ByKeeshaPosted onUpdated on
Ready to master the art of perfect mashed potato servings? Have you ever wondered how many potatoes to buy or prepare for each person?
Today, we’ll clear up the confusion and help you figure out the perfect amount. This isn’t just about avoiding too much or too little – it’s about getting your prep and budget right, ensuring everyone leaves the table happy and satisfied.
Let’s dive into finding those ideal portion sizes!
And, if by the end of this article you’re craving some potatoes, go check out thisPeruvian Stuffed PotatoesandMexican Steak With Potato Stew recipe.
Serving Size Per Person
First, you need to figure out how much mash to serve per person. This will ultimately help you determine how many potatoes you need.
Now, obviously, different people eat different amounts of food. When working out catering quantities, it’s best to work on averages. If someone eats way less than their portion size, there is more for someone who eats more than the average portion size. It all balances out.
To start, the USDA considers an average serving of mashed potatoes to be 1 cup. That’s equal to 7.41 ounces (210 grams).
So, if you are catering an event for 10 people, you must make 10 cups of mash. That equals 4.63 pounds (2.1 kilograms).
If you are catering for 100 people, you need 100 cups of mash, which is 46.31 pounds (21 kilograms) of mash.
Do you see the math? It’s super easy to calculate how many mashed potatoes to serve. The more difficult calculation is how many potatoes per person for mash you need to use.
How Many Potatoes Per Person For Mashed Potatoes?
So remember, one cup of mashed potatoes is served per person. To make 1 cup of mashed potatoes, you need about 2 medium potatoes.
So, if you need to make 4 cups of mashed potatoes, you need 8 medium potatoes.
If you need to make 50 cups of mashed potatoes, you need 100 medium potatoes.
How Many Potatoes Do You Need In Weight?
This is actually a far better way to accurately make mashed potatoes for x-amount of people.
The average weight of a medium potato is between 5-10 ounces (140-280 grams). So, as you can see, that’s quite a gap. You can mash two 5-ounce potatoes to get the same amount of mash as a single 10-ounce potato!
So, I always work using the following formula: 1 medium potato weighs 7,41 ounces (210 grams). Looks familiar?
That’s also the weight of 1 cup per serving of mashed potato!
But how does that work? The weight of one medium potato is 7.41 ounces. But you need 2 medium potatoes to make 7.41 ounces of mash.
Remember, when potatoes are cooked and mashed, they lose a ton of volume. A single medium potato will only fill 1/2 cup. So, to fill a whole cup, more potatoes are needed.
If you are able to calculate the total weight of potatoes you need to make mash, you can use any shape and size of potato you can find! It’s an extremely accurate formula that comes in very handy for large catering jobs.
How Many Mashed Potatoes Per Person – Summary
To wrap this up, determining the quantity of mashed potatoes needed per person involves understanding the standard serving size and the average weight of medium potatoes.
In terms of potato count, you will generally need about two medium potatoes to yield one cup of mashed potato.
With this guide, you can confidently prepare mashed potatoes for any number of guests or catering events, ultimately creating a satisfying dining experience for everyone.
FAQs
How many mashed potatoes per kid?
In many households, mash is a staple for the kids. The exact amount of mash you serve depends on the age of your child. A 4-year-old is going to eat far less than a 13-year-old. On average, you can serve them between 1/4 to 3/4 cup mash if they are between the ages of 2 to 13.
Can you make mash ahead of time?
This is an important question because you cannot prepare everything on the day of the event. Mash can be made ahead of time, and it holds up pretty well, too.
However, you will need to adjust the consistency when you reheat and serve it. Mash can be made about a day or two in advance.
Should you boil or bake potatoes to make mash?
You can do both. However, boiling them helps them retain their moisture. But it also adds moisture. This can make the mash a little too soft.
Baking potatoes for mash on the other hand can dry out the mash too much. Sometimes, it is challenging to mash and puree the potatoes because of this.
