Slow cookers to keep food warm, chafing dishes, and warmed plates all help.

I serve buffet style in dishes that retain heat. So anything baked will be in a heavy casserole type dish that is brought to the sideboard as it. Something like green beans would go in a covered dish to retain heat. As others said, by the time you put the food in a cold serving dish, and then pass it around, it’s guaranteed to be cold.

Family-style passing is passé and a good way to guarantee cold food.

As others have said, putting it on an island and having some in crock pots is easier. It also helps to have multiple ovens, I guess.

Anonymous wrote:Did you let others help you put the food on the table?

My trick is to put the serving dishes on the table with notes tacked for what they are to hold. Also, when you take casseroles out, leave them on top of stove--they will stay warm until spooning out food. As others have said, be sure all cold food is already on table.

This. Line up the dishes with notes & get someone to help. I line them up on the kitchen island. It takes seconds to take the pots off the stove & dump them in the dishes. Obviously, pre- warming the dishes in a warming drawer helps, but I don’t have one at the moment, and never had an issue.

We warm all serving dishes and dinner plates in the dishwasher before using them.

Pour hot water into your serving dishes to warm them before you move the warm food into the dishes. Keep the dishes covered.

Cover Turkey while it’s hot/resting and ensure serving dishes can go straight into the oven (Corningware or something along those lines). Mashed potatoes get mostly zapped in microwave because all the butter helps keep the potatoes from drying out. Don’t go from cold refrigerator items to oven. Let them sit out (unless they have meat of course). It’s not all piping, burn your mouth hot, but it’s all nice and warm. The time when the Turkey is resting is your chance to ensure warm sides. And yes, write out a game plan and be smart about oven space (so be sure to use stovetop, crockpot, microwave, etc.).

Foil overserving dishes as i put them out. Also keeping things on or next to the hot stove until everything is ready. Also, hear the gravy last, keep the extra gravy on low on the stove so at least what goes on top is piping hot.

I set up chafing dishes on the island. Everyone makes up their plates and eats at the table.

Did you let others help you put the food on the table?

My trick is to put the serving dishes on the table with notes tacked for what they are to hold. Also, when you take casseroles out, leave them on top of stove--they will stay warm until spooning out food. As others have said, be sure all cold food is already on table.

Buffet, and we keep items on stove top or in chafing dishes

We don’t use cold servingware.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure heat stuff up and use crockpots but really, with a large group stuff will be cold on plates. It’s okay.

Only if you insist on decanting hot food into cold servingware and pass, pass, passing family-style at the table. I’ve hosted 25 buffet style from the stovetop, crock pots, island and chafing dishes, and it’s all perfectly warm—even for seconds.

We do a buffet but realistically, people are waiting at the table for other people, people are making plates for seniors and babies, people are talking in the kitchen on the way to and from the buffet…I just wouldn’t worry too much about the food staying “hot.” It’s not a big deal.

We say grace before people start to go through, and people know to start eating when they sit down. Able-bodied adults help get the kids and the older folks/folks who need help settled, then the guests go through, then host and hostess go through last. We’ve never had an issue with food not being properly warm.

Top all the bowls with a clean towel or foil. The first things to be finished off and put on the table are the casseroles that come straight from the oven— they will stay hottest the longest. They also get covered. Last things should be the things that go into cold bowls and will cool the quickest — corn, beans in a bowl, rolls.