Bar and bat mitzvah for 36 guests
A buffet-style bar and bat mitzvah for 36: 6 dishes, about 604 g of food a guest (48 lb in all), 34 lines on the shopping list and around 153 drinks. 40% of the cooking can happen before the day.
- Dishes
- 6
- Food
- 48 lb
- Drinks
- 153
- Shopping lines
- 34
Sized by the planning engine
The menu, amounts and kitchen check
- · We set food for 6 PM — change it if your timing is different.
Menu for 36
To start
- Pickle and ferment tray1.5 batches · 30 servingson the day
Mains
- Pork meatballs with mustard cream5 batches · 30 servingsday before
Sides
- Cold green salad, sharp dressing2.5 batches · 20 servingson the day
- Baked macaroni and cheese2.5 batches · 20 servingson the day
Bread
- Griddled flatbreads4 batches · 32 servingson the day
Dessert
- No-bake pantry flapjack3 batches · 30 servingsday before
About 604 g of food a guest. 40% of the cooking can be done before the day.
Shopping highlights
- Ground pork8 lb
- Citrus for garnish8 ea
- Herb for garnish — mint or rosemary3 bunch
- Lemon4 ea
- Onion6 ea
- Salad leaves2.3 lb
- Butter15 oz
- Cheddar1.5 lb
- Egg6 ea
- Heavy cream3.8 cup
10 of 34 lines. The full list comes with the plan.
Kitchen check
SERVING STATIONS — What runs out first
Serving stations is the busiest part of this starting kitchen.
Checked against a starting kitchen of 1 oven and 4 burners — not yours yet. Seats are not counted here: the planner asks for your real number rather than guessing it.
Drinks and cost
- Drinks, all kinds
- 153
- Ice
- 63 lb
- Food, estimated
- $679
About $19 a guest — a planning estimate from typical supermarket costs, not a price.
Countdown
The b mitzvah timeline, condensed
4 weeks before
- · Send the date, the start time, and a question about what people do not eat.
- · The brisket and the dairy kugel do not share a station. Ask whether the reception is keeping meat and dairy apart.
2 weeks before
- · Order the things that sell out. Leave the greens for the week of.
- · Decide the table before you buy anything for it.
1 week before
- · Cook whatever is better the next day. Leave the last fry for the day.
- · Count the zero-proof and the water with the rest of the drinks.
Day before
- · Clear the surfaces you will actually serve from.
- · Label what is already done so a helper does not redo it.
Day of
- · Finish only what cannot wait. Put the rest out before people arrive.
- · Keep one person out of the kitchen once guests are in the room.
Day after
- · Cool leftovers in shallow containers. Note what actually ran out.
- · Eat the food that keeps. Throw out the food that does not.
Other sizes
B mitzvah for more or fewer
Questions hosts ask
How much food for a bar and bat mitzvah for 36?
About 48 lb of finished food, or 604 g a guest across 6 dishes, with pork meatballs with mustard cream as the main. The amounts are sized by the planning engine and include a small margin.
Should a bar and bat mitzvah for 36 be a buffet or a sit-down meal?
It usually runs buffet-style: guests help themselves, so not everyone needs a chair at once. Still count the seats you have; the planner never assumes them.
How many drinks for a bar and bat mitzvah for 36?
About 153 drinks across the party, including alcohol-free ones, and 63 lb of ice.
How far ahead should I start planning?
Start 4 weeks before: send the date, the start time, and a question about what people do not eat, and the brisket and the dairy kugel do not share a station. Ask whether the reception is keeping meat and dairy apart.
What does a bar and bat mitzvah for 36 cost?
The food in this plan comes to roughly $679, about $19 a guest. That is a planning estimate from typical US supermarket costs, not a price for your shop.
The whole night
Plan my b mitzvah for 36
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