Argh! Have now got to cook for 15 on Christmas Day!

[octopusrus]

Not sure how this has happened!! But now I need to work out how much food I need - I've never cooked for this many people, and there's only one small DC and the rest are teens & adults so I'll need a lot of food!
How do I work out how much of everything I need??!

good housekeeping guide
This might help.

I’ve cooked for 14 a few times.
Cook the meat and let it rest while you cook the rest.
The more veggies you serve the less of each you need.
I do a turkey in the oven, and a big ham on the hob to ensure loads of meat.
I do a big bowl of frozen mash in the microwave too (add butter, milk and top with chopped herbs) to take a wee bit of pressure off the roasties.
A steamer tiered pot is brilliant for cooking multiple veg on the one ring.
It’s genuinely very doable. Good luck!

It'll be fine. I'm catering for 14 this year again. Include some easy veg like peas which only take a couple of minutes from frozen. Prep all veg the day before, it's fine peeled and in cold water until you cook it - I know it loses vitamins but it's only one meal :-) And if your crew are anything like those I cook for make more roast parsnips that you think you'll need, they're really popular. And final tip - the washing up / dishwasher loading is the job of somebody who hasn't cooked.

More roast potatoes than you think you need. It’s easy cooking for 14. What is the most you’ve cooked for & double/treble it. You’ll be fine. If you can get the disposable trays that massively cuts down on the washing up.

When we have such large numbers, we replace our normal dining room table which will accommodate 8 with a long garden table which will hold everyone.

I cover it with some good quality white banqueting roll, patterned and embossed, so it looks fine. The one I have is wipeable, so usually does for several meals, but if it has, say, indelible wine stains I keep it then use it as underlay for next time. Consequently I now have about 5 layers which means hot dishes can be placed straight on it.

As the table is long and thin, I divide all the veg, stuffing, sauces etc into two and place a dish of each at both ends. It cuts down all the passing to and fro massively

Imagine you are cooking for 5. Multiply that by 3.

We have 18 of a mix of ages.
Put all drinks outside on back door step as cold enough and this frees up a lot of fridge space. Allocate an area out of the way ours is utility room for drinks, ice, juice, jugs of water and spare glasses. A couple of the older teen boys are then put on drinks duty for everyone so we don’t need to think about it. The recycling glass bin and main bin are put next back door for them to put empties in.
A big pot of soup can be made before and works as starter.
Enlist a few people to help serve so you can get everything out hot. Anyone not serving stays seated or you fall over each other.
We prep all veg on Xmas eve morning and fill the pots with cold water then drain and refresh before cooking the next day.
It isn’t hard to do. One bag of sprouts is enough as everyone only eats one or two!
Get a couple of pre-made deserts then add fresh fruit, cream and ice cream.
About an hour later we put our cheese and crackers to nibble on.

Do the roast potatoes and yorkshires the day before in duck fat. Do beef and turkey?

*One bag of sprouts is enough"
😳
Well I must say I have to disagree. Of course they only have one or two each, there wouldnt be enough for anyone to have more. Sprouts are the best bit.

Count the potatoes. For teens it's prob 6 each, assuming they are as tasty as mine, . Say 2 for the little one and 4 or 5 for the other adults.
When cooking large amounts you have to allow for the eg large number of potatoes cooling the temperature of the oven when you put them in so everything takes longer.
Even bringing a pot of brussel sprouts to the boil takes much longer if there are enough for 14 in it.

Oh, that's roast potatoes I'm counting, not actual potatoes.

Similar numbers here
Get the right weight of turkey and calculate cooking times in advance
Pre cook roasts and freeze
Pre cook parsnips and carrots and freeze
Pre make mash (it’s good to have an extra filler). Big batch of red cabbage (you get loads from one cabbage) can be frozen too. Sprouts if you fancy can be cooked and frozen

Mash can be microwaved. Sprouts too if you’ve precooked them. Red cabbage (defrosted) in a pan to reheat. Pre cooked roasts/carrots/parsnips straight in the oven when the turkey comes out

Oh my gosh thank you for the replies! My bloody internet has been down all day but thank goodness they've now fixed it (my poor neighbours are still off).

Having read your tips I'm now feeling a little calmer. All food shopping now done & top up shop ordered to arrive tomorrow so hopefully I've got enough!

I've borrowed a camping table to go alongside our normal one so it'll still be a squeeze but do-able.

If I cook the spuds on Xmas morning then reheat a few hours later will they still taste ok? Or would I be better doing that with the carrots/parsnips? I don't think I'll have space in the oven for everything to be going at once.

*One bag of sprouts is enough as everyone just eats one or two
*
Are you kidding? Sprouts are the best bit and I like a plateful as seen in Vicar of Dibley!

DH has just done Thanksgiving for 17.

We part cooked the roast potatoes and then put them in to finish whilst the turkey rested. Stuffing he did as balls in a separate tray. Agree with lots of kinds of veg so you can do smaller amounts of each.