Thanksgiving Dinner for 24 guests
A buffet-style Thanksgiving dinner for 24: 7 dishes, about 1129 g of food a guest (59.75 lb in all), 31 lines on the shopping list and around 144 drinks. 36% of the cooking can happen before the day.
- Dishes
- 7
- Food
- 59.75 lb
- Drinks
- 144
- Shopping lines
- 31
- Turkey
- 2 × 18 lb
Sized by the planning engine
The menu, amounts and kitchen check
- · We set food for 4 PM — change it if your timing is different.
- · With more than sixteen guests we suggested a buffet — switch back if you have the table.
Menu for 24
To start
- Cheese board with quince & walnut4.5 batches · 36 servingson the day
Mains
- Tray-roast chicken & lemon4.5 batches · 23 servingson the day
- Stuffed squash, farro & sage4 batches · 24 servingson the day
Sides
- Potato gratin2.5 batches · 20 servingson the day
- Roast roots, honey & thyme2.5 batches · 20 servingson the day
Bread
- Warm brioche rolls3.5 batches · 35 servingson the day
Dessert
- Poached fruit in spiced syrup4.5 batches · 36 servingsday before
About 1129 g of food a guest. 36% of the cooking can be done before the day.
Shopping highlights
- Chicken thighs16 lb
- Carrot18 ea
- Citrus for garnish7 ea
- Garlic33 clove
- Herb for garnish — mint or rosemary3 bunch
- Lemon9 ea
- Parsnip12 ea
- Pears29 ea
- Potato10 lb
- Sage1 bunch
10 of 31 lines. The full list comes with the plan.
Kitchen check
Over capacity
The day-of cooking does not fit the day. Move dishes to the day before, cut the menu, add an oven, or reduce the guest count. The plan will not compress cooking time for you.
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
- 144
- Ice
- 60 lb
- Food, estimated
- $872
About $36 a guest — a planning estimate from typical supermarket costs, not a price.
The turkey
2 turkeys of about 18 lb for 24
USDA guidance of 1 lb a person, plus half again for leftovers: 36 lb in all. Thaw in the fridge for 4–5 days, roast unstuffed at 325°F for 3.75–4.25 hours, and check 165°F with a thermometer.
Countdown
The Thanksgiving timeline, condensed
6 weeks before
- · Confirm who is coming and who is bringing what.
- · Order a fresh turkey or a heritage bird if you want one.
2 weeks before
- · Buy pantry staples, stock, wine and cider.
- · Make and freeze pie dough, stock and cranberry sauce.
1 week before
- · Confirm final numbers and dietary needs; assign potluck dishes.
- · Write an oven schedule working backwards from serving time.
2 days before
- · Do the fresh shop: vegetables, herbs, dairy, bread.
- · Bake pies and cornbread; make gravy base from roasted wings.
Day before
- · Assemble gratins and stuffing; chop every vegetable.
- · Set the table completely, including serving spoons for each dish.
Day of
- · Take the turkey out of the fridge an hour before roasting.
- · Roast, then rest the bird under foil while sides use the oven.
Day after
- · Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of serving and use within three to four days.
- · Make stock from the carcass and turkey sandwiches for lunch.
Other sizes
Thanksgiving for more or fewer
Questions hosts ask
How much food for a Thanksgiving dinner for 24?
About 59.75 lb of finished food, or 1129 g a guest across 7 dishes, with tray-roast chicken & lemon and stuffed squash, farro & sage as the mains. The amounts are sized by the planning engine and include a small margin.
How big a turkey for 24 people?
2 birds of about 18 lb each, using the USDA's 1 lb a person plus half again for leftovers. Allow 4–5 days to thaw it in the fridge and 3.75–4.25 hours to roast each one unstuffed at 325°F.
Should a Thanksgiving dinner for 24 be a buffet or a sit-down meal?
This plan serves it as a buffet, because past sixteen guests most homes run out of table. If you do have a seat for everyone, a sit-down meal is possible — tell the planner your real seat count.
How many drinks for a Thanksgiving dinner for 24?
About 144 drinks across the party, including alcohol-free ones, and 60 lb of ice.
How far ahead should I start planning?
Start 6 weeks before: confirm who is coming and who is bringing what, and order a fresh turkey or a heritage bird if you want one.
What does a Thanksgiving dinner for 24 cost?
The food in this plan comes to roughly $872, about $36 a guest. That is a planning estimate from typical US supermarket costs, not a price for your shop.
Plan my Thanksgiving for 24
Tell us about your kitchen, your seats and anyone's food needs, and the menu, shopping list and timeline redraw around them.
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