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Catering tray guide

How many people does a half tray feed?

In short

A half tray (half pan) feeds about 6 to 11 people as a main course and 11 to 16 as a side. A full tray feeds about 12 to 22 as a main and 22 to 32 as a side. The dish sets the number: a half tray of lasagna is 6 portions, a half tray of rice about 12.

Half tray vs full tray

A full tray is a full-size steam-table pan, about 12 by 20 inches. A half tray is half of that, about 12 by 10 inches, and holds half the servings. Caterers, restaurants and foil-pan packs call the same pan a half tray, a half pan or a half-size pan.

Half trays suit smaller groups and menus with several dishes, because each dish runs out at about the same time. Full trays suit a single main for a crowd. Every count here assumes a standard-depth pan and one pass through the line.

How many people a tray feeds, dish by dish

How many servings a half tray and a full tray hold, by dish.
DishServed asHalf tray feedsFull tray feeds
BrisketMain9 guests18 guests
Pulled porkMain9 guests18 guests
BBQMain9 guests18 guests
ChickenMain9 guests18 guests
TurkeyMain9 guests18 guests
HamMain9 guests18 guests
ShrimpMain10 guests20 guests
Taco meatMain10 guests20 guests
MeatballsMain10 guests20 guests
LasagnaMain6 guests12 guests
Baked zitiMain7 guests14 guests
BiryaniMain7 guests14 guests
ChiliMain10 guests20 guests
Mashed potatoesSide11 guests22 guests
Mac and cheeseSide11 guests22 guests
RiceSide12 guests25 guests
Fried riceSide11 guests22 guests
PastaSide11 guests22 guests
SaladSalad12 guests25 guests
RibsMain8 guests16 guests
Prime RibMain7 guests14 guests
SalmonMain9 guests18 guests
Pork LoinMain10 guests20 guests
Roast BeefMain11 guests22 guests
Green BeansSide14 guests28 guests
ColeslawSalad15 guests30 guests
Potato SaladSide12 guests25 guests
Baked BeansSide16 guests32 guests
CornbreadSide12 guests24 guests

Deli meat, pizza, soup and gravy are not normally tray-served, so they are left out. Their per-person guides are on the catering portions chart.

How many trays for 25, 50 and 100 guests

Worked from the chart above: pulled pork as the main (18 servings a full tray) and mac and cheese as a side (22 servings a full tray).

Trays to order for 25, 50 and 100 guests.
GuestsMain (pulled pork)Side (mac and cheese)
251 full + 1 half trays1 full + 1 half trays
503 full trays2 full + 1 half trays
1006 full trays5 full trays

Tray questions

How many people does a half tray feed?

A half tray (half pan) feeds about 6 to 11 people as a main course and 11 to 16 as a side. A full tray feeds about 12 to 22 as a main and 22 to 32 as a side. The dish sets the number: a half tray of lasagna is 6 portions, a half tray of rice about 12.

How many people does a full tray feed?

A full tray feeds about 12 to 22 people as a main course and 22 to 32 as a side dish or salad, twice what the same food fills in a half tray.

Is a half tray the same as a half pan?

Yes. Half tray, half pan and half-size pan all mean a pan half the size of a full steam-table (hotel) pan: about 12 by 10 inches, against about 12 by 20 inches for a full tray. It holds half the servings of a full tray.

How many trays do I need for 50 people?

For a main like pulled pork, plan 3 full trays. For a side like mac and cheese, plan 2 full + 1 half trays. Order every dish on the menu, not just the main.

How many people does a half tray of lasagna feed?

About 6 as a main course. A full tray of lasagna cuts into about 12 generous portions.

Planning a whole menu?

The catering food calculator takes your dish list and guest count and returns quantities, half and full trays, and a cost range together.

Open the catering food calculator

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