Interactive Group Event Planning Guide
We tidied up — same calculator, less clutter.
Interactive Calculator
Enter a sandwich count or budget, pick your brands, and get a full shopping list with quantities and costs.
Plan Your Sandwich Making Shopping Trip
1 serving (2 oz) of meat per sandwich ⓘ why?
Every brand slices differently, so a serving might be 2 slices or 4. Check the nutrition label: it says something like "Serving size: 2 oz, 4 slices". That's one sandwich's worth of meat. The calculator already knows the slice weight for each brand listed here, but double-check the label if you buy a different brand.
2 slices per sandwich, one on each side of the meat.
Before you shop
- Cheese: deli-style sliced only (Muenster, Havarti, Provolone, or a deli variety pack). No American cheese, Kraft singles, or individually wrapped slices.
- Meat: pre-packaged only, nothing sliced at the deli counter. Turkey or chicken, preferably no ham: most of the communities our partners serve can't eat it.
- Bring a cooler with ice packs to the store so the meat and cheese stay cold on the drive home.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Calculator
Same idea for PB&J: enter a count or budget, pick your brands, and get a shopping list.
Plan Your PB&J Sandwiches
3 tbsp per sandwich.
1.5 tbsp per sandwich.
Before you shop
- Jelly only. No jam, preserves, or fruit spread.
Pricing Information
Ingredient Cost Guide
Quick Reference: Popular Quantities
Package counts for common batch sizes. Use the calculator above for exact costs with your brands.
Perfect Sandwich Recipe
Every Deli Sandwich Contains
2slices bread
(no heels)
2slices cheese
(one per bread slice)
2ounces deli meat, 1 serving
(turkey or chicken)
1zip-lock sandwich bag
Every PB&J Sandwich Contains
2slices bread
3tbsp peanut butter
1.5tbsp jelly
1zip-lock sandwich bag
Food Safety Requirements
Personal Hygiene
- Wash hands with soap and warm water
- Wear disposable gloves (required)
- Change gloves if touching non-food items
- Use hair ties or nets for long hair
- Use beard nets if applicable
- Clean and cover all prep surfaces
Temperature Control
- Keep all ingredients at 40°F or below
- Never leave ingredients at 80°F or above
- Remove only 1 package of meat at a time from fridge
- Return completed loaves immediately
- Never put warm sandwiches in coolers
Ingredient Standards
- Use same quality you'd feed your family
- Pre-packaged deli meat only (no deli counter)
- Check expiration: 10+ days after purchase
- Keep nut products away from deli area
- When in doubt, throw it out!
Transport Safety
- Cool sandwiches in freezer 20-30 minutes before packing
- Ensure coolers are cool before loading (not hot from garage)
- Use ice packs - enough to touch every loaf of sandwiches
- Fill coolers completely (no air circulation)
- Once packed, do NOT open cooler - it will rapidly heat up
- Transport directly to host locations
Download: Food Safety for Volunteers
Full printable guide with temperature rules, sanitation, and safe delivery procedures.
Open PDFPlanning Tips
Timing Guidelines (+20 min for setup/cleanup)
- Small (50–100 sandwiches, 3–5 adults): 45–90 minutes
- Medium (200–300 sandwiches, 5–8 adults): 1.5–2.5 hours
- Large (500+ sandwiches, 10–20 adults): 2–4 hours
- Solo/pair events: plan ~25 sandwiches per adult per hour
Storage & Transport
- ~100 sandwiches per large cooler
- Plan 2-3 hours ingredient storage
- Use your own coolers with ice packs
- Never put warm sandwiches in coolers
- Once packed, don't open cooler during transport
Quality Standards
- Same quality you'd serve family
- 10+ days until expiration
- Pre-packaged deli meat only
- Add 5-10% buffer for extras