Potluck thanksgiving help!
Hey all. My roommate and I are hosting a 20+ friends thanksgiving on Sunday (prethanksgiving cuz some friends can't go see family) and it's a potluck and we've gotten great responses about people bringing side dishes and desserts. We have one oven, which will most likely be roasting the turkey.
My question to you all is how to keep things warm until we're ready to eat! Does a turkey need to rest a bit after roasting, which would free up our oven space to re-heat some casseroles and stuffing, etc? What's the best way to orchestrate this? We told people to come over at 12 figuring we'd eat soon after. Is there any kind of formula for this? Help! Thanks!
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10 Comments:
turkey definitely needs to rest for a while (all meats need a rest). remove from oven, tent with foil, and it will be good and warm for a long time. after our turkey comes out is when we use the oven for reheating everything else we've made (any casseroles that were made earlier, bread, pie, etc).
french tart at 11:49AM on 11/21/08
also, count backwards; if you want food on the table at 12:30, count how long it would take to reheat all the sides (say, 45 minutes); then add to that the time to cook the turkey (2 1/2 to whatever hours), and the time to preheat the oven (depending on your oven, could take 10 to 30 minutes for preheating alone). that time you get to will be when you should turn the oven on, so i'm guessing for you sometime in the early morning. hope that makes sense.
french tart at 11:52AM on 11/21/08
oh one more thing: don't panic. enlist help from your friends. get them to do all the little things that would normally take up your time (doing the dishes, setting the table, organizing silverware, getting everyone fresh drinks).
sorry about the multiple responses, i keep thinking of things to add!
french tart at 12:00PM on 11/21/08
thanks so much! All great tips! We've got someone bringing disposables (we have no dishwasher and are otherwise pretty eco-minded people but this will be too much!) Everything will be buffet-style since, which will be a relief for serving.
LiveToEat at 12:12PM on 11/21/08
You didn't mention if you have a microwave, but some things reheat well, others not so much. Other ways to keep food hot besides the stove top - sterno under a fondue pot, toaster oven, crockpot/slow cookers, I've used my electric frying pan and griddle to keep food warm - just put on low temp and put the heatproof containers right on them. Think about what electric heating appliances you all have and I'm sure you'll come up with enough to keep their contributions hot and figure on at least half an hour oven time after the turkey comes out - 20 minutes to rest and 10 minutes to carve. Don't forget to make gravy then, too! Move the turkey to the cutting board and keep covered with foil when you're ready. Pour any remaining juices that collect into your gravy. Happy Thanksgiving!
PerkyMac at 12:37PM on 11/21/08
Heating pads work under baking dishes or pans too!
But, honestly, you guys are going to be having such a good time the temp of the food will be of little consequence.
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 1:22PM on 11/21/08
I always take the turkey out and allow about 45 minutes for it to rest with foil covering. It will stay warm and stay juicy, but then you have time to heat the sides!
You can often heat things one at one time (if you have oven room)-- I've always heated the stuffing and sweet potato dish and another veg together, as their heating temperatures are all about the same and since they are only warming through (they aren't raw meat so no risk). Just note that if you cook something at 25 degrees lower, it will take a little longer.
Laurel E at 2:10PM on 11/21/08
Heat your gravy to 'molten lava' hot, and that will sufficiently warm up turkey and potatoes and stuffing, once poured over top.
juliebugsmama at 2:12PM on 11/21/08
Hi Perky! what a great idea to use your electric frying pan to keep things warm. I'm not doing Thanksgiving, but I am doing Christmas dinner, so I'm going to remember that...thanks....glad to see you still here!
mepolo at 2:45PM on 11/21/08
Thanks to everyone! I survived! We did some quick switching as soon as the turkey came out of the oven. Luckily everyone brought 2 casseroles of their assigned dish, so we did the buffet in two rounds and the food was piping hot. Thanks for the moral support!
@juliebugsmama: We actually heated the gravy to boiling(unintentionally) and it worked out great!
LiveToEat at 2:38PM on 11/24/08