Free sweet potato platter calculator. Enter servings to find the sweet potato slices and sweet potatoes you need for a sweet potato platter.
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Enter the number of sweet potato platter servings. This sweet potato platter calculator multiplies servings by 4 slices and 180 grams of sweet potatoes, because one sweet potato platter serving holds about 4 slices with about 180 grams of sweet potatoes. The formula is shown on the page: slices = servings × 4, potato grams = servings × 180. For 20 servings you need 80 slices and 3600 grams of sweet potatoes. For 50 people you need 200 slices and 9000 grams of sweet potatoes. Use the slices per person, weight, casserole and Thanksgiving sections below to finish the platter.
The sweet potato platter formula is simple: slices = servings × 4 and potato grams = servings × 180. For 20 servings that gives 80 slices and 3600 grams of sweet potatoes, and for 50 people it gives 200 slices and 9000 grams of sweet potatoes. One hundred and eighty grams is about 6 ounces, which sits between the 4 to 5 ounce single serving guides quote and the 8 ounce side dish standard for a big dinner. It is a generous platter portion for a crowd that still leaves room for other dishes.
Sweet potato slices per person depend on the format. For sweet potato rounds as one of several appetizers, guides give 3 to 4 rounds per guest, and 5 to 6 rounds when rounds are the main snack. This calculator plans 4 slices per serving, which fits the appetizer range exactly. One batch of about 2 sweet potatoes serves 6 to 8 people as one of several options, so roast two pans rather than crowding one pan when you scale up.
Sweet potato portions should be planned by weight, not by count, because sweet potatoes vary so much in size. Small sweet potatoes weigh under 6 ounces, medium ones 8 to 12 ounces, and large ones over a pound, so counting one potato per person can leave you short by pounds. Use the scale in the store, and remember that peeling loses about 10 to 15 percent of the weight. This calculator uses 180 grams per serving precisely so size differences do not break the plan.
Sweet potato serving size changes with the cooking method, and the simplest way to roast sweet potatoes evenly is to cut them to a similar size. A serving of roasted sweet potatoes is about 4 to 5 ounces, or about 1 cup of roasted cubes, while mashed sweet potatoes serve about half a cup per serving because mash is denser. For casserole, guides give about 0.55 cups per guest for a weeknight dinner and 0.75 cups per guest for a holiday table, with classic mashed casserole yielding about 2.6 cups per pound. Roasted cubes shrink as moisture evaporates, so buy about 0.6 pounds per person for roasting and 0.5 pounds per person for mashing.
Sweet potato casserole per person is the Thanksgiving question. Holiday casserole guides give about 6.2 ounces per guest, while a classic casserole recipe with 3 to 4 pounds of sweet potatoes serves about 8 to 12 people. For a Thanksgiving table with many sides, guests take smaller scoops of each dish, so you can drop to about 5 ounces per person. This sweet potato platter calculator plans 180 grams per serving, which covers a holiday platter; for a full casserole pan, a 9 by 13 pan holds about 12 cups and serves about 16 guests at holiday portions.
Sweet potato platter ideas work best with a topping that adds contrast. Sweet potato rounds with brie, cranberry and pecans are a proven fall appetizer: roast the rounds, warm them for 5 minutes, then add brie, cranberries and pecans and bake 3 to 5 minutes more. A marshmallow and pecan topping suits a casserole, while a savoury herb topping suits a dinner platter. Add hot honey for a gentle kick, or rosemary for a woodsy note, and serve rounds warm so the cheese is just melted.
Choose firm sweet potatoes with smooth skin, and avoid soft spots, deep wrinkles and long thin tails, which you will only cut off. Store them in a cool, dark pantry, never in the refrigerator, which can make the centre hard and woody. Peel and cube up to 24 hours ahead and keep the pieces in cold water in the refrigerator so they do not oxidise. Leftover sweet potatoes are versatile: dice, roast and freeze extras for hash or salad, or bake whole sweet potatoes and add the pulp to smoothies.
Plan by weight: about 180 grams per serving for a platter, or about half a pound per person for a side dish. Counting one potato per person is unreliable because sizes range from under 6 ounces to over a pound.
Plan 3 to 4 sweet potato rounds per guest when rounds are one of several appetizers, and 5 to 6 rounds when they are the main snack. This calculator uses 4 slices per serving.
By weight. A medium sweet potato is roughly fist-sized, but a small one can be half that weight and a large one double. Weighing at the store avoids running short.
About 0.55 cups per guest for a weeknight dinner and about 0.75 cups per guest for a holiday table. A 9 by 13 pan holds about 12 cups and serves about 16 guests at holiday portions.
For a Thanksgiving platter, this calculator gives 180 grams per serving, so 20 guests need 3600 grams. For a casserole with many sides on the table, about 5 ounces per person is enough.
About 4 to 5 ounces, or about 1 cup of roasted cubes, or half a cup of mashed sweet potatoes. Dietitian guides give about 120 grams raw as a standard balanced serving.
Pick firm potatoes with smooth skin, all roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Avoid soft spots and deep wrinkles, which mean the potato is old or dehydrated.
For 50 people this calculator gives 200 slices and 9000 grams of sweet potatoes. For roasting, buy a little extra to cover peeling loss and shrinkage.