Recipe Card Costing Checklist
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A step-by-step checklist for building or auditing a recipe card so the plate cost reflects what you actually pay, what the batch actually yields, and what actually goes out on the plate.

[ ] Pull the most recent invoice for every ingredient on the card and record the pack size, pack price, and invoice date next to each line.
[ ] Convert each pack price to a cost per base unit (per ounce, per gram, or per each) and write down the conversion you used.
[ ] Check that the recipe unit and the purchase unit share the same base unit; flag every tablespoon-to-ounce or cup-to-pound conversion for a second look.
[ ] Apply a yield to every ingredient that loses trim, bones, peel, or moisture so the card carries the edible portion cost, not the as-purchased cost.
[ ] Weigh a real finished batch at least once and replace the printed batch yield with the measured yield.
[ ] Confirm the portion count per batch matches what the line actually plates, not the number in the recipe header.
[ ] Give every shared component (stock, sauce, dressing, spice blend, pickle, compound butter) its own sub-recipe card with its own yield and cost per unit.
[ ] Reference sub-recipes as ingredients on the dish card instead of copying their ingredient lists inline.
[ ] Add a per-plate allowance for incidentals: salt, oil, garnish, lemon wedge, sauce ramekin, wrap, or paper.
[ ] Add packaging cost for any version of the item that goes out for takeout or delivery.
[ ] Decide whether labor lives on the card or is tracked separately as prime cost, write the rule down, and apply it the same way on every card.
[ ] Total the lines, divide by the measured portion count, and record the plate cost with the date it was calculated.
[ ] Divide plate cost by the current menu price and note both the food cost percentage and the gross profit dollars per plate.
[ ] Compare the result with the target you set for this menu category and flag the item if it lands outside that range.
[ ] Spot-check the spec portion against three or more plated portions from different cooks and shifts; the Portion Drift Cost Calculator at /tools/portion-drift-cost/ turns any gap into dollars.
[ ] Mark the top-spend ingredients on the card so they are the first lines updated when an invoice changes.
[ ] Record who costed the card, which invoice dates were used, and the next scheduled review date.
[ ] File the card where everyone who edits recipes can find the current version, and retire every older copy.
[ ] Repeat this checklist for the ten highest-selling items before working through the rest of the menu.