Hot Rolls.... or not

[deepfryerdan]

How do you keep your rolls and other fixings warm when they're sitting out at a buffet-style dinner? Our family eats for a good hour and I like to try to keep all the food hot while everyone is making their rounds.

I have this small ceramic/terracotta piece that I heat in the oven and then wrap with a towel. Placed at the bottom of the bread basket it keeps the bottom ones pretty warm.

Anyone have some creative ideas for keeping the other food warm without leaving it on the stovetop?

[NorthwestGal]

deepfryerdan wrote:
How do you keep your rolls and other fixings warm when they're sitting out at a buffet-style dinner? Our family eats for a good hour and I like to try to keep all the food hot while everyone is making their rounds.

I have this small ceramic/terracotta piece that I heat in the oven and then wrap with a towel. Placed at the bottom of the bread basket it keeps the bottom ones pretty warm.

Anyone have some creative ideas for keeping the other food warm without leaving it on the stovetop?

Hi, deepfryerdan.

I really like your idea of the terra cotta piece wrapped in a towel for keeping dishes warm during meals. I will have to try that.

For dinner rolls though, there are warming baskets on the market that keep breads and rolls warm for a while. I don't have a favorite (and all that I have had seemed to work quite well, so I think they're all pretty reliable). Here is a copy of one such warming basket that is available in most kitchen shops. Do a little shopping though, becuase they come in a variety of shapes and materials. Some bread warmers are made of ceramic that have plug-in cords, some are wicker baskets with warming pads covered with cloth, etc. Shop around until you find the one that best suits your family's needs.

Here is one electric bread warmer ...



This version sounds like what you are already using ...


Also, for dishes that you need to remain really hot throughout, I would consider serving them in chafing dishes that keep the dish hot throughout the meal. Again, there are lots of different warming/chafing dishes on the market. Some electric, some using fuel cans that are lit under the dish. This would not work for every meal, because it would become tedious for daily use (at least, they would be for me). But I think they'd be OK for occasional use.

That's all I can think of. I'm sure our other clever members will have lots of other ideas, too.

[duonyte]

I have one of those terracotta warmers that I picked up at the Goodwill store but have not used. Many years ago I bought a wicker type basket that had a napkin with a pocket in it for a microwaveable gel pack - kind of like the ones you use for heat or ice packs when you are injured. It heats up in a couple of minutes and keeps the rolls nice an warm. I usually put a different napkin over the original one, but it works together well. I am thinking that those heat/ice packs at the pharmacy might work quite well too.

[deepfryerdan]

That's a good idea. I've never thought about using one of the many heat/ice packs that we have for keeping food warm. I'll have to keep that one in my back pocket.