Party food help- how much meat?

[francisco]

Hello, I am hoping someone more experienced than me can offer me some expertise :) We are throwing my in-laws a surprise anniversary party in a month. We will be having 50 guests if everyone comes and a family member will be catering, I just have to buy the food for her to prepare. We will be having roast beef (I am going to be buying chuck roast for that) and spiral ham. Being that we will be having 2 meats, how many lbs per person of each meat should I buy? I searched Google, and came up with around .75 lb per person for boneless meat, but being that we are having two meat choices, I didn't know how much I should buy of each. Thanks!

[menw]

Hello, I am hoping someone more experienced than me can offer me some expertise :) We are throwing my in-laws a surprise anniversary party in a month. We will be having 50 guests if everyone comes and a family member will be catering, I just have to buy the food for her to prepare. We will be having roast beef (I am going to be buying chuck roast for that) and spiral ham. Being that we will be having 2 meats, how many lbs per person of each meat should I buy? I searched Google, and came up with around .75 lb per person for boneless meat, but being that we are having two meat choices, I didn't know how much I should buy of each. Thanks!

.75lb is way too much IMO, that would be if there was only to be meats.
I would suggest far lower would be appropriate, less than .25lb per person and have about equal amounts, and if one runs out then too bad. In another scene it may require where there has to be enough and possible 33% of both to be leftovers
Just have plenty of sides, both hot and cold and a few vegetarian one.
It the sort of thing where you need to know the types of foods that your people relate to or would like as a taste.
If you are going to serve platters of ham and beef people will take far more than they would probably eat, and will take both. I have found it better to serve them out as either Ham or Beef or a little of both, and help yourself to everything else, and come back more for leftovers if there is anything that is left.
Dune.