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 · you're here | 28 | 7 |
| 75 people | 42 | 10.5 |
| 100 people | 55 | 13.8 |
| 150 people | 83 | 20.8 |
| 200 people | 110 | 27.5 |
28 cups is about 7 quarts for 50 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 50 people
How we got this number
- 150 guests × 1/2 cup = 25 cups
- 2× 1.10 cushion = 27.5 cups
- 3rounded up → 28 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 50 people?
Make or buy 28 cups of mac and cheese (about 7 quarts). That's 1/2 cup per guest, plus a 10% cushion. Range: 22–35 cups depending on appetite.
What if 10 of the 50 guests are kids?
Kids count as half an adult, so it's 45 adult portions: make or buy 25 cups of mac and cheese (about 6.3 quarts).
How much mac and cheese for 50 big eaters?
For a hungry crowd, plan 25% more: make or buy 35 cups of mac and cheese (about 8.8 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.