How many potatoes do you need to make mashed potatoes for 20?
In this article, we will answer the question “How many potatoes do you need to make mashed potatoes for 20?”, and how to make mashed potatoes?
How many potatoes do you need to make mashed potatoes for 20?
If we assume ½ pound as the standard serving size of mashed potatoes, then you will need 1 pound of potatoes to feed 2 people.
To make calculations for a ¾ pound serving size, multiply the number of guests to 0.75. This will give you the number of potatoes you will need. This means you will need 15 pounds of potatoes for 20 people and 75 pounds of potatoes for 100 people.
Mashed potato serving size
According to the USDA’s National Nutrient Database, 1 cup of mashed potatoes which is equivalent to 210 grams or a little shy of ½ pounds is a standard serving size for a single individual.
Since mashed potatoes are everyone’s favorite, an individual is more likely to eat more than just 1 cup of mashed potatoes. If your guess is light eaters, you can work with the standard serving portions suggested by the USDA.
If the guests have a large appetite, you will need to estimate ⅓ or ⅓ pounds of mashed potatoes per person. You will need to increase the amount of 3/4 pound per person if one of your guests is an athlete. Similarly, kids are also likely to eat more than the standard serving portion for mashed potatoes.
Buffet style requires bigger portions
It is always better to be flexible in your serving size estimations when hosting a buffet. This way you won’t face any difficulty when the guests crave mashed potatoes for the second round in a buffet.
The second serving will naturally be smaller than the first one so you can do with 10-20% extra mashed potatoes to the estimated amount. When hosting a large gathering, you can control the serving size by using small serving spoons.
Do-Ahead mashed potatoes for a crowd
Ingredients
- 10 pounds (4.5 kg) russet potatoes
- Kosher salt
- 3 to 4 cups (720 ml to 960 ml) lactose-free whole milk or half-and-half, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (1 stick; 113 g) plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Scrub clean the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Add to a pot. Pour water to submerge the potatoes. Then season with salt.
- Bring the water to a rolling boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until soft and tender when pierced with a knife.
- Melt ½ cup (113 g) of butter in 3 cups (720 ml) of the milk. Replace the milk with half-and-half if you want richer mashed potatoes.
- Grease the inside of the slow cooker using butter.
- Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Heat the potatoes over low heat until they dry out.
- Using a hand-held potato masher: Start mashing the potatoes in the pot using a hand-held potato masher.
Pour warm milk and butter mixture and mix until well-combined. Add more milk if necessary.
Keep them a bit loose at this stage because they will dry out later in the slow cooking step. Season with salt and pepper and transfer the potatoes to a slow cooker.
Mix in 3 tablespoons of butter and set to slow cook on warm, with the lid on, for up to 4 hours.
- Using ricer or food mill: Set the ricer or food mill over the slow cooker. Fill the ricer or food mill with potatoes and press them into the slow cooker. Discard the potato skins that accumulate in the ricer or food mill.
When all the potatoes have been pressed into the slow cooker, whisk in warm milk and melted butter.
Add as much milk as needed to adjust the consistency. Keep the consistency a little loose so that it arrives at the right consistency after drying out in the slow cooker.
Season the mashed potatoes with salt and pepper. Transfer to a slow cooker and set to slow cook on warm, with the lid on, for up to 4 hours.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 193 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 34 g |
| Proteins | 5 g |
| Fat | 5 g |
| Saturated fat | 1 g |
| Sodium | 9 mg |
| Potassium | 757 mg |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Vitamin C | 10.3 mg |
| Calcium | 24 mg |
| Iron | 1.6 mg |
Other FAQs about Potatoes that you may be interested in.
How much does a large potato weigh?
What is the difference between potato wedges and steak fries?
Can you eat half-cooked potatoes?
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the question “How many potatoes do you need to make mashed potatoes for 20?”, and how to make mashed potatoes?
