How do I adjust cooking time when increasing recipe volume?

[JanRMc]

Ok, I made a complete, total disaster last night. I was supposed to make a dish for a potluck so I volunteer au gratin potatoes with ham. I used about 5 pounds of potatoes figuring that should feed the group. When I cook au gratin potatoes for just the two of us I use about 3 potatoes (with some ham) and bake it at 350 for about 1-1/2 hours. With that 5 pounds of potatoes, however, it wasn't near done come time to take the dish to the potluck so I just stayed home. Duh! Is there some easy way to figure how long to cook something that is maybe 4-5 times quantity than what you normally cook? I ended up cooking it I think for ANOTHER hour and half before the potatoes tested done.

 

[JanRMc]

I forgot to mention -- I had the potatoes in a metal 13 x 9 pan with foil covering it.

 

[Caine]

Too bad. If you had had it in a Corningware or Pyrex dish, you could have nuked it to completion in about 10 minutes.

 

[Constance]

To expedite cooking, next time bake the potatoes in the oven or nuke first, getting them just barely tender. Let cool, and refrigerate if you have time. They will peel easily once they're baked, and all you have to do is slice and put in your casserole dish. Then bake until all is hot and bubbling.

 

[PytnPlace]

Oh boy, A five pound potato casserole for two!!! You need to have some people over for dinner!

 

[Caine]

Oh boy, A five pound potato casserole for two!!! You need to have some people over for dinner!

My kid could eat that by himself!

I don't call him "Plague of Locusts" for nuthin!

 

[AllenOK]

I agree with Constance. Par-cook your taters first, then make your dish. I've been trying to perfect Au Gratin taters for years, and it wasn't until I figured out you have to cook the taters that I got some good results.

 

[StirBlue]

The usual dish for a potluck is 8 servings. They assume that more than one person is bringing a similar dish. For au gratin potatoes it is okay to buy a couple of boxes that cook very quickly. For a personal touch add a can of evaporated milk. Cut the ham chunks small so they will stir in and distribute evenly. Put in your serving dish when cooked and sprinkle with a little paprika as a garnish.

As for your leftovers, they freeze well. You can also use them in layered dish. onion & sage stuffing, green beans and topped with au gratin potatoes.

The short cut deli is okay too for picking up a last minute potluck dish. I am sure your friends missed you at the potluck.

 

[JanRMc]

Thank you all (or in Kentucky I guess it's y'all). I didn't even think about cooking the potatoes first, just figured it had to bake in order to absorb most of the liquid. Duh. Thanks!

 

[auntdot]

Jan, you had a cooking screw up. It happens to all of us.

But why not go to the party?

Would have put on my togs, dropped by the market on the way, and picked up chips and dip, a crudite platter, a cake perhaps, or whatever I could find.

Would then have gone to the party and explained to the host/ess my substitution, briefly.

The idea of the get together was to get together with the food being secondary, at least that is the way things go here.

Just my take on things. Take care.

 

[Michael Cook]

Next time instead of bailing on your friends bring beer or wine if you mess up the food. Everyone makes mistakes, it's how we deal with them that matters.

 

[jpmcgrew]

I also learned the hard way,no matter how long I baked the Au Gratin the potatoes would not cook even though recipe called for raw potatoes. I also had to figure that cooking potatoes ahead and now my gratins turn out great.In fact you can make it ahead and just heat it back up when you are ready.

 

[philso]

...Duh! Is there some easy way to figure how long to cook something that is maybe 4-5 times quantity than what you normally cook?...

as far as baking goes, you can generally cook things about the same time as usual by using a larger pan so that the depth of what's being cooked is the same as usual. if you don't have a large enough pan to do so, try using two pans or more. while you don't want to be moving cakes around during baking, casseroles can be move from top to bottom rack from time to time for even cooking.

 

[Robo410]

the issue here is thickness...as you increase it, so does the cooking time. But if you made this shallow in a big roasting pan or sheet cake pan, it would cook in close to the same amount of time as your smaller amount did. I have had to add an extra hour cooking to an au gratin when using a lasagna pan.

 

[JanRMc]

Thank you for your suggestions. I've also purchased a potluck cooking book which should help in the future, also.!!!