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 · you're here | 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 | 110 | 27.5 |
17 cups is about 4.25 quarts for 30 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 30 people
How we got this number
- 130 guests × 1/2 cup = 15 cups
- 2× 1.10 cushion = 16.5 cups
- 3rounded up → 17 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 30 people?
Make or buy 17 cups of mac and cheese (about 4.3 quarts). That's 1/2 cup per guest, plus a 10% cushion. Range: 13–21 cups depending on appetite.
What if 6 of the 30 guests are kids?
Kids count as half an adult, so it's 27 adult portions: make or buy 15 cups of mac and cheese (about 3.8 quarts).
How much mac and cheese for 30 big eaters?
For a hungry crowd, plan 25% more: make or buy 21 cups of mac and cheese (about 5.3 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.