There’s no way to serve food hot for 11 diners

[Brightun]

Overheard my SILs bitching about me.

Hosted today for 7 adults and 4 kids. Classic Christmas roast and trimmings. Despite my best efforts, after getting everything to the table and doing crackers and saying a toast it was not piping hot and the last couple of people (before me and DH) actually asked to pop their entire plates in the microwave for a minute which made me want to die in a hole of embarrassment.

I don’t know how to do it! I’d got everything out of cooking dishes/pans into warmed serving dishes, warmed the plates, made sure gravy was piping hot but the food just wasn’t by the end of serving.

Am I missing something or is it just not possible and I have bitchy SILs who won’t be invited again?

Don't invite SIL again. It's so difficult to keep things hot so invest in a hot plate thing.

My suggestion would be to try to serve the food in the same dishes it's been cooked in. It might not look as fancy but something like a pyrex roasting dish, burning hot, straight out of the oven will keep it hotter longer.

Also yep get the speeches and crackers done over cold starters/ nibbles before bringing the hot food out straight from oven to table.

Why on earth are people doing crackers and a roast while the food sits on the table getting cold? Just eat it!

I agree with you. We always do crackers between the main course and the pudding, as soon as all the plates are cleared. The thought of all the bits from the crackers spilling into the food doesn't appeal to me!

My grandmother had this electric heated catering trolley thing and bain maries

www.google.co.uk/search?q=ban+marie&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari#imgrc=ZpCNpa5jIshmnM

Thanks all. I’m still cross about it and we’re home now. We are on the hook to host next year but hoping to move house in 2023. Will factor in storage space for hostess trolley in the RightMove trawl 😂

Fully agree that a roast is a terrible choice for more than about 8. Would always do something braised like bourguignon or chilli or curry but not on Christmas Day.

I don't see what is so wrong about popping it in the microwave personally. Since having kids, it's rare I don't microwave food - I like it v hot, and by the time I've cut up food, mediated strops etc, mine is usually too cool. And yes, I reheated my Christmas dinner (that I cooked). I don't see it as rude.

I was worried about the food cooling so did the gravy very last minute to disguise it a bit.

Your SILs are ungrateful!

Me and DH cooked dinner for 14 and our food was more than hot enough. Me and DH don't even have gravy on our (vile stuff).

Why do you do crackers before you eat? They come after the meal surely?

It's impossible to keep that many dishes hot. That's why I hate cooking Christmas dinner (and roasts in general!). We have plate warmers, heated plate stands, serve in dishes from the oven and it's still not hit. Have come to the conclusion that it's best to reheat each plate and people to start eating as soon as they are served. (Crackers are done after dinner and before pudding).

What are the circumstances of your SIL being incapacitated? I suspect a lot of this was to do with her feeling territorial about you being in her kitchen and doing a good job.

Because it can still take time to decant all the different foods into dishes and get them to the desired place.
You might have the following to get dishes up

• roast potatoes
• chipolatas/PIB
• parsnips
• mash
• sprouts
• 2 or 2 more steamed veggies
• stuffing
• gravy
• bread sauce

And a roast that needs carving at some point.

Then if you're ferrying dishes to the table and people are sitting down and then you need to bring the roast, and then carve it at the table - the veggies will go cold.

It's easy for it to go cold

How rude. I find it hard to get everything warm. And popping it in the microwave is hardly a crime.

Zombie thread

It’s shitty they mentioned it but fwiw I tend to leave as much as I can in covered pans on the turned off stove until the last minute. Turkey rests under several layers of teatowels until it’s carved. Roast potatoes sit in the turned off oven, mash and veg in covered hot pans. Pigs in blankets resting in air fryer closed drawers. Everything thrown into bowls at the last minute when people are literally sitting down. It’s a vase of ‘take a bowl with you as you sit down’