Plan the gathering
A cookout shopping plan with assumptions you can change
Enter the number of adults and children, then adjust the serving assumptions for your actual menu. Estimates are planning aids, not recipes or food-safety rules.
The studio notebook
A useful place to begin.
Clear steps, considered details, and ideas you can put to use.
Estimate cookout portions without guessing silently
How to adjust the assumptions behind a shopping list.
Turn a portion estimate into a usable shopping trip
Separate quantities, packages, and nonfood supplies.
Set up an outdoor food table with safety in mind
A practical layout for serving, cooling, and cleanup.
Build a cookout timeline without relying on invented cook times
Work backward from guest arrival and serving.
Plan cookout options for a mixed group
Ask, label, and keep choices distinct.
Use the estimate to reduce cookout waste
Adjust a simple forecast before buying.
From idea to something useful
Cookout portions and shopping list
Children count as half an adult serving for mains and sides; every guest counts for drinks. Change the assumptions and buffer to match your event. This tool runs in your browser.
A few helpful answers
Before you begin.
Are these amounts official serving standards?
No. They are adjustable planning assumptions shown in the tool.
Does the calculator give cooking times?
No. Use a food thermometer and the linked USDA temperature chart for safe cooking.
Can I save the list?
Download the text list or use Print / save PDF.