The one meal thing I never manage to get right

[LEFSElover]

making a meal for the family last night, again, I couldn't get the timing for everything to be hot at the same time and dinner therefore, wasn't.

the roast was hot when I took it out but the mashed sweets were in there too, they came out first. the beans and the cauliflower had been done long before but the NYT bread was last to go in.

how do you make your entire dinner hot all at once? I mean this is annoying and sad and embarrassing to me.

is there something that you never seem to quite get right about a meal?

 

[expatgirl]

lefse.......it comes with time and experience........if my husband can let me know what hour of the clock he's going to be home it works out even better...........veggies will always be last as they only need a few minutes of steam time.......rice is 20 minutes.......meat or main dish is whatever your recipe calls for and will probably be cooked first.......in the meantime you can be throwing a salad together or cutting up some fruit........when it comes to mashed potatos I confess to using a mix of Idaho potatoes......love them and better than my own.......

 

[LEFSElover]

expatgirl.....
it may just be that I am not proficient in my planning or scheduling.
last night was just one more example of how wrong I can be with that.
plus, I had food on the plates that couldn't go into the microwave ie. apple sauce, or it'd get hot too, aAAARgh, the on going dilemma...

 

[Michelemarie]

Don't worry Lefs - it happens to everyone! I have the hardest time with breakfast meals!

 

[letscook]

i always had a problem keeping the mash potatos warm. I saw somewhwere that once you have them made. set the bowl on top of a pot that has simmering water in it turn the burner off and the heat from the water keeps the bowl warm. acting like a double boiler - I have also done it with veggies. and everything is hot at the same time

for breakfast i cook the bacon and the sauage in the oven whille im cooking everything else and all is done at the same time

 

[expatgirl]

I heat up most stuff in the microwave.............if he gets home a lot later than he says......tooo bad............yep, Barbarian here...............

 

[GotGarlic]

making a meal for the family last night, again, I couldn't get the timing for everything to be hot at the same time and dinner therefore, wasn't.

the roast was hot when I took it out but the mashed sweets were in there too, they came out first. the beans and the cauliflower had been done long before but the NYT bread was last to go in.

how do you make your entire dinner hot all at once? I mean this is annoying and sad and embarrassing to me.

is there something that you never seem to quite get right about a meal?

Hi, Lefse. Here are some ideas: I would have made the NYT bread first, because it needs to cool down before cutting into it anyway. Or, you can make it in advance, and then re-crisp it in the oven for 10 minutes along with the casserole (see below).

Then, let's say the roast needed 1 hour to cook + 20 minutes to rest before carving; the mashed sweets (I'm assuming this is a casserole) needed 30 minutes to bake; and the beans and cauliflower needed 10 minutes. Let's also say you want to serve dinner at 7 p.m.

Put the roast in the oven 1 hour and 20 mins. (or 80 mins.) before serving time, or 5:40 p.m. After 50 minutes (80-30=50; 6:30 p.m.), put the casserole in the oven. 10 minutes later, 6:40 p.m., remove the roast, cover and let rest. Now you have 10 minutes to get the veggies ready and start cooking them at 6:50 p.m. Voila, everything is done at 7 p.m. or thereabouts

It just takes planning and practice. When I'm having a dinner party, I actually make a schedule of what needs to be done when so it all comes out together. HTH.

 

[AuntieV]

It just takes planning and practice. When I'm having a dinner party, I actually make a schedule of what needs to be done when so it all comes out together. HTH.

I agree with this. You might even want to do a weekly menu plan for a few weeks and plan out the time line. After doing this for a few weeks, you will find what things work well together and what ones don't.

 

[Alix]

Lefse, is oven space an issue for you too? If so, then things like oven cooked veggies can be done earlier and then heated in the microwave quickly before serving. Leaving you with the oven space to do your meat dish.

I find its easier to plan things like this if I don't try to be fancy. Take into account what you have room for and plan accordingly. For example, if I were planning a roast beef and potatoes I would not also plan a veggie that needed to be cooked in the oven (some kind of veggie casserole) I would do something on the stove instead. Then I would have a fresh salad (rounding out the veggie portion of the meal) and just pop the bread or the buns in the oven after I take out the meat so they can heat up again.

Good luck Lefse. Make yourself a chart of what gets cooked first, second, third and last and see if that will help you.

 

[expatgirl]

you got the hog by the right ear.......Alix.......

 

[sattie]

It is a hit or miss thing for me. Most of the time I get everything timed just right. But there are a few times I am wayyyyyy off base. I don't try to time everything out, I just go with my instincts.

Usually if I am grilling something and have something in the oven, I always manage to time the grilling so that as the grilled item has finished cooking... the timer for the oven is going off as I walk in the door. Hubby is so awe struck by this!!!

 

[LEFSElover]

I love the suggestions here.
Thank you all so much.
The ideas will help me out a lot.
I have so much in the freezer and fridge and kitchen store that if I put down for a weeks worth of meals, dinners anyway, that'd help a lot.
No Alix, I can't say that's a problem the oven space I mean.
I have a built in double oven so that's no excuse for me. I could have done it all, I think mostly I took a very bad habit from the most wonderful person on earth and stole it and it's not one that is suited to any woman that has multiple bakeware/cookware etc. I use it for storage, which I have plenty of too. I think it's ebay soon for me, anyone need upteen pieces of anything?
Also, a lot of my day was spent with the baby's enjoying the rain and playing with them. Dinner sort of snuck up on me, is that a word? I may get scolded if it isn't. (My bad)
Pork roast tenderloin wrapped in bacon with spices and herbs and baked.
Sweet potatoes whipped with butter salt pepper brown sugar and mallows on top. Whole head cauliflower steamed whole with 5 cheeses on top, melted. All day long cooked baked beans with bacon, done of stove after soaking a hundred years. Apple sauce, NYT bread with parm cheese, house spice seasoning, the one I've posted, and flax seeds. Nanna's cole slaw done in advance ceptin for dressing that I added last. Ice cream and brownies. That was the final menu.

 

[Jeekinz]

In the cooler months, I warm the dinner plates in the oven on it's lowest setting so I don't put warm food on a cold plate. Or heat the oven until it's warm inside and turn it off, then put the plates in there until the food is done.

 

[mikki]

I never manage to get everything done at the same time.

 

[kitchenelf]

Not every single thing has to be piping hot. While your roast is resting you could re-heat, if necessary, your veggies. Microwaves work for most things. Your bread can be re-heated in some foil or even popped into a toaster.

It can be tough at times, I know. There's nothing wrong with roast pork at room temp though, bread that is not piping hot fresh out of the oven, and casseroles/mashed potatoes, etc., are pretty good about retaining heat. A quick nuke should take care of it.

 

[kadesma]

Ya know what Lefse, If you were to ask them, You'd be surprised at what you hear...Mine would say we were together, we had fun, things tasted good hot or cold..We know all this was done cuz ya love us..Who the heck cares if it's piping hot..We got each other.
kadesma

 

[GhettoRacingKid]

Dont Worry Lef,

I fel your pain. I had no timing what so ever before schooling. And I think I learned the most important things with timing there.

Here is my game plan for dinner and goes for almost all professional kitchens.

PREP!!! Do as much prep as early as you can so its ready to go when you need it. Cut your string beans, mince your garlic etc.....

Start on the longest thing first.
Know the things that can be made early and sit. Ill admit I "hold" my mashed potatos until the rest of the meal is ready. I usually make then and then put in aa bit more of milk and let it sit on low and making sure i stir occasionally to vent burning. before serving ill turn up the heat and add a bit more milk and butter if its drying out.

sicne you got the double oven you can cook your meal and if something isnt ready yet hold it in the warm oven at its lowest setting.

veggies are almost always last. liek someone else said it takes seconds to steam or waht ever. the wife loves string beans so i blanch and shock them so when its 5 minutes to show time bam they are ready to go.

jsut keep at it and make mental notes. maybe try making this meal once a week until you get its timing.

 

[Alix]

Um...playing with the babies always takes precedence to ANY meal. You should just have called for take out! LOLOLOL!

 

[LEFSElover]

I love a good giggle.
I just got it from a few of these new posts I'm just reading.
You guys are soooooooooooooooooo right on.
Thank you all, like I couldn't think of heating plates, what 'is' wrong with my mind. Oh wait, it's holding Landon............
By the way, I'll try harder this weekend when I do it all over again.
I promise to try harder, oh, the princesses wanted to help me clean up.
I had to say no cause it's all glass or knives or Le Creuset which is HEAVY