How to Adjust Recipes for the Right Number of Servings

Planning to host a holiday gathering and want to serve your beloved candied sweet potatoes? The recipe you're using serves 5, but you've got 20 guests on the guest list. Don’t let the hassle of scaling your recipes ruin your holiday feast. Whether you're doubling or tripling the ingredients, these simple tips will ensure you serve a memorable meal to your crowd without the stress.

Scaling Recipes for Large Groups

1. Keep Serving Sizes Flexible

Your trusty green bean recipe serves 4, but you’re expecting 23 people for your holiday . The math suggests multiplying by 5.75, but that can quickly become complicated, not to mention the issue of fitting all that on your food scale. Simplify things by rounding the numbers to a more manageable figure. If your portions end up slightly less than expected, don’t stress. With so many delicious dishes on the table, no one will mind if a few servings are a little smaller. Plus, someone at the end of the table will probably skip the Brussels sprouts anyway—especially when they’re focused on your famous caramelized Brussels sprouts!

2. Opt for Roasting Recipes

Sautéing asparagus is quick and easy, but when you're scaling up to serve a larger crowd, it can get tricky, especially if you're using only one skillet and need to cook in batches. To avoid the hassle, choose recipes that involve roasting or baking. Large sheet pans, baking pans, and roasting pans allow you to prepare everything at once. Plus, roasting in the oven ensures consistent cooking—just be sure to evenly distribute the food on the pan to avoid overloading it, which could lead to uneven results. Start with the original recipe's cooking time, then adjust if needed after checking for doneness.

3. Embrace Soups

Soups are ideal for scaling up to serve a large group. They typically cook for hours, and your trusty stockpot should be big enough to handle extra servings. However, creamy soups, like butternut squash, can be a bit more challenging since they need to be pureed. This may mean transferring the soup in batches to a blender, which can get messy. To keep things simple, stick to broth-based soups or those that only require part of the soup to be blended. Alternatively, use an immersion blender for a smooth, creamy texture without the hassle of transferring.

Tip: To prevent splatter when using an immersion blender, cover the pot with parchment paper, cutting a hole in the center through which to insert the blender.

4. For Baking, Keep Portions Smaller

While dishes like soups, casseroles, and roasted veggies are simple to scale up, baked goods can be trickier. Doubling or tripling a cake or loaf changes both the cooking time and the way it browns, making it harder to get the perfect result. Instead of turning your favorite chocolate cake into a massive dessert by increasing the size, consider baking two smaller cakes in your regular pans.

For bread, opt for rolls, muffins, or mini loaves of pumpkin or cornbread instead of trying to make one large loaf. These individual portions will be easier to serve, and every bite will be light, moist, and evenly cooked.