How Many Hot Dogs for 12 People?

Plan 1.5 hot dogs per person — 2 if hot dogs are the only main, 1 if they share the grill with burgers. The eternal problem: dogs come in packs of 10, buns in packs of 8.

Buy to the bun math, not the dog math — leftover franks keep for weeks; leftover buns go stale in two days.

Adjusting for your crowd: kids eat about two-thirds of adult portions; knock 25% off any single item when several mains share the table; add 25% for teenagers and big appetites. When in doubt, round up on the cheap items (buns, chips, ice) and stay exact on the expensive ones.