How Much Food Should You Buy For Thanksgiving Dinner?
MONTCLAIR, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Shopping in preparation for your Thanksgiving meal can be a daunting task, especially if you're trying to buy ingredients to satisfy all of your guests.
CBS2's Meg Baker spoke to a New Jersey chef offering tips to make your Thanksgiving shopping list easier.
The turkey is the crown of your holiday table, so what size should you get? And how hungry will your guests be?
Chef Karen Fischer with the Montclair Culinary Academy wrote it all out for us.
"One pound of cooked turkey per person," she said.
She says count kids as a quarter pound, and when buying the bird, consider it has bones, so for eight people, buy a turkey that is at least 10 pounds.
TURKEY TIPS: What To Do, What Not To Do Ahead Of Your Thanksgiving Feast
Side dishes should be about a half pound per person.
"If you have a five-pound bag of Brussels sprouts, you will feed 10 people," Fischer said.
A pro-tip from Fischer: roast on parchment paper.
"You don't have to reach into the oven and flip anything, it just will roast through both sides," she said.
For traditional baked potatoes, Fischer says a large potato can feed two people.
Fischer says never make mashed potatoes ahead of time and don't over-mash them because they are a starch and will get gummy.
RELATED STORY: Tips For Hosting The Perfect Thanksgiving Or Friendsgiving In Your City Apartment
If you have vegetarian guests, an easy main course for them is vegetarian wellington.
"Oyster mushrooms are beautiful. They're meaty," she said. "Some Swiss chard, so this is truly a vegetarian's dream."
Wrap it up in a crescent roll and bake for 10 minutes on 400 degrees.
As for the wine, Fischer says, "Be prepared for hearty drinkers."
"If you're making all of the food, the thing to request is bring the salad, the dessert and, oh, bring your favorite wine, so people will know so the pressure isn't on the hosts to figure out what everybody wants to drink," she said.
The chef also says if you are concerned about not having enough food, a good rule of thumb is to always go to the higher weight. Leftovers are always appreciated.
