Party guides: real numbers for real parties.

Every guide stands alone — real quantities from standard catering math, timelines that survive one oven, and honest advice about what to buy instead of make. When you want it scaled to your exact party, the planner is one tap away.

Start with the numbers

• How much food for a party?The master quantity tables — meat, sides, drinks, and ice for 10, 25, or 50 guests.
• How many dishes for a potluckSides, desserts and rolls by headcount — plus the supplies nobody signs up for.
• The recipe scalerPaste or name any recipe and get it sized to your crowd — with a real shopping list, free.

Potlucks

• The potluck signup sheetOne link, no spreadsheet — guests claim a dish and get it scaled to the party.
• How to organize a potluckCategories, not assignments — the three moves, the counts, and why the group chat can’t hold the signups.
• Who brings what to a potluckWhat the host covers, what guests bring, and why the non-cooking jobs are the load-bearing ones.
• What to bring to a potluckThe dish you already make well, sized for 8–12 — plus the last-minute and no-cooking answers.
• Potluck etiquetteThe guest rules, the host rules, and the leftovers question settled.
• Potluck dishes that travelThe two clocks every dish faces, the transport kit, and why bars beat cake.
• The potluck, if you can’t cookThe non-cooking jobs, the store-bought food that’s genuinely welcome, and how to run the whole thing.
• The church potluckCovered dishes for 30, 60 or 100 — warming-tray rules, and a sheet that works without an app or Facebook.
• The office potluckOne microwave, a full fridge, and a lunch hour — plus the food-safety window nobody mentions.
• The family reunion potluckWhich dishes survive a three-hour drive, cooler math for an all-day event, and the eleventh-dessert problem.
• The Christmas potluckThe family signup board — everyone's famous dish, no duplicates, ice remembered.

Holidays & seasons

• Thanksgiving dinner for 12Turkey sizing, the thaw table, every side scaled, and the one-oven timeline.
• FriendsgivingThe host's share, the signup slots, and the board that prevents four desserts.
• Christmas dinner for 10Prime rib, ham, or tenderloin — roast math, sides, and the December week in order.
• New Year’s Eve party foodTwo waves of grazing across five hours, champagne by the bottle, and a timeline that works backward from midnight.
• Halloween partyChili by the quart, the hot dog bar, candy math, and dinner done by 5:30.
• Labor Day cookoutBurger and dog math for 15–40, the summer ice rule, and grill logistics.

Birthdays, game day & big crowds

• Birthday party (adults)How much for 12–40, what size cake, and when the candles come out.
• Kids' birthday partyPizza, juice, and cake for 10–20 kids — plus the parents who stay.
• Classroom party foodTreat and juice counts for 20 to 30 kids, why the allergy policy comes before the signup sheet, and the 45-minute clock.
• Big game watch partyWings math, chili by the quart, and a timeline pinned to kickoff.
• The tailgateWhat survives the truck ride, pulled pork for 10–30, and the kickoff timeline.
• Graduation partyOpen-house quantities for 30–75, sheet-cake sizing, menus that hold for hours.