Graduation Party for 40 guests
A buffet-style graduation party for 40: 6 dishes, about 890 g of food a guest (78.5 lb in all), 30 lines on the shopping list and around 216 drinks. 70% of the cooking can happen before the day.
- Dishes
- 6
- Food
- 78.5 lb
- Drinks
- 216
- Shopping lines
- 30
Sized by the planning engine
The menu, amounts and kitchen check
- · We set food for 3 PM — change it if your timing is different.
Menu for 40
To start
- Crudités with two dips5 batches · 50 servingson the day
Mains
- Pulled jackfruit, big pot4 batches · 56 servingsday before
Sides
- Loaded potato salad, big bowl2 batches · 32 servingsday before
- Quick-pickled pantry vegetables4 batches · 32 servingsday before
Bread
- Griddled flatbreads6.5 batches · 52 servingson the day
Dessert
- Lemon bars, catering tray2.5 batches · 60 servingsday before
About 890 g of food a guest. 70% of the cooking can be done before the day.
Shopping highlights
- Carrot5 ea
- Citrus for garnish11 ea
- Cucumber4 ea
- Herb for garnish — mint or rosemary4 bunch
- Lemon19 ea
- New potatoes14 lb
- Onion9 ea
- Raw vegetables17 lb
- Scallion2 bunch
- Butter1.5 lb
10 of 30 lines. The full list comes with the plan.
Kitchen check
Over capacity
Cookout without declared grill. Confirm the grill, or change occasion shape to buffet dinner.
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
- 216
- Ice
- 85 lb
- Food, estimated
- $876
About $22 a guest — a planning estimate from typical supermarket costs, not a price.
Countdown
The graduation timeline, condensed
8 weeks before
- · Pick a date that avoids classmates' parties; open houses often stagger.
- · Draft the guest list with the graduate.
4 weeks before
- · Send invitations or announcements with the open-house hours.
- · Plan a buffet that can be refilled over several hours.
2 weeks before
- · Order a sheet cake or cupcakes.
- · Buy plates, cups, napkins and bin bags in bulk.
1 week before
- · Estimate numbers; open houses rarely get firm replies.
- · Make and freeze brownies and lemon bars.
Day before
- · Buy produce, meat, drinks and plenty of ice.
- · Make potato salad, marinate chicken and shape slider patties.
Day of
- · Grill in batches through the afternoon rather than all at once.
- · Keep cold dishes in a shaded spot or over ice and swap them out every hour or two.
Day after
- · Return rentals and tidy the garden.
- · Help the graduate write thank-you notes for gifts.
Other sizes
Graduation for more or fewer
Questions hosts ask
How much food for a graduation party for 40?
About 78.5 lb of finished food, or 890 g a guest across 6 dishes, with pulled jackfruit, big pot as the main. The amounts are sized by the planning engine and include a small margin.
Should a graduation party for 40 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 graduation party for 40?
About 216 drinks across the party, including alcohol-free ones, and 85 lb of ice.
How far ahead should I start planning?
Start 8 weeks before: pick a date that avoids classmates' parties; open houses often stagger, and draft the guest list with the graduate.
What does a graduation party for 40 cost?
The food in this plan comes to roughly $876, about $22 a guest. That is a planning estimate from typical US supermarket costs, not a price for your shop.
Plan my graduation for 40
Tell us about your kitchen, your seats and anyone's food needs, and the menu, shopping list and timeline redraw around them.
Start planning