Adjust for your crowd
Enter how many of your guests are kids; each counts as half an adult.
Mac and cheese for other crowd sizes
tap a row for its own list ↓| Guests | Cups | Quarts |
|---|---|---|
| 10 people | 6 | 1.5 |
| 20 people | 11 | 2.8 |
| 25 people | 14 | 3.5 |
| 30 people | 17 | 4.3 |
| 40 people | 22 | 5.5 |
| 50 people | 28 | 7 |
| 75 people | 42 | 10.5 |
| 100 people | 55 | 13.8 |
| 150 people | 83 | 20.8 |
| 200 people · you're here | 110 | 27.5 |
110 cups is about 27.5 quarts for 200 people. Bake it in foil pans you can send home with guests.
How many people do 12 cups of mac and cheese serve?
Feeds about 24 people.
Everything else for 200 people
How we got this number
- 1200 guests × 1/2 cup = 100 cups
- 2× 1.10 cushion = 110 cups
- 3rounded up → 110 cups
cups of finished mac and cheese, not dry pasta.
Sources for this rule: USDA Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs; WebstaurantStore; ezCater; Taste of Home Potluck Mac and Cheese (pitched for feeding a crowd); USDA school mac and cheese recipe; Old Farmer's Almanac party chart.
Mac and cheese questions
How much mac and cheese for 200 people?
Make or buy 110 cups of mac and cheese (about 27.5 quarts). That's 1/2 cup per guest, plus a 10% cushion. Range: 88–138 cups depending on appetite.
What if 40 of the 200 guests are kids?
Kids count as half an adult, so it's 180 adult portions: make or buy 99 cups of mac and cheese (about 24.8 quarts).
How much mac and cheese for 200 big eaters?
For a hungry crowd, plan 25% more: make or buy 138 cups of mac and cheese (about 34.5 quarts).
How many people do 12 cups of mac and cheese serve?
Feeds about 24 people.
Different headcount? The mac and cheese calculator works for any number of guests, and the menu planner builds one shopping list for the whole party.