How many sandwiches to a pound?

[Andy]

I need to order meat for Saturday's open house. I plan on getting ham and turkey for 80 people. So, I went to the deli this evening and said I would like to order ham for 40 people and turkey for 40 people. I was asked "so how many pounds do you need?" My reply is, "I have no idea, I thought you could help me with that." I need to go back tomorrow during day hours to talk to workers who may be able to help.

So, do any of you know how many pounds of ham and turkey I should order?

I am also going to maybe have trouble getting the buns. Went to bakery today and was told they need one week notice to order! Fortunately 80 people won't be too hard to purchase day of even if I need to visit every place in town to purchase partial from each.

Also, do you know if I ask Subway they would sell me already sliced tomatos and onions? How expensive?

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

I would figure on about 1/4 lb per person. Yikes, 20lbs of meat!

I don't know of Subway would sell you the garnish or not. I once asked if I could buy some of their bread and they told me no.

 

[Lothlorien]

Have you looked into buying sandwiches from the grocery store's deli department? Not sure where you live, but here in NJ, Shop Rite sells 18" subs for about $5.99 each. By the time you buy all the meat and make all the sandwiches, it's cheaper to buy about 10 of those sandwiches. They put all the fixins on it already.

 

[Andy]

So much for "only"!

Thank you!

I am thinking we will get about 60 - 80 people but maybe up to 100. Our open house is just one block from the grocery store so I will make a meat/bun run if need be (would rather run low/out than have so much left over). If my WI relatives come and stay to close to end, I can send some left overs back with them (they will have a 4 hr trip home) otherwise I don't want a ton of leftovers.

 

[Andy]

We plan on having a build your own sandwich. So that brings me to another question - would it be o.k. to get the sandwhiches made with just the meat and bun and have people add their own garnishes or should I have everything seperate?

 

[amazeofgrace]

cheese and crakers? LOL

 

[Andy]

Cheese, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, mayonaisse, mustard

Strawberries on pound cake topped with cool whip. Just a small cake for show (will have a picture on if I get my act together and find a picture we can use).

mixed nuts and peanuts

Chips

Wanta come? Saturday 2:00 - 5:00 - any earlier and you can help me set up - any later and you can help me clean up (not as much fun but helps when there are lots of friends working on it.)

 

[Shari]

Unless you have any vegetarians, I think its fine to have the meat and bun put together. In fact, it generally means you'll use a little less meat.

 

[Hound dog]

My daughter's mother in law owns a Subway.

It might actually be cheaper for you to order their party subs for this than to go out and try to get all of the stuff yourself. Doesn't hurt to call and ask anyway. Make sure you talk to a manager though.

 

[Andy]

If this wasn't easy child's grad open house at church, I would scrap all my plans and start with amazeofgrace's suggestion. I would have only cheese and crackers served with wine. Maybe I should do that later that evening at a different location to celebrate getting through it?

If everyone enjoys wine as I do, it will be really cheap (I don't drink - don't really like the flavor but will have a taste once in awhile if it is served with a meal).

So, cheese, crackers and wine for anyone who comes and helps (clean up crew gets double). And I promise I will get whatever is needed to make my helper friends happy.

 

[Andy]

Bed time for me -

Keep the ideas flowing - I will check in again in the morning before visiting the deli.

(oh yeah, we also have pickles - that ought to encourage a few more of you to come? LOL )

GOOD NIGHT!

 

[KTMom91]

Last time we had a party, I went to the deli in Safeway. Their "party planning brochure" had meat and cheese trays, garnish trays, everything I needed, and the brochure also said how many people the trays would serve.

 

[Abbey]

Gosh...do you want ease or work??? easy child works at a sub shop and they make GREAT deals for huge orders like this. I think it's possibly cheaper than doing it all yourself.

I'm trying to find a flight to come out there.

Abbey

 

[Andy]

I was thinking it may be cheaper if I did the work? Anyway, I ended up ordering 2 meat trays (no work ) and buns.

Subway said no to the tomatoes so that will be my work. I'll have that as last project so no time, no tomatoes.

Oh Abbey, what a sweetheart! I am so looking forward to you coming. Hope you can find a flight. LOL!

 

[Marguerite]

We have a V-slicer, a sort of mandolin with V-shaped blades instead of one diagonal blade. With that, I can slice kilos of tomatoes really fast.

husband & I were cooks for beach mission one year (when difficult child 1 was a baby). We very quickly learned to NOT make sandwiches for everybody, it's really hard work. Instead, we would set out the various fillings (including the meat) and the bread, and get everyone to make their own. And with the V-slicer, I'd rapidly thin-slice onions, and thick-slice tomatoes, so it was really quick.

A problem with letting them do their own meat - they often overload it and you can run short.

Good luck with it all.

Marg