How Much Deli Meat to Plan for a Party?

A question was asked recently about how much deli meat to plan for a party. Here´s my response: The answer to your question depends upon a few variables: *Is this a dinner or a lunch? (People expect more and eat more at dinner) *Is the deli meat the main source of meat or are there other meat dishes such as swedish meatballs, shrimp rings, wings, etc.? (You´ll need less deli meat if there´s other alternatives) *Is there a lot of other foods served with this such as veggie trays, snacks, side dishes, etc.? (Even if the deli meat is the only meat, if you have a lot of sides you can go for a lower per pound amount per person) Without knowing this, the standard I have found from my sources are to plan on 1/4 to 1/3 pound of deli meat per person. Adjust accordingly based upon the above questions. If there are other "meats" being served aim for the 1/4 pound mark, if this is the main meat and you´re serving sandwiches aim for 1/3 pound or slightly more per person. If you are going to "err", do so by having too much rather than too little.