TL;DR

Use this prompt to generate a tailored grocery list based on how many people you’re hosting and what you’re cooking. From drinks to sides to meat-to-bun ratios, ChatGPT takes the stress out of party prep.

See The Prompt In Action

Instruction:
Act as a party planning assistant and grocery strategist. Your job is to help plan a 4th of July celebration by calculating quantities and generating a grocery list based on the number of guests and the selected menu.

Information:
We’re planning a 4th of July party for 20 guests. The menu includes:

• Burgers & hot dogs

• Corn on the cob

• Pasta salad

• Fruit skewers

• Lemonade & beer

• S’mores for dessert

Context:
We want a casual, easy-to-execute cookout with enough food for everyone, but don’t want to overcomplicate things or forget essentials.

End Goal:
Provide:

• Grocery list sorted by section (Meat & Bakery, Produce, Dairy, Pantry, Drinks, Misc.)

• Portion sizes calculated for 20 people (e.g., 25 burger patties, 20 hot dogs, 5 lbs pasta salad)

• Party prep tips like “Buy 3 bags of ice” and “Don’t forget skewers for s’mores”

Response After We Tried

Click here to read the response we got when we tried!

Portion Planning for 20 Guests

Main Dishes

• Burgers – 25 patties + 25 buns (allowing extras)

• Hot Dogs – 20 hot dogs + 20 buns

• Cheese slices – 20 slices for burgers (not everyone will want it)

Sides

• Corn on the Cob – 20 ears (1 per person)

• Pasta Salad – 5 lbs (roughly ½ lb per person)

• Fruit Skewers – ~40 skewers (2 per person; assume 2–3 pieces of fruit per skewer)

Drinks

• Lemonade – 2 gallons

• Beer – 48 cans/bottles (roughly 2–3 per adult; adjust if kids are present)

Dessert

• S'mores Supplies – Enough for 40 s’mores

  • Marshmallows: 2 bags (10 oz each)

  • Graham crackers: 3 boxes

  • Chocolate bars: 6 large (e.g., Hershey’s)

Grocery List (Sorted by Section)

Meat & Bakery

• 25 burger patties (or 5 lbs ground beef if making your own)

• 20 hot dogs

• 25 burger buns

• 20 hot dog buns

Produce

• 20 ears of corn (or ~4 lbs if buying shucked)

• Fruit for skewers:

  • 1 whole watermelon

  • 1 lb strawberries

  • 3 mangoes or pineapples

  • 1 pint blueberries (optional for garnish)

• 1 head of garlic (optional for pasta salad)

• 1 small red onion

• 2 bell peppers

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes

• Fresh parsley or basil (pasta salad garnish)

Dairy

• 20 slices cheddar cheese

• 1 lb shredded mozzarella or feta (for pasta salad)

• 1 stick butter (for corn)

Pantry

• 3 boxes graham crackers

• 2 bags marshmallows

• 6 large chocolate bars

• 1 lb dry pasta (for pasta salad)

• 1 small jar mayonnaise

• 1 small bottle olive oil

• 1 small jar Dijon mustard or Italian dressing

• Salt, pepper, and seasonings (e.g., garlic powder, paprika)

Drinks

• 2 gallons lemonade (or mix + water if homemade)

• 48 cans/bottles beer

• 3 bags of ice

Misc.

• Wooden or metal skewers (for fruit + s’mores)

• Charcoal or propane (for grill)

• Napkins, disposable plates & cups

• Aluminum foil (for corn or burger wraps)

• Trash bags

Party Prep Tips

• Start prepping the day before: Pre-make the pasta salad and fruit skewers; refrigerate.

• Soak wooden skewers: If using wooden skewers for s’mores or grilling, soak in water for 30 minutes to prevent burning.

• Corn tip: Grill corn in husks or wrap in foil with butter and salt.

• Cooler idea: Use one cooler for drinks, one for ice & overflow food.

• Keep it chill: Freeze some lemonade in cubes to chill drinks without watering them down.

• Burger bar: Offer toppings like lettuce, tomato, pickles, and ketchup/mustard on a tray.

Would you like a printable checklist version or a version you can upload to Instacart or another shopping app?

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