Keeping Foods Warm While Other Foods Get "Done"

Helping you prepare healthy foods in a hurry

Alice Henneman, MS, Registered Dietitian and Extension Educator
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County

More Tips

Keeping Foods Warm while other Foods get "Done"

If you're preparing several foods that get "done" at different times, you often can successfully hold most hot foods for about 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated oven set to 200 to 250 degrees F. For longer holding periods, the U.S. Department of Agriculture advises "Set oven temperature high enough to keep the hot food at 140 degrees F or above. Check internal temperature of food with a meat thermometer."

Keeping foods hot for extended periods may reduce the quality of the food.

Examples of keeping foods warm include:

Place pancakes or waffles in a single layer on a baking sheet as they're made if you want to serve them all at the same time.
Keep hot takeout food -- such as barbecued meat or Chinese food -- warm by transfering it to an oven-safe baking dish while you prepare another dish serve with it.
If you mash potatoes in an oven-safe saucepan, place them in the oven to stay warm while you finish preparing the other foods.
When stir-frying foods in several batches, transfer heated foods to the oven until all foods have been stir-fried.

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Developed By:

Alice C. Henneman, MS, RD
Extension Educator
University of Nebraska
Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County

Fax: (402) 441-7148
Phone: (402) 441-7180
E-Mail: ahenneman1@unl.edu
Web site: lancaster.unl.edu/food

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