What reheats the best?

United States
March 13, 2007 1:00pm CST
A friend of mine has asked me to cater his bi-weekly poker-and-dinner event! I'm really excited for the opportunity as I'd love to one day do catering full time. I'm trying to think of foods that are transportable and good reheated (or made ahead of time). I've already got a great lasagne recipe and a killer gumbo recipe, but now I'm a little stuck. Anyone got any great ideas for a meal that I can make ahead of time, box up, and send over to my friend so he can reheat them and feed a lot of hungry poker players? All answers will be + rated and thanks ahead of time!
3 people like this
13 responses
@NatureBoy (493)
• Singapore
14 Mar 07
One that is commonly served in where I am is Fried Vermicelli. Its more asian I think I'm not sure where you stay. But it heats up and retains its flavor over time too. One ways of frying it: Shredded carrots and cabbage (for color and taste) Scrambled eggs Shredded sausages (or franks as u might call them) Seafood strips, balls or anything (slice them up) Some meat in small shreds Bean sprouts Prepare the scrambled eggs first. Cook the carrots and cabbage for a while. This lets the juices come out. Add a bit of water if needed. Add the vermicelli when the carrot and cabbage is almost cooked. There should be some juice left in the vegies. This juice will help to cook the vermicelli. Stir and mix then well, when the vermecilli is nearly cooked, add in the other ingredients. Stir and mix again, until the whole lot is nicely mixed and cooked. You might want to add some soy sauce for seasoning.
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Mar 07
This sounds crazy good. So he can just nuke it, and it'll still be nice and tender? I don't really have good luck with pasta in the microwave. I do love to make asian food, but hadn't really thought of any that are better after they've been refrigerated. I do mostly stir-frys that I eat standing up, lol! Thanks for the idea :)
• United States
14 Mar 07
nice to know I'm not alone. We just pull the wok of the heat and grab some chopsticks. The dog cleans up the floor!
• United States
14 Mar 07
i thought it seemed crowded in here.
@quispy (572)
• United States
13 Mar 07
I make chicken cordeon bleu ahead of time, fry them, but don't bake yet. When you deliver it, he'll have to put it in the oven for 1/2 hour. I also don't put cheese in mine, I make a cheese sauce to put over it. I can never get the cheese to stay inside while I fry it. Also sweedish meatballs, meatloaf, barbequed beef, pot roast, all reheat well. Good luck!
1 person likes this
• United States
13 Mar 07
Those are all great suggestions!! I'm really trying to give him things he can put in his fridge/freezer and pull out and heat at his leisure, so chicken cordeon bleu sounds great. Reminds me of an app I made once for a party: I stuffed chicken meatballs with chopped deli ham and pieces of swiss, breaded them, and then fried them and they were a big hit! Thanks for reminding me and the beef suggestions are great. I can't believe I hadn't thought of meatloaf, it's so simple and really guy-appropriate. Thanks so much!
@Mike07 (505)
• United States
13 Mar 07
This is a simple one we do all the time. Just fill a plate with nachos, like Doritos or Tostidas, and then sprinkle cheese all over the top. If you want to get fancy you can cut up olives and peppers and also sprinkle them on top, or you can just send along a jar of salsa. When the poker players get hungry, they can take the plate out of the fridge, spread slasa on top, and then microwave for a couple minutes, and bingo! Instant Nachos!
@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
14 Mar 07
chicken tenders. i love chicken tenders and i think it can be made easy for reheat too since it is mess free. another option is barbequed chicken or pork. put them on stick so it will look presentable.
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Mar 07
Oh, food on a stick, great idea! I've been wrestling with the sticky/greasy finger issue.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
14 Mar 07
There are plenty of recipes that can be made ahead of time and reheated. Casseroles for one. I will give you an example: CHICKEN & CASHEW CASSEROLE Ingredients 500gms of chicken pieces 250 pkt of unsalted cashews potatoes carrots celery peas corn tinned tomatoes 2 onions chicken stock cube thickening flour (eg arrowroot) Recipe Lightly fry the cut up chicken pieces (bite size) Lightly fry cut up onions & place in casserole Place in a large casserole cut up potatoes in bite size pieces (any amount) cut carrots, celery (bite size pieces) Place potatoes, carrots and celery in casserole Put peas, corn & tinned tomatoes in casserole Put in crumbled chicken stock cube in casserole Put cashews in casserole Give it all a good mix Add thickening flour & at least 2 cups of water Give it all a good stir. * This recipe can be heated in a microwave or the oven (180 degrees for at least one hour) Can be frozen & reheated. I can give you more cheap & tasty recipes if you want.
• United States
14 Mar 07
This sounds great and very, very economical! I think everyone loves cashews, too. They are like the king of nuts. I'm making this sometime soon. Thanks!
@red158 (333)
• Canada
14 Mar 07
swedish meatballs would be good, just throw them in a crockpot. Nacho dip goes over real well with men. Or you could make real meatballs in tomatoe sauce, then all they have to do is add bun and cheese throw in oven, and meatball subs.
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Mar 07
Sandwiches is another idea I hadn't even thought of! That's so simple, but it sounds so good. Now I'm craving meatballs even though I've got ribs in the smoker, lol! Thanks for your post :)
• United States
14 Mar 07
chili! chili gets better with age, and there are so many things that you can make with it! you can have a bowl of chili, have chili spagetti, a chili-cheese dip for tortilla chips, chili over spanish rice..the possibilities are endless!
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Mar 07
My uncle recently made me a chili cheese omlette. I know, it sounds absolutely disgusting, but it was suprisingly good. I could only eat about a quarter of it -- I think he went a little nuts and made it a 6 egg omlette or something -- but it actually tasted good. I guess it's a testament to his chili, that it even tastes good for breakfast.
@sj_chaudhry (1537)
• Canada
13 Mar 07
i found one site which will provide you with many recipes which you can amke ahead, here si the link http://busycooks.about.com/od/makeaheadrecipes/Make_Ahead_Recipes_and_OAMC.htm i hope it might works...good luck
1 person likes this
• United States
13 Mar 07
That's a really helpful website. Thanks!
• Canada
14 Mar 07
Based on the ideas you already have (lasagna, gumbo), how about a big pot of chili along with fresh baked corn muffins? I usually serve heavier desserts for men too... super fudgey brownies always being a real hit!
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Mar 07
That's a great idea. I have a really good four-alarm chili recipe that I've been trying to use, it just makes a super huge batch that fills up my fridge/freezer. It'll probably be just enough for those card sharks:) Thanks for your post!
@LeeLow (116)
• Ireland
13 Mar 07
Well you could do sausages in a honey, brown sugar, mustard and soya sauce and you can just keep it heating in a slow-crock-pot. They are very tasty!! Chinken wings and chicken legs.... Spare ribs in a honey sauce..... Spring rolls, rice..... I hope thats of some help!!
1 person likes this
• United States
13 Mar 07
Those are great ideas, chicken winglettes are always on sale at my grocer. I love the suggestion for using honey in the sausage or on the spareribs, sounds really good!
• Philippines
14 Mar 07
What about Vegetable with dips...vegetable salad..Lasagna is good..Make a cake for their desert or fruit salad..or maybe fry some chicken. Hope this gives you an idea. Good luck!
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Mar 07
I hadn't thought about fried chicken, that's an intriguing idea. I guess I could fry it up, cool it down and then transport it on a baking sheet so he can just pop it in the oven. That's a really nice idea, especially since here in TX it's already starting to feel summer-y! Thanks for the tip
@sweetee (420)
• Australia
13 Mar 07
Mallee Quiche 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk, 250gm chopped bacon, 250gm grated cheese, 1 medium diced onion, 1 tbsp chopped parsley, 1/2 cup self raising flour. MIx all ingredients together and put in a greased dish, top with sliced tomato. Bake in a moderate oven for 1 hour. Spinach and Ricotta Caneloni, shepherds pie, home made sausage rolls (if you want recipes for any of these just pm me to come let you know and i'll post them up here)
1 person likes this
• United States
13 Mar 07
Eggs are still good if re-heated? I'm just curious, because I've never done it. Usually if I make a quiche it's all gone that night. I do recall seeing an episode of TOPCHEF, however, where someone complained that eggs are always rubbery the next day. Shepherds pie is a great idea! I can get the throw-away aluminum tins to do them in, so my friend won't even have to do dishes. Plus, it seems pretty economical. Thanks so much for the input.
@tad1fan (3367)
• Canada
15 Mar 07
I reheat alot of stuff in the microwave and I've found that if you add a little,very little bit of water to each dish before storing it,whe you reheat it it stays just like it was fresh.....the water helps to keep it moist,I guess that's why frozen food cooks better in the microwave too
• United States
16 Mar 07
That makes sense because of how a microwave works! It excites the water molecules, so they dance around, and as they dance, they create friction that heats the food. Unfortunately, they also turn to steam and leave the food. This is why if you wake up to stale cereal, you can nuke it for a few seconds, let it sit for a few more, and it will be refreshed.
@tboner23 (121)
• United States
14 Mar 07
I highly suggest Digorno pizza or how ever you spell it.. it tastes really really good or you could just order a pizza at the guys house and not let anyone know. But i would have to say that if you brought lasagna that would be pretty good. Also i would suggest that you bring pasta, that is great with red sauce or something maybe. But honestly i dont think guys who are playing poker will worry that much about what they are eating they just care that they are eating so i wouldn't worry TOO much about it.
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Mar 07
My friend has put a ban on pizza!! He said that the guys who come over to play basically live on pizza (none of them can cook) and take-out. Thanks for the suggestion, though!