Adjust for your crowd
Enter how many of your guests are kids; each counts as half an adult.
Mashed potatoes chart: 10 to 200 people
tap a row for its own list ↓| Guests | Cups | 5-lb bags |
|---|---|---|
| 10 people | 9 | 1 |
| 20 people | 17 | 2 |
| 25 people | 21 | 2 |
| 30 people | 25 | 3 |
| 40 people | 33 | 4 |
| 50 people | 42 | 4 |
| 75 people | 62 | 6 |
| 100 people | 83 | 8 |
| 150 people | 124 | 12 |
| 200 people | 165 | 16 |
How many people do 10 cups of mashed potatoes serve?
Feeds about 13 people.
Everything else for 20 people
How we got this number
- 120 guests × 3/4 cup = 15 cups
- 2× 1.10 cushion = 16.5 cups
- 3÷ 10.5 per bag = 1.6 → 2 bags of potatoes (5 lb)
cups of finished mashed potatoes, then bags of raw russets.
Sources for this rule: Food Network portion planner; WebstaurantStore Thanksgiving-for-100 guide; Old Farmer's Almanac party chart; TODAY, Melissa Clark (NYT) cheat sheet; USDA Food Buying Guide, Potatoes, fresh, White or Russet; shop.lowesfoods.com.
How to make mashed potatoes: the most-watched videos
Videos from YouTube, picked by us from the most-watched on the topic; view counts as of October 2026. We don't make these videos and aren't paid for them. Pressing play loads YouTube.
Mashed potatoes questions
How much mashed potatoes per person?
Plan on 3/4 cup of mashed potatoes per person. One bag (about 10 1/2 cups mashed) serves about 14 people.
How much mashed potatoes for 100 people?
Make 83 cups: 8 bags of potatoes (5 lb). That's 3/4 cup per guest, plus a 10% cushion. Range: 66–104 cups depending on appetite.
How many people do 10 cups of mashed potatoes serve?
Feeds about 13 people.
Should kids count as a full person?
Count each kid as half an adult. Add them in the Kids box and the shopping list updates.