How Many Potatoes Do You Need Per Person for Dinner?
Whipping up some roast potatoes for a weeknight dinner or cooking up mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving? You'll want to make sure there are enough potatoes to go around—and maybe even have some for those delicious leftovers! Use the guidelines below to determine how many pounds of potatoes per person you need for dinner.
Potatoes can weigh anywhere from 1/10 pound to 1/2 pound, depending on their size.
Related: How Long Does It Take to Cook a Turkey Per Pound?
How Much Mashed Potatoes Do You Need Per Person?
If you're making mashed potatoes, figure you will need 1/3 to 1/2 pound of potatoes per person. You may want to add a bit extra, however, as most people tend to pile on the mashed potatoes. With that in mind, here’s a general guide for how many potatoes you'll need if everyone consumes 3/4 pound:
4 people – 3 pounds (6 large potatoes)
6 people – 4.5 pounds (9 large potatoes)
12 people – 9 pounds (18 large potatoes)
Related: Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
What About Roasted Potatoes?
If you're making roasted potatoes, figure you will need 1/2 pound of potatoes per person. If each person eats 1/2 pound, here’s how many potatoes you’ll need:
4 people – 2 pounds (4 large potatoes)
6 people – 3 pounds (6 large potatoes)
12 people – 6 pounds (12 large potatoes)
Related: Life-Changing Extra-Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe
And Baked Potatoes?
If you're making baked potatoes, figure each person will eat one large (1/2 pound) potato. Based on everyone consuming 1/2 pound, here’s how much you’ll need to get:
4 people – 2 pounds (4 large potatoes)
6 people – 3 pounds (6 large potatoes)
12 people – 6 pounds (12 large potatoes)
Of course, be sure to buy a few extra potatoes if you're hoping to have Thanksgiving leftovers for the week to come!