Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>When You Serve Hot Items All At Once...
Abigail 09:09 AM 09-06-2011
How do you make a dozen pieces of toast and serve them at the same time warm?

How do you make a dozen grilled cheese sandwiches and manage to keep them warm so everyone gets it hot?


I don't have a fridge or oven/stove in the daycare area so I will be preparing some meals ahead of time so I can either toast them or microwave them while the children sit at the table for food. Should I make everything I can ahead of time and freeze it? I do have a HUGE freezer that will be in the garage so I'll have tons of room. I'm sure it's easy to make up the pancakes and waffles and muffins ahead of time, but what if I store them too long or they don't taste as good fresh? I could also go purchase one of those griddles and make it while they wait. I just don't want to put in a stove/oven because it will be upstairs I just don't want to leave the kids alone while I cook or bring them upstairs.
Reply
SilverSabre25 09:13 AM 09-06-2011
Well I just bought a $20 electric griddle (Proctor and Silex) that I LOVE. It heats evenly, plugs in, the plug is removeable for easy cleaning, and I made six pieces of French Toast plus some sausage all at once the other day. So there's an option for things like grilled cheese.

For toast and other hot things, you can make them and put them on a plate with a clean dish towel over them. This helps hold in the heat and keep them warm until you're ready to serve everyone. As you make more, put them under the towel with the res.
Reply
WImom 10:59 AM 09-06-2011
electric griddle here. Love that thing. I use it for pancakes and grilled cheese mostly.
Reply
DBug 11:00 AM 09-06-2011
I love, love, LOVE my warming tray for keeping stuff warm. Our breakfast stretches over 45 minutes, so I have a "buffet", with the cereal etc. on the counter, along with the warming tray to hold whatever the hot food is for the day. It'll stay hot for hours if you want, but it won't cook the food, which means no burning.

Here's one very similar to the one I have that has 3 sections (I also have one with just 2 sections). You can take off the individual stainless steel pans and the "skirt" (the surrounding thingy that holds the pans) and it becomes one big heated tray.

We've used it for family dinners to keep dishes warm, and we even used it to keep popcorn warm at our church's movie night a few weeks ago.

You can find them online for various prices, but you can also find them at WalMart or other department stores for a pretty reasonable price around Thanksgiving and Christmas. My 2 section was $30 and the 3 section was $40 (Canadian). Totally worth it!
Reply
Jewels 12:19 PM 09-06-2011
I guess I never really worry about it being nice and hot for them, I have never had a kid compain about their toast not being warm, I give half pieces of toast at a time, i toast four, cut them in half, and theres 8 pieces, so I always just get enough to make all the plates up with the minimum serving, and then I cook more while they are all eating, so by the time someone needs more grilled cheese for example there are more ready, but really I have given kids the grilled cheese that is still sitting there after 15 minutes, and they are fine with it, I dont think children under the age of 6 really mind if something is only warm, I've seen them go back and eat oatmeal after its been there for an hour if it didn;t get put in the sink.
Reply
Zoe 12:24 PM 09-06-2011
I always stack the grilled cheese sandwiches or anything else ward and store it in the microwave while I get everything else ready, until it's ready to be served. Stays warm!
Reply
mismatchedsocks 02:25 PM 09-06-2011
I serve quarter of a grilled cheese or toast to each at a time, and make 4 at a time. I keep a plate on counter of grilled cheese as it gets done. I dont worry about it being super warm, and they have fruit or veggies to eat while they are waiting.
Reply
Abigail 04:45 PM 09-06-2011
Thanks for sharing what you do! I'm thinking I'm going to buy a griddle. Do most of you cook things ahead of time and freeze then use the toaster or microwave to heat up for serving or do you make it fresh? Seems like a lot of people make it fresh, but I can totally see the convenience of making a bunch of pancakes up at once and using our big freezer.

Do I need to add any other items to my kitchen's list?
1. Griddle
2. Toaster-2 slice
3. Microwave

I don't have any fridge on the daycare level so should I purchase a mini fridge or just keep everything in our main fridge upstairs? I wonder how I'm going to keep water cold if I don't get a fridge for the daycare area.
Reply
daycare 04:54 PM 09-06-2011
Originally Posted by Abigail:
Thanks for sharing what you do! I'm thinking I'm going to buy a griddle. Do most of you cook things ahead of time and freeze then use the toaster or microwave to heat up for serving or do you make it fresh? Seems like a lot of people make it fresh, but I can totally see the convenience of making a bunch of pancakes up at once and using our big freezer.

Do I need to add any other items to my kitchen's list?
1. Griddle
2. Toaster-2 slice
3. Microwave

I don't have any fridge on the daycare level so should I purchase a mini fridge or just keep everything in our main fridge upstairs? I wonder how I'm going to keep water cold if I don't get a fridge for the daycare area.
I dont freeze very many things. What I try to do is while the kids are eating thier breakfast I cook the rest of the meals for the day that will require cooking. I then place them in a tupperware and let them cool down on the counter. After 15 min I then place the item in the fridge until meal time. I then heat it up in the microwave.;

Just like another person posted, if I am making something that is to be served warm, never hot, I just have them eat their fruits and veggies first and then serve them as they come off the grill/stove top/microwave and etc.

Is your daycare going to be on a different floor in your house?
Reply
SilverSabre25 05:00 PM 09-06-2011
Originally Posted by Abigail:
Thanks for sharing what you do! I'm thinking I'm going to buy a griddle. Do most of you cook things ahead of time and freeze then use the toaster or microwave to heat up for serving or do you make it fresh? Seems like a lot of people make it fresh, but I can totally see the convenience of making a bunch of pancakes up at once and using our big freezer.

Do I need to add any other items to my kitchen's list?
1. Griddle
2. Toaster-2 slice
3. Microwave

I don't have any fridge on the daycare level so should I purchase a mini fridge or just keep everything in our main fridge upstairs? I wonder how I'm going to keep water cold if I don't get a fridge for the daycare area.
For the water, what's wrong with room temp. water?

As for everything else, are you going to be serving the food downstairs or upstairs? If there's space, it might actually be beneficial for you to buy an actual fridge/freezer for your daycare space--you could keep milk, juice, all the food for the day/week, etc down there and never have to run upstairs.
Reply
Abigail 09:19 PM 09-07-2011
Originally Posted by daycare:

Is your daycare going to be on a different floor in your house?
The daycare is the entire lower level of the home. It will kind of look like a daycare center, just in a smaller home environment.

Originally Posted by SilverSabre25:
For the water, what's wrong with room temp. water?

As for everything else, are you going to be serving the food downstairs or upstairs? If there's space, it might actually be beneficial for you to buy an actual fridge/freezer for your daycare space--you could keep milk, juice, all the food for the day/week, etc down there and never have to run upstairs.
My DH and I went out to buy him a THIRD new IPOD today with knowing if her spent the $350 then I could buy a big ticket daycare item! We were pricing fridges at a few places today and cabinets/counters and microwaves. I found the cheapest standard fridge is about $400 but I'm short and can see over the top of those and it'll drive me nuts, ha ha. Now I'm going to look on CL for the fridge. They cost about $400 on CL as well, but they're big at least! I also have seen a few microwaves for only $10-$20 on CL and will end up buying one of those instead of spending the $50 they seem to start at in the stores.

I don't want to have to leave kids alone in the lower level while I go upstairs for milk and goodies for breakfast and again for lunch and possibly again for snack. As long as I can find a fridge/freezer on CL at a decent price then I must only tackle getting my DH to let me put a sink in the room as well! It's really how I want it, a wall of just kitchen and a sink besides the bathroom sink. He seems okay with getting really cheap kitchen flooring for that room as well. In about 6 years we'll have to convert this room back into a bedroom unless we move so I don't want to spend too too much. ($1,500 or less for EVERYTHING which does add up fast!)
Reply
Lianne 04:24 AM 09-08-2011
I'd get a fridge for the lower level, even if it's just a bar fridge. You'll be abler to keep bottles cold, prescriptions if you choose to allow them and your own drinks, etc plus milk, cheese, yogurt if needed.
Reply
morgan24 05:30 AM 09-08-2011
I have a lower level where most of my daycare stuff is located. I have a mircrowave & a small fridge down there. I only do snack down there. But I can heat water to set the bottle in to warm it if needed. I use the small paper cups for drinks and to put snack in. I wish I had a full kitchen and bathroom so we didn't have to come upstairs to wash hands and use the bathroom, but it is what it is. Keep in mind once you have kids you will find what works best for you.
Reply
Tags:breakfast, cooking, food, hot foods, lunch, meals, preparing, snack
Reply Up