Dinner Party for 10 guests
A sit-down dinner party for 10: 6 dishes, about 745 g of food a guest (16.5 lb in all), 30 lines on the shopping list and around 44 drinks. 40% of the cooking can happen before the day.
- Dishes
- 6
- Food
- 16.5 lb
- Drinks
- 44
- Shopping lines
- 30
Sized by the planning engine
The menu, amounts and kitchen check
- · We set food for 7 PM — change it if your timing is different.
Menu for 10
Starters
- Warm toasts, seasonal topping1.5 batches · 12 servingson the day
Mains
- Chickpea & squash tagine2 batches · 12 servingsday before
Sides
- Cold green salad, sharp dressing1 batch · 8 servingson the day
- Butter lettuce with green goddess and seed crunch1 batch · 8 servingson the day
Bread
- Rosemary focaccia, torn1.5 batches · 15 servingson the day
Dessert
- Lemon posset1.5 batches · 12 servingsday before
About 745 g of food a guest. 40% of the cooking can be done before the day.
Shopping highlights
- Butter lettuce4 ea
- Citrus for garnish3 ea
- Garlic2 clove
- Lemon8 ea
- Mixed herbs1.3 cup
- Onion5 ea
- Rosemary1 bunch
- Salad leaves15 oz
- Seasonal topping1.8 lb
- Squash7 lb
10 of 30 lines. The full list comes with the plan.
Kitchen check
Comfortable
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
- 44
- Ice
- 20 lb
- Food, estimated
- $232
About $23 a guest — a planning estimate from typical supermarket costs, not a price.
Countdown
The dinner party timeline, condensed
3 weeks before
- · Invite guests and ask about dietary needs at the same time.
- · Plan a menu with one dish that needs last-minute attention, at most.
1 week before
- · Finalise the menu and write a cooking schedule backwards from dinner.
- · Buy wine and pantry items.
2 days before
- · Do the main shop.
- · Make the braise; it is better after a night in the fridge.
Day before
- · Make dessert, dressings and any sauces.
- · Assemble the gratin and chill it.
Day of
- · Buy flowers and bread.
- · Bake the gratin and reheat the braise to finish together.
Day after
- · Wash glasses and serving dishes.
- · Turn leftover braise into a pasta sauce.
Other sizes
Dinner party for more or fewer
Questions hosts ask
How much food for a dinner party for 10?
About 16.5 lb of finished food, or 745 g a guest across 6 dishes, with chickpea & squash tagine as the main. The amounts are sized by the planning engine and include a small margin.
Should a dinner party for 10 be a buffet or a sit-down meal?
A sit-down meal works for 10 if you have a chair for everyone. Count your seats first — the planner never assumes them — and switch to a buffet if you are short.
How many drinks for a dinner party for 10?
About 44 drinks across the party, including alcohol-free ones, and 20 lb of ice.
How far ahead should I start planning?
Start 3 weeks before: invite guests and ask about dietary needs at the same time, and plan a menu with one dish that needs last-minute attention, at most.
What does a dinner party for 10 cost?
The food in this plan comes to roughly $232, about $23 a guest. That is a planning estimate from typical US supermarket costs, not a price for your shop.
Plan my dinner party for 10
Tell us about your kitchen, your seats and anyone's food needs, and the menu, shopping list and timeline redraw around them.
Start planning