# Holiday Dinners for pick up and reheat



## dgodinez (Nov 3, 2021)

Hello,

The wife and I are caterers and we are thinking about having a Christmas Eve dinner for order-pickup-and reheat.

Normally when we cater, we do the standard prep and cook food in professional kitchen, deliver to site while keeping warm, set up and serve.

This time we want to prepare some sort of menu for order and pickup and the people can warm up when they get home. So for example, on top of protein, there will be a quart of mashed potatoes, a quart of mac and cheese, and veggies of some sort.

What is the best way to give instructions to the customers on how to reheat each item. Is this even doable? Curious to hear everyone's thoughts.

DG


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

As a personal Chef I face that same issue. 
Even if I give specifics instructions, I can not take responsibility for the outcome once the food leaves my hands.
I don't care for microwaved food at all. Try as I might, people will still heat my beautiful foods in the nuke machine. I feel you're beating a dead horse after you give the instructions.
Even Mac n' Cheese heats differently in an oven versus the microwave. Even if the directions tell the people to stir the product while it's heating, it becomes too much trouble.
I'm not suggesting anything other then your heating instructions. You can do no more.


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## dgodinez (Nov 3, 2021)

chefross said:


> As a personal Chef I face that same issue.
> Even if I give specifics instructions, I can not take responsibility for the outcome once the food leaves my hands.
> I don't care for microwaved food at all. Try as I might, people will still heat my beautiful foods in the nuke machine. I feel you're beating a dead horse after you give the instructions.
> Even Mac n' Cheese heats differently in an oven versus the microwave. Even if the directions tell the people to stir the product while it's heating, it becomes too much trouble.
> I'm not suggesting anything other then your heating instructions. You can do no more.


Thank you for your response. Can you elaborate on "You can do more"?


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

I'll elaborate for Chefross. You provide instructions, no one will listen to them. 
I once had a woman looking for a refund for two cheeseburgers she purchased the week before. Left them in the car on a hot summer day when driving down to South Carolina. Didn't try eating them until five or six hours after she bought them. No receipt of course, not that that would have mattered. 
So print directions for how you would like your food to be reheated and include in each order. You've done all you can do.


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## dgodinez (Nov 3, 2021)

chefwriter said:


> I'll elaborate for Chefross. You provide instructions, no one will listen to them.
> I once had a woman looking for a refund for two cheeseburgers she purchased the week before. Left them in the car on a hot summer day when driving down to South Carolina. Didn't try eating them until five or six hours after she bought them. No receipt of course, not that that would have mattered.
> So print directions for how you would like your food to be reheated and include in each order. You've done all you can do.


Thank you both for your responses. At a young age I worked as a cook in a Chinese restaurant and the owners used to give away food to the employees. One of the busboys sisters got very ill and contacted the health department. After interviewing the busboy it was discovered that his took the food home, left it in his truck for 4 days in the California heat before giving it to his family to eat. No more food sent home after that!


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## fatcook (Apr 25, 2017)

We sell take and bake items all year. While some people will ignore the directions, we've found the people who make the effort to buy better food will make the effort to prepare it as directed.

Our directions are long (half to full printed sheet) and include all of the details we can think of - including remove the lids to bake (so many people ask about that). We also give an oral run down with the directions in hand to new buyers. Our regulars know the drill.

We pack the things that need to be baked vs microwaved in aluminum pans - this forces them to use the oven. We've been know to grab a mac and cheese, pot pie, or casserole and toss it in the oven for our dinner when we are working late - it helps us keep on top of quality control and be sure our directions are correct.

The mashed potatoes would do well in the oven too, just top with butter dabs when you pack them.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

There are times you'd like to insert a small disclaimer paragraph reading that you are not responsible for the food quality once it leaves your hands, and that the instructions are so that your product is best enjoyed by following them.....


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## L'uovo vulcanico (Nov 9, 2020)

There is a reason that instructions for packaged commercial food for home finishing / reheating start "For best results... " Once the food leaves your establishment then there's nothing you can do to make sure they home chef does their part... They also put a prepared-on or prepare-by date on the container....

Just remember there is only so much you can do.


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

The only reason I wouldn't do this is because if they screw up the reheating, it affects the quality of my food. If it's reheated it's more of a leftover than a hot meal being picked up or delivered.........I'm sure they won't reheat everything properly. The Mac & cheese, when cooled may need some milk to loosen it up to be reheated. The mashed potatoes the same way.. Who knows what it would take for the main entree....I would have a pickup time so as they can pick up the food hot, salads cold and your food quality still being King............


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