting people to eat hotdogs doesn't sit right w/ me either. I don't like the rationing of food.

However, as the op said she didn't say meal so I wouldn't worry too much. Of course if you get everyone there at 2 and then say at 5 or so we are going to have food that can go 1 of 2 ways- either people are going to leave as they don't want to wait or by the time they get around to eating they will be absolutely starving- as before the party you also have to figure they had getting ready and drive time as well- which can be a fair chunk when you have a family.

Also, I am with the majority who posted that they would be buying more food. I eat until I am full and do not overstuff myself, I stay at a healthy body weight and fat, I am not unhealthy. Most people I know eat more meat than that, men generally need more and most adults don't like hotdogs. heck, my kids won't even eat hotdogs. Also, at most barbques and such a hamburger is about the healthiest thing there - ie most people don't bother to make their own side dishes so they are filled w/ perservatives and questionable ingredients. I see the op has just plan veggies, so that would be a welcome change. There are a growing number of us dealing w/ food intolerances and allergies so having a safe food is really sweet. I would not say any of this to any host though, but I appreciate letting actual plans being made known so I can plan appropriately- do I need to cook before I go? Should I bring alternative food- is there safe food for us? Is there going to be a light meal? snack? or meal?