Total Dishes
6
Mains
2
Sides
1
Desserts
1
Potluck Plan
6 Dishes
16 cooks (1 dishes each)
Mains
2
Sides
1
Desserts
1
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Inputs
Result
20 guests × 1.0 serving = 20 servings. 20/8 = 2.5 → 3 dishes base. Category round-up: 2 main + 1 side + 1 salad + 1 dessert = 5 dishes. 16 cooks / 5 dishes = 3.2 cooks share each dish.
Inputs
Result
40 × 1.3 = 52 servings. 52/8 = 6.5 → 7 base. Categories: 3 main + 2 side + 1 salad + 2 dessert + 1 drink = 9 dishes. 36 cooks / 9 = 4 cooks per dish.
Plan 1 dish per 8 guests. Each dish typically yields 8 servings, and guests eat about 1 serving total. For a 20-person casual potluck, you need about 3 total dishes. If 80% of guests bring food (16 cooks), each cook brings about 0.2 dishes — meaning not everyone needs to bring something.
| Guests | Casual | Holiday | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 2 dishes | 3 dishes | 2 dishes |
| 20 | 4 dishes | 5 dishes | 3 dishes |
| 30 | 5 dishes | 7 dishes | 5 dishes |
| 50 | 8 dishes | 10 dishes | 7 dishes |
For a casual potluck, aim for 35% main dishes, 30% sides, 15% salads, 15% desserts, and 5% drinks. A 20-person potluck needing 4 dishes should have: 1–2 mains, 1–2 sides, 1 salad, and 1 dessert. Holiday potlucks shift toward more desserts (20%) and fewer salads (10%).
Typically 70–85% of guests will bring a dish. For a 20-person potluck at 80% participation, expect 16 cooks. With 4 dishes needed, that is 0.25 dishes per cook — so you can ask each person to bring one standard dish and have plenty. Coordinate by assigning categories to avoid duplicates.
Each potluck dish should serve 8 people. If you are making a main dish like a casserole, make enough for 8 generous servings. Side dishes and salads can be slightly smaller since guests take smaller portions. Desserts work best in individual servings (cookies, brownies) at 1.5 per person.
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Last Updated: Mar 20, 2026
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