How much mashed potatoes for 50 people?

For 50 guests, order about 19.5 lb of raw potatoes, which serves about 15.6 lb. That is roughly 2 full + 1 half trays.

How much mashed potatoes for 100 people?

For 100 guests, order about 39.1 lb of raw potatoes, which serves about 31.3 lb. That is roughly 5 full trays.

Catering portion guide

How much mashed potatoes per person?

In short

Plan on 5 oz of mashed potatoes per person as a side. Allowing for peeling loss, buy about 6 oz of raw potato per person: 50 guests needs about 15.5 lb finished from roughly 20 lb of raw potatoes.

Buy more mashed potatoes than you serve

Raw potatoes lose roughly 20 percent to peeling and trimming. Buy about 1.25 lb of raw potato for every 1 lb of finished mash.

Planning factor: 1.25x. For every 1 lb you want to serve, order about 1.25 lb of raw potatoes.

How much mashed potatoes for 10 to 100 people

Order is what to buy as raw potatoes. Serves is what reaches the plate after trim and cooking.

Mashed potatoes quantities by guest count, showing purchase weight and served weight
Guests	Order	Serves	Trays
10	3.9 lb	3.1 lb	1 half tray
15	5.9 lb	4.7 lb	1 full tray
20	7.8 lb	6.3 lb	1 full tray
25	9.8 lb	7.8 lb	1 full + 1 half trays
30	11.7 lb	9.4 lb	1 full + 1 half trays
40	15.6 lb	12.5 lb	2 full trays
50	19.5 lb	15.6 lb	2 full + 1 half trays
60	23.4 lb	18.8 lb	3 full trays
75	29.3 lb	23.4 lb	3 full + 1 half trays
100	39.1 lb	31.3 lb	5 full trays
150	58.6 lb	46.9 lb	7 full trays
200	78.1 lb	62.5 lb	9 full + 1 half trays

These are standard food-service planning figures, not fixed constants. Real yield moves with cut, trim level, cooking method, and how long the food is held. Weigh your own results once and adjust the factor to your kitchen.

Things that change the number

As the only starch on the plate, move up to 6 oz finished per person.
Butter and cream add weight, so a rich mash stretches slightly further than plain.
Mashed potato holds well in a covered pan but skins over uncovered, so keep it lidded.

Common questions

How much mashed potatoes per person?: Plan on 5 oz of mashed potatoes per person as a side. Allowing for peeling loss, buy about 6 oz of raw potato per person: 50 guests needs about 15.5 lb finished from roughly 20 lb of raw potatoes.
How much mashed potatoes for 50 people?: For 50 guests, order about 19.5 lb of raw potatoes, which serves about 15.6 lb. That is roughly 2 full + 1 half trays.
How much mashed potatoes for 100 people?: For 100 guests, order about 39.1 lb of raw potatoes, which serves about 31.3 lb. That is roughly 5 full trays.

Working out a whole menu, not one dish?

The catering food calculator takes your actual dish list and guest count and returns quantities, tray counts, and a cost range for the whole event.

Open the catering food calculator