Keeping food warm for a pot luck?

14 years ago

We're having a pot luck at work in December. I usually bring dessert, or a dish that I can put keep in the fridge until I put it in the oven. But my friends want me to bring pierogies. I'm happy to do that, but I don't know how to manage it. I usually boil them, and then give them a fast fry in butter and sometimes onions or bacon. I can't use bacon for this meal, but I don't know how to do this for the potluck, because I'm supposed to be working until it starts. Seeing as it's pierogies, it's not just a matter of sticking something in the oven. I can prepare them before work, but how would I keep them warm? Would they be ruined if I kept them in a crock pot?

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Comments (11)

glenda_al
14 years ago
I've been doing monthly potlucks for 4 years, warm and cold.

Bought a Thermal bag with a plastic handle that snaps, from WalMart for $2.50. They generally have them around the frozen food dept.

I see Dollar Tree has some now. Not the same brand as WalMart.

Keeps food hot or cold and frozen up to 3 hours.

I even use it at home when I have chance to cook for family and need to keep some food warm while other is in the oven.

It's been my right arm.
Georgysmom
14 years ago
Do a trial run at home putting them in butter and onions in the crock pot for a few hours. (Just do a few, not the whole recipe) Also, maybe you could bring an electric fry pan and saute them in the butter and onions at the last minute. It would only take a few minutes.
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Put the casserole in a styrofoam cooler... Cover with foil if the dish doesn't have a lid, then put about an inch of newspaper on the bottom of the cooler and another inch over the top and tuck some more paper down the sides and it will keep hot for hours. You can keep it even longer if you heat a brick or 2 at the same time you are cooking the casserole, wrap that in newspaper and put it in the cooler with the casserole. I used to keep a couple of new bricks just for that purpose. Linda C
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Sorry to be confusing, Linda. I got the recipe from my cousin, who got it from the Cooking forum, right here on GW. The recipe is labeled "Best of the Best from New England", but doesn't have a name associated with it. I've frequently searched for it on the Cooking and Recipe Exchange forums and have not been able to find it. But it is delicious! While it is made of butter, sherry and milk, it's not really a soup...maybe a thick chowder, but even then I don't think it's a chowder. If I had cute chowder-type bowls, I might serve it in those. Since I don't, I bake it in large casserole dishes and serve it with rice on the side, so the rice can absorb the wonderful, sherry-flavored juices. The 2 casseroles I plan to bake and serve in tomorrow night do not have lids, so that's why I planned to cover tightly with the foil. I plan to bake the bisque while I cook the rice on the stove top. Then cool oven down to 170 degrees, and then move the still warm casseroles and the rice, tightly covered, into the oven. I thought the rice would be fluffy, with each kernel separated, when ready to serve. Here's the recipe, if that helps you envision whether this plan will work. Again, I'll be away from home for 1.5 hours, and then everyone will return here. My hope was that I could remove the food from the oven, pour the wine and everyone could sit down at the table for almost immediate serving. Seafood Bisque Casserole Recipe By: Best of the Best from New England 1/2 pound each shrimp, crabmeat, scallops 1 tablespoon shallots -- chopped 7 tablespoons butter 10 tablespoons sherry 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 3 tablespoons flour 1 1/2 cups milk bread crumbs Parmesan cheese SautÃ© seafood and shallots in 4 tablespoons butter. Cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 6 tablespoons of sherry; salt and pepper. In another pan melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and add flour to make paste. Add milk and remaining 4 tablespoons sherry; stir until smooth. Combine sauce and seafood mixture and place in a casserole or individual ramekins. Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes. Thanks in advance for advice.
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ravencajun Zone 8b TX
14 years ago
some things are just not able to be made and kept so would not work well for a pot luck, I think the pierogies may fall into that category. It would be worse to try to go ahead and serve them if they turned out poorly. I am sure they would understand why you could not do that dish. I love pierogies too but have never tried using a slow cooker for them. If a trial run does work you may have found a new way to do them!
lynn_d
14 years ago
One of the cousins usually brings her pierogies to the family reunion each year. After they are fully prepared she puts them in a slow cooker but she makes sure that they are all coated with butter so that they don't stick.

I too have one of the thermal units that Glenda is talking about, it is really great if that is enough time for you. Mine has a gel pad that you heat in the microwave then insert in a pouch inside the thermal carrier.
User
14 years ago
I wrap my hot foods in a towel then put it in one of those heat bags. You can get the silver ones at the Dollar tree or most any grocery store.
glenda_al
14 years ago
I too wrap mine in a towel and insert in the bag. I generally don't use the handle, cause of the flat dishes and have to carry in my arms, which get warm without a towel to protect your arms.

Love mine.
susan_on
Original Author
14 years ago
I need to keep them warm for about 4 1/2 hours. I will do a trial run...

Thanks for the advice!
susan_on
Original Author
14 years ago
I meant to thank everyone for their input ;)
carla35
14 years ago
One man's warm is another man's bacetria producing.

In other words, keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot... trying to keep things warm for any length can just promote quicker bacteria growth if the temp is not high enough.

I'm sure your friends just like your pierogies and didn't really consider everything. Unless you can just make it and bring it there hot, I don't thing it's the food for this occasion.
joann23456
14 years ago
I think they'll turn to mush in a crockpot. If you try to do them, I'd put them in the fridge and bring along an electric skillet for the last-minute frying, as another poster said.
susan_on
Original Author
14 years ago
Actually, I think I'll do that, Joanne.

Keeping food warm for a pot luck?

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