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Interactive Group Event Planning Guide

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👥 Group Capacity Estimator 🧮 Deli Calculator 🥜 PB&J Calculator 📊 Pricing Info 🥪 Recipes 🛡️ Food Safety

Welcome to the Sandwich Project Planning Tool!

This page is designed to help volunteers and organizers plan group sandwich-making events when working with The Sandwich Project! Use this tool to estimate costs, quantities, and supplies for your event— whether you’re making 20 or 2,000 sandwiches!

How to use: Start with the calculator below, or jump to any section for details and tips. All pricing is based on recent shopping at various retailers (Costco, Kroger, Publix, etc.) and may vary by location.

🧮 Interactive Calculator

Plan Your Sandwich Making Shopping Trip

Enter the number of sandwiches you want to make.
🧊 Before You Shop: Please bring a cooler with ice packs to the store to keep meat and cheese cold on the drive home — deli ingredients need to stay refrigerated.

🥜 Peanut Butter & Jelly Calculator

Plan Your PB&J Sandwiches

Enter the number of PB&J sandwiches you want to make.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Use JELLY only - no jam, preserves, or fruit spread!
4-Piece Silicone Jar Spatula Set - Long handle for reaching bottom of jars

Every PB&J Sandwich Contains

2slices bread
3tbsp peanut butter
1.5tbsp jelly
1zip-lock sandwich bag

📊 Pricing Information (Updated 9/17/2025)

📝 Important Shopping Notes

🥩
Meat: Buy pre-packaged only
Don't get meat sliced at the deli counter—pre-packaged is safer and easier to work with.
🧀
Cheese: Avoid individually wrapped slices
Individually wrapped slices like Kraft singles are a pain to unwrap, they're "cheese product" (not real cheese), and they turn into a gross mess on sandwiches. Get deli-style sliced cheese—the kind sold together in one pack, not individually wrapped processed singles

Ingredient Cost Guide

Based on recent shopping • Prices vary by location
MEAT
🦃
Kroger Turkey Family Size
1 lb • 30-32 slices
$4.39
~$0.14/slice
🐷
Kirkland Ham
2-pack • 48 slices
$9.89
~$0.21/slice
🦃
Publix Turkey Breast
16 oz • 32 slices
$7.07
~$0.22/slice
🦃
Kroger Turkey Thin Sliced
9 oz • 18 slices
$3.99
~$0.22/slice
➕ Show More Meat Options
🦃
Land O'Frost Premium
16 oz • 32 slices
$9.53
~$0.30/slice
🦃
Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin
9 oz • 18 slices
$6.07
~$0.34/slice
🦃
Kirkland Turkey
2-pack • 40 slices
$13.99
~$0.35/slice
🦃
Kroger Private Selection®
8 oz • 11-12 slices
$6.49
~$0.56/slice
AMERICAN CHEESE (Deli Style)
🇺🇸
Great Value American
24 slices
$3.98
~$0.17/slice
🇺🇸
Kroger Deli American
24 slices
$4.29
~$0.18/slice
🇺🇸
Sargento American
22 slices
$4.99
~$0.23/slice
🇺🇸
Land O'Lakes American
24 slices
$6.49
~$0.27/slice
🇺🇸
Boar's Head American
24 slices
$8.99
~$0.37/slice
BREAD
🍞
Great Value White
20 oz • ~11 sandwiches
$1.48
~$0.13/sandwich
🍞
Kroger White Sandwich
20 oz • ~11 sandwiches
$1.00–$1.99
~$0.09–$0.18/sandwich
🍞
Wonder Bread Classic White
20 oz • ~10 sandwiches
$2.47–$4.79
~$0.25–$0.48/sandwich
🍞
Wonder Bread Giant White
24 oz • ~11 sandwiches
$3.99–$5.29
~$0.36–$0.48/sandwich
🍞
Sara Lee Butter Bread
20 oz • ~10 sandwiches
$2.98–$3.29
~$0.30–$0.33/sandwich
🍞
Sara Lee Classic White
20 oz • ~10 sandwiches
$3.48–$4.49
~$0.35–$0.45/sandwich
SUPPLIES
📦
Sandwich Bags
480 count
$7.99
~$0.02/bag
✅ Right Cheese Deli-style sliced American cheese (NOT individually wrapped)
❌ Wrong Cheese Kraft singles or any individually plastic-wrapped slices — they're "cheese product" (not real cheese), a pain to unwrap, and turn into a gross mess on sandwiches

🎯 Quick Reference: Popular Quantities

Quantities based on common package sizes (~24 slices cheese, ~30-32 slices meat). Use the calculator above for exact costs with your chosen brands.

🏠

40

~4-5 meat packages
~4 cheese packages
~2 bread loaves
🏢

80

~8-10 meat packages
~7 cheese packages
~4 bread loaves
🏫

120

~12-15 meat packages
~10 cheese packages
~6 bread loaves
🎪

200

~20-25 meat packages
~17 cheese packages
~10 bread loaves

🥪 Perfect Sandwich Recipe

Every Sandwich Contains

2slices bread (no heels)
2slices cheese (one per bread slice)
2-3slices deli meat (turkey or ham)
1zip-lock sandwich bag
🛡️ Keep ingredients refrigerated
🧤 Please use gloves & hair ties + hair/beard nets
📦 Remove only 1 package of meat at a time
❄️ Return completed loaves immediately

🛡️ 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
⚠️ REMEMBER: Recipients may be children, elderly, or immunocompromised. Food safety protects our most vulnerable community members.

💡 Planning 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
🛒 Ingredient Price Summary (click to view all ingredient prices used in calculations)
ItemPriceNotes
Turkey (Kirkland 2-pack, 40 slices)$13.9940 slices total
Ham (Kirkland 2-pack, 48 slices)$9.8948 slices total
Publix Turkey Breast, Roasted, Thin Sliced$7.0716 oz / 32 slices
Land O'Frost Premium Oven Roasted Turkey Breast$9.5316 oz / 32 slices
Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey Breast$6.079 oz / 18 slices
Kroger Private Selection® Turkey Breast Oven Roasted Deli Sliced$6.498 oz / 11-12 slices
Kroger® Turkey Breast Oven Roasted Deli Thin Sliced$3.999 oz / 18 slices
Kroger® Turkey Breast Oven Roasted Deli Thin Sliced Family Size$4.391 lb / 30-32 slices
🇺🇸 American Cheese (Deli Style)
Great Value American (Walmart)$3.9824 slices
Kroger Deli American$4.2924 slices
Sargento Sliced American$4.9922 slices
Land O'Lakes American$6.4924 slices
Boar's Head American$8.9924 slices
Great Value White$1.48~11 sandwiches
Kroger White Sandwich$1.00–$1.99~11 sandwiches
Wonder Bread Classic White$2.47–$4.79~10 sandwiches
Wonder Bread Giant White$3.99–$5.29~11 sandwiches
Sara Lee Butter Bread$2.98–$3.29~10 sandwiches
Sara Lee Classic White$3.48–$4.49~10 sandwiches
Zip-lock Sandwich Bags$7.99480 count