A luncheon menu for 8 works best with one make-ahead main, two cold sides, bread and a simple dessert, all things that can be ready before guests arrive. Below is a complete menu with quantities for 8, a shopping-sized list and a timeline.
A luncheon is lighter than a dinner. Plan about 4 to 5 ounces of protein per person and smaller portions of sides.
The Menu
- Main: chicken salad croissants, or a spinach and Gruyère quiche for a vegetarian version
- Side 1: mixed green salad with pears, walnuts and vinaigrette
- Side 2: fresh fruit platter
- Soup (optional, for cooler months): tomato basil soup in small cups
- Dessert: lemon bars or a pound cake with berries
- Drinks: iced tea, lemonade and sparkling water
Quantities for 8 Guests
- Chicken salad: 3 pounds of cooked chicken (about 6 cups chopped), 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise, 1 1/2 cups diced celery, 1 cup halved grapes and 1/2 cup chopped pecans, served on 8 to 10 croissants (have a few spares)
- Quiche alternative: two 9-inch quiches, each cut into 6
- Green salad: 10 to 12 cups of mixed greens, 2 pears, 1 cup of walnuts and 3/4 cup of dressing
- Fruit platter: 4 to 5 pounds of mixed fruit (about 1/2 pound per guest before trimming)
- Soup: 2 quarts for 8 cup-sized servings
- Dessert: 16 small lemon bars (2 each), or one pound cake cut into 12 slices
- Drinks: 1 gallon each of iced tea and lemonade, plus sparkling water
Make-Ahead Timeline
- Two days before: shop, and bake the lemon bars or pound cake.
- The day before: cook and chill the chicken and mix the chicken salad, or bake the quiches. Make the vinaigrette and brew the tea. Make the soup.
- Morning of: wash the greens and cut the fruit. Set the table.
- 30 minutes before: fill the croissants, or warm the quiches at 325°F for 15 minutes. Reheat the soup. Toss the salad just before serving.
Keeping It Safe on the Table
Chicken salad, quiche and cut fruit should not sit out more than 2 hours. Serve the chicken salad from a bowl set over ice, or bring out a second batch from the fridge rather than leaving one bowl out the whole time.
Easy Swaps
- Fancier: poached salmon with dill sauce as the main, and asparagus instead of the fruit platter.
- Budget: egg salad and pimento cheese finger sandwiches with a pasta salad.
- Gluten-free: serve the chicken salad in lettuce cups and make a crustless quiche.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What time is a luncheon? Usually between 11:30 and 1:30, with a relaxed pace of 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- How much chicken salad per person? About 3/4 cup when it is the main dish.
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Luncheon Menu for 8: Complete Plan with Quantities