Christmas dinner small kitchen can't keep food warm ??

[cleo333]

Hi , does anyone have any ideas to help with a kitchen with limited space to cook and 10 for dinner where we struggle to keep all the food hot ?

We have all the adults kids on Xmas day but really struggle to keep the food hot , we only have a standard oven and microwave and not much work top space ( we can set up another table though) . Every year we find the food is not that hot any ideas ?

Slow cooker
Heat the plates and serving dishes
Use the microwave.

What specifically is the problem? Is it cooling while it’s being dished up? Veg stays hot in it’s pan on the hob, the turkey stays hot if you wrap it in foil and towels while it rests.

Would you have space for one of these? Never used one myself, but I can see why they might be very useful at Christmas. https://www.argos.co.uk/browse/home-and-furniture/tableware/hot-trays-and-food-warmers/c:789442/

Maybe worth a little investment in a table top buffet server ? Can pick up for £30 for small ish one more go up in price for larger on Amazon.
Mom got one other year, 3 bowls you can fill with the veg / pigs in blankets to keep hot.

We bought one of these a few years ago https://www.robertdyas.co.uk/swan-sbs76-300w-4-tray-buffet-server-stainless-steel
Really makes a difference and also keeps food warm for second helpings too. They're so good that I was thinking about getting a second one this year so that there's space for all the different side dishes.

Agree with pp about warming the plates - you can special electric plate warmers if you think you'd have trouble with oven space to warm them

We have one of these that we use at Christmas as we host and everyone wants something different-and appears at different times at the table - it’s the only way!

Also hot plates are essential, all plates go in a bowl of hot hot water as there's no space in the oven and just wipe as you serve

i was thinking about getting dish warmers which are little stands with tea lights in so they look quite nice too

Warming the plates can be done without an oven or anything special - pour enough hot water (just off boiling) from the kettle to fill the plate. Leave it a few minutes then tip it out and dry the plate.

You can use the dishwasher to heat plates if you have one. Run a short, hot programme to finish roughly when the food is ready with all the plates, serving dishes and gravy boat etc in it. They keep hot for quite a long time.

Hostess Trolley – Charles Hire
It seems you can hire hostess trolleys! Otherwise, they often come up on marketplace/ebay fairly cheap.

Another option, would be to use an ice box but put a hot water bottle in the bottom to keep plates/food warm.

My friends have a food warming tray that is heated with tealights. They put it on the dining table when they are serving lots of different dishes. It's a bit like this:

MasterClass Professional Extra Large Three Light Food Warmer, Dish Warmer, Display Boxed https://amzn.eu/d/ivYctjB

I'd put vegetables etc on this and prioritise keeping the potatoes and gravy warm in the kitchen until the last minute.

Buffet server is a great idea. What my gran used to do was heat plates in the sink by pouring a kettle of boiling water over them and drying them quickly. That was her notion of being extravagant at Christmas.

In my house the turkey is wrapped in tinfoil (use the extra long one) and a swimming towel and then set aside. I keep the veg warm over saucepans of hot water (a steamer stack is very useful) and the roasties are the last thing I cook. Once the oven is cooling, you can put the extra food back into it so it’s warm for seconds.

I bought one of these which heats up quickly and helps prevent food getting cold as soon as you plate up. plate warmer

It does the turkey good to rest for anything up to 2 hours which frees up the oven for other things. That plus the hob and microwave, what else are you struggling with?

I've got a plug in plate warmer. It gets super hot. It warns about 10 plates but sometimes I put veg etc in a serving dish with foil over and stack between the fabric layers. Got it on Amazon. Very easy to store.

I have a food warmer, ok two actually. Put it on the separate table and add things as they're ready. Things like mash, roast parsnips, gravy, pigs in blankets and sausagemeat stuffing go in as soon as they are cooked and stay perfect.

Another suggestion of the buffet server - think ours was about £30 and we’ve used it every Christmas ever since!

I have a small kitchen and when I do Christmas I buy a boned and rolled turkey. Cooks in an hour and I can put turkey and pigs in blankets on one shelf, roast potatoes on another and stuffing plus roast parsnips on the last. Gravy, cabbage and carrots on the hob. The turkey takes minimal time to carve. If it’s cooling on the table then little dish warmers to keep the veg warm.

https://www.wayfair.co.uk/Quest--Buffet-Server-7L-16530-L1005-K~QUST1046.html?refid=GX666875634657-QUST1046&device=m&ptid=293946777986&targetid=pla-293946777986&network=g&ireid=194949742&gbraid=0AAAAADgW2yKW3wdUBfKIO1r9UA8PuKMD9&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1qq6n4S-ggMVGttCh20sgg6EAQYFCABEgL7WDDBwE

I am also starting up plan how to do a Xmas dinner in a kitchen with minimal work space. I was thinking about making the gravy then putting it in the slow cooker to keep hot, would that work? We have a utility room so I can bung it on in there so it's out of the way. Great tip about the dishwasher too keep plates hot, I'm definitely doing that.

I have my mums "hostess" trolley that is used just at Christmas. It is brilliant for keeping everything warm including all the plates. Meat goes in to rest with the plates underneath and the veg in the 4 dishes on the top. Makes life a lot easier. We only have a single oven, air fryer and a microwave. We make it work though.

Gravy in the slow cooker is standard. Quickly wash it out after and put your custard in there while to eat dinner. A piece of plastic wrap sitting in it will prevent a skin.

Yes, too, to the utility room. Fill the sink with blankets etc, put cooked veges in and cover with more blankets while doing the next thing. A hot water bottle to warm the nest first is more efficient.

Lots can be cooked in a bbq, if you have one. Just sort out your timing.

We bought a 1970s type Hostess Trolley on Facebook for almost nothing. How the family laughed!
Not laughing now, only used at at Christmas but can hold dinner for 15 easily, still going strong 10 years later.
Now 'grown up' children ask to borrow it x

What’s your menu OP and we can help you with prep / cook timing & order?

Once cooked, keep the turkey warm under foil and a thick blanket for an hour whilst you cook the roast vegetables, have all your serving dishes waiting towards the end in a new washing up bowl of very hot water. Get any green vegetables steaming while you start to take everything out to the table. Make the gravy a few days beforehand (my teen DS likes doing that - he uses Jamie Oliver's Get Ahead Gravy (minus the star anise). I make the cranberry sauce, stuffing and bread sauce two days before and warm it through while the turkey is resting. Warm the plates in the vacant oven once the roast things have come out.

Also don't serve up the food in the kitchen. We never do this anyway - people can decide what/how much they want and it saves time and counter space.