Both these issues occur because the heat source runs alone the middle of the bottom, not around the sides like a regular slow cooker.

Thge beef will cook more evenly if it has been at room temp for 1-2 hours before youu start cooking.

I just purchased an 18 at nesco roaster oven at a yard sale. It was $25.00 and was used once. I have six children and would like to cook in this and have enough for leftovers the next day.

This method gives minimum shrinkage while tenderizing this sometimes chewy piece.

You will have tender, medium rare slices that can be reheated without overcooking. Read the how to safely reheat turkey page in the holiday section at the top of the Big Pots index, adapt to beef.

You have two tasks: 1) cooking the dogs and 2)keeping them warm. I would probably use several roasters, one to cook and the others to keep warm. You can cook by boiling, roasting/baking or steaming, all of which can be done in the roasters. To boil, you fill the large liner 1/2 full with water, cover and bring to a boil by setting high, add dogs, cover and bring bsck to a boil, simmering until the internal temp of a dog is 170 on an instant read thermometer. If you don't have this type thermometer, get one; this is a food safety issue.

If you have never boiled water like this an you want to use this method, check out how long your roaster takes by doing the water heating part ahead at home as a test.

To steam, you use water under a rack. Can't do as many at once, but I like the taste better.

You can also roast or broil in a regular oven then keep warm as below.

Once hot, can be kept safely warm; put in a roaster with a rack in the bottom, 1 cup water under the rack, preheated to 250.

1 roaster makes 4 9x13 pans' worth. That means you need 3 roasters for 100 plus people.

you can layer the lasagna right in the roaster itself, like a giant slow cooker. You spary the pan thoroughly with non stick sparay. Keep the layer under 4 inches thick, or the edges will dry out badly before the center cooks. Then set at 250 to no more than 300 and use the cooking times for the crockpot freezer lasagna in my Big Pots section- about twice as long as for a regular heat regular oven. Keep the lid on tight so the top does not dry out, too.

The crockpot lasagna recipe I use would be a good choice. You will make about 4 times the amount you can fit in a standard 9x13 pan.

Here are some notes about assembling: you can assemble in generally the same way, with several cautions:

The usual pan of ziti is 2-3 inches deep. The 4 inch or deeper roaster pan will NOT CHILL nearly as quickly, which leaves the middle at the danger zone (40-140) for too long. Make the pasta and cool/chill it, then also cool the sauces before assembling the casserole, then put the assembled dish straight into the refrigerator.

Don't let it sit out for more than 1/2 hour before heating. If you do not preheat, put it straight from the fridge to the roaster. If you do preheat, the half hour out is OK.

Allow 3 hours for cooking time. You probably won't need that long, but you do not want to turn it up and scorch it, and you can always turn to 180 and hold for an hour or more if it gets ahead of you (and will it smell great).

HOW TO TELL IT IS DONE:

Use a meat thermometer or an instant read thermometer to check the temp in the middle of the dish. It is done and safe to eat at 160 degrees. If your sauce has eggs, be SURE to get it to 160.

Chris, please see the recipes here:
www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/beans100.html

18 lbs. frozen hash browns
1 lb. butter
1 sm. jar onion flakes
9 tsp. salt and pepper
9 cans cream of chicken soup
9 c. milk
4 (16 oz.) cartons sour cream
2 lbs. Velveeta cheese, grated or cheddar cheese

Recipe will fill electric roaster but will cook down to 3/4 full. Do not put cheese on top, it will stick to lid. When potatoes are partially thawed, alternate ingredients in roaster. Bake at 325 degrees for 3 hours, stirring a few times. Turn down to 150 degrees to keep warm.

www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/bbentree4.html
www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/pro/rice100.html
www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/bbentree2.html
www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/plan/texmex100.html

Marie, cook the suasage in the oven, put all the meatballs in, too, to get hot the last 20 minutes. Heat the sauce on top of the stove or in the roaster, then add the hot meats to the roaster and hold at 180-200 degrees covered. They will stay juicier and more delicious if you have enough sauce to keep them all covered.

Here is a recipe for creamy turkey soup 24 servings. I would use turkey, it is easier to handle in large amounts and cheaper on sale. Use 6 to 7 times the amount for your group.

Creamy Turkey Soup

Serves: 24

1 lb celery, diced
1-1/2 cups margarine
1 cup onions, finely chopped
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp thyme, ground
1 Tbsp salt or chicken or turkey bouillon powder
1/2 tsp white pepper, ground
6 qts turkey broth, heated
1-1/2 lbs cooked turkey, light and dark meat, cubed (That is 3 cups- it takes 3 pounds raw whole chicken or turkey to make 1 1/2 pounds meat) )I usually increase the meat
1 qt whole milk, heated
OPTIONAL, 1 cup golden sherry
OPTIONAL, 2 cups chopped mushroom stems and pieces
1-1/2 cups pimiento, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Garlic croutons or whole berry cranberry sauce, as needed

Cut celery into dice (1/4-inch). Melt margarine and saute celery and onions 5 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Stir flour and seasonings into vegetable mixture. Cook 5 to 6 minutes at medium heat.

Gradually whisk turkey broth into vegetable mixture. Cook at medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is slightly thickened and bubbly.

Fold turkey into sauce and continue cooking 15 minutes.

Stir in milk, pimiento, and parsley, and optional ingredients. Continue cooking until a temperature of 160 degrees F is reached.

Serve each portion with garlic croutons or a spoonful of whole berry cranberry sauce for garnish, if desired.

Picnic shoulder is the same as chuck on a cow. It is a moist, rather fatty meat, much less dry than ham or loin and my favorite piece of pork for sandwiches. To roast, use a meat thermometer, cook it to 160 internal using a low and slow roast for slicing. Go to 200 for pulled pork.

You can use any flavoring or marinade recipe for pork loin for this piece. Here is the recipe I posted last week:

As for pulled pork, here is a recipe for 8 pounds from a Carolina cook that is about as good as you can find. Note that this amount of sauce is only for 8 pounds meat, you will need 4 times as much for your 32 pounds.

2 pork butts, 3 to 4 pounds each, untrimmed (can sub shoulders)

Sauce:
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup molasses
1 head garlic, broken into unpeeled cloves
2 Tb. whole cumin seeds
3 Tb. whole coriander seeds
1 Tb. whole black peppercorns
8 small dried red chiles
2 bay leaves
3 Tb. tomato paste
3 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 quart distilled white vinegar
4 cups water
1/4 cup salt

Combine the honey, molasses, garlic, cumin, coriander, peppercorns, chiles and bay leaves in a large stockpot, over medium-low heat. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The garlic will darken, and the mixture will be very thick and fragrant. Add the tomato paste and tomatoes; cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the vinegar, water and salt. The sauce should be thin. Simmer, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Set aside half the sauce for marinating the pork. Let the remaining sauce cool and fish out any large pieces of garlic peel. Puree the remaining sauce in a blender (some spices will remain whole). The sauce should be rather watery and look like a brothy tomato soup.

One or two days before cooking (much preferably two), put the pork in a container just large enough to hold it and deep enough for the reserved sauce to cover it- I use the largest ziplock plastic bags. Cover the container and refrigerate, turning the pork half-way through the marinating period.

At this point, you're finally ready to cook the pork. I have tried this in a number of methods and variations, but have settled on a two-step process that works great. I cook half-way in the oven (before basting is necessary and saving propane) and half-way on a grill using indirect heat (making it easier to baste and adding the barbecue flavor you need). The formula is 2 hours per pound (or cooked to an internal temperature between 150 to 160 degrees).

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Put the pork, fat side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Leave in oven three hours (for six pounds) or four hours (for eight pounds). Remove to pre-heated grill, but with low, indirect heat (should be about the same 200 degrees as your oven). Baste with the pureed sauce every 30 minutes, until done, turning once (this second half of cooking will take as long as the first, if your grill is correctly regulated). Let the pork cool.

Chop and shred the pork. You can either slice it or pull it apart with your fingers (thus the name, "pulled pork"). For slicing, cut the pork across the grain, in half-inch slices. For pulling, start pulling at the meat with a fork, then attack with your fingers. Discard any unrendered fat.

With a large knife, roughly chop the pork coarse. Put the chopped pork in a large bowl with some more of the pureed sauce; the amount is up to you (I'd go a little at a time, and test along the way). Serve the pork warm (no problem with a microwave; it's plenty juicy -- if you cooked it right) with a little more sauce on the side, for your bolder eaters.

It's a lot of work and that's why I usually go 8 pounds, so I can freeze half and eat it a few months from now. I figure if I'm going to this much trouble, I might as well make as much as the sauce can handle (8 pounds being the top end). Enjoy and tell any friends in Asheville or Memphis that you've got 'em beat.

**MID-SOUTH CAROLINA MUSTARD SAUCE***
1 cup cider vinegar
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper

And...Here's a great spicy chili rub to use before cooking...

***SPICY CHILLI RUB***
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon white pepper

Enjoy....

Slow Cooked Turkey Roast with Vegetables

Yield: 6

Non-stick cooking spray
1 Cup chopped onion
3 Cups diced red potato
1 Pound fresh baby carrots
1 10-3/4 Ounce Can condensed cream of celery soup (or use 1 1/2 cups thick white sauce)
1/2 Cup cold water
1 Teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 Teaspoon salt
3 Pounds BONELESS TURKEY BREAST ROAST, thawed if frozen
1 Tablespoon no-salt seasoning blend
1/4 Cup instant mashed potato flakes
Fresh parsley leaves, chopped fine

1. Coat a 5-quart slow cooker with no-stick cooking spray.
2. Place onion, potato and carrots in slow cooker turned onto LOW setting. Stir together soup, water, poultry seasoning and salt. Pour over vegetables.
3. Pat turkey breast roast dry with clean paper towels. Lift string netting and shift position on roast for easier removal after cooking. Sprinkle seasoning blend over roast and place roast on vegetables.
4. Cover; cook on LOW setting for 6 to 8 hours or until the internal temperature registers 170 degrees F.
5. Remove roast from slow cooker. Let stand 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, stir potato flakes and parsley into vegetables. Let stand 5 minutes.
7. Remove string netting and cut roast into slices. Serve turkey with vegetables.

The party is Wednesday and I will be doing all my shopping tonight. So, depending on how involved this process is I may switch to barbeque chicken. With the quantity of meat involved, I really just want my husband to concentrate on the chops. To many meats with varying cooking times on the grill may prove to be fatal to one or the other meats, particularly as guests arrive and he gets busy socializing. So, the more I can get done ahead of time the better.

We're having a surprise birthday party for my mom, and we have opted to have pulled pork barbecue.

This recipe has quite a few variations. Most folks agree that without the sour cream it is pretty dry, or they double up the canned soup. I often use home made thick white sauce, made with 1/2 beef or chicken broth and 1/2 milk, in place of the soup- or at least I use the low fat, low sodium family size cream of mushroom in plce of regular.

It really matters how cold the mix is to start. If you mixed and refrigerated the night before, it takes about 3 1/2 hours to cook. If the soup/sauce etc is room temp, at least 2 hours.

* 5 (2 pound) packages frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
* 1-1/2 cups melted butter
* 5 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom, celery or chicken soup
* 5 (8 ounce) containers sour cream
* 2-1/2 cups chopped onions, sauteed in butter until tender but not brown
OPTIONAL, chopped celery or bell pepper cooked with the onions
* 2 1/2 pounds (10 cups) shredded Cheddar cheese, Colby cheese or blends (see note above)
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
OPTIONAL, 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
OPTIONAL, crushed garlic or garlic powder to taste
OPTIONAL, 5 small cans green chilies
* 5 cups French fried onion bits for topping

1. Spray the inside of the roaster with a heavy coating of non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine hash browns, 1/2 cup melted butter. Make sure hash browns are thawed as per recipe instructions. Pour melted butter/margarine over the potatoes and mix. Then add the cheese and mix. Lastly add the rest of the ingredients.
3. Pour into the roaster, holding back the topping till later.
4. Bake in the electric roaster covered for at least 1 hour, 40 minutes, up to 3 hours if the mix was cold/refrigerated to start with. Sprinkle on the onions,cover, bake 20 minutes longer.

Here are more Variations:
Add some chopped or minced green pepper, or some cooked and crumbled bacon.
About halfway through baking, place more cheese on top and finish baking until the cheese is nicely browned.

***White Sauce***
1 gallon whole milk, warmed but not boiling (or use 1/2 beef stock)
10 ounces flour, may need a little more
1 pound unsalted butter or margarine
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
White pepper (optional)*

Topping with the French fried onion bits is my preference, as the electric roaster does not give a crisp finish to the top. But you MUST wait till about 20 minutes before serving, or they will get limp.

If you decide to do it this way and it is a very large crowd, you might want to use two roasters.

To do it in the roaster, you want to grease the pan very well or spray heavily with non stick spray. Keep the temp at 300 or 325 or you may scorch the bottom before it is cooked through. Alow sufficient cooking time - about 2 1/2 if the mix is made and poured directly in the pan, about 3 to 3 1/2 if it is refrigerated before cooking. Use an instant read thermometer to check that the temp in the very middle of the dressing reaches 160 before it is served. When it reaches this temp, you can turn it down to 165-180 to keep warm for serving.

I would use 2 roasters to make soup for this many- I only put 3 1/2 gallons in one roaster- that serves about 50.

I add lots of real chicken broth so the dumplings really float. I make sure it is boiling before adding the dumplings. As they cook they thicken the sauce. I keep them covered.

Thanks for your help. I enjoyed reading all the previous questions and your very helpful answers.

I am using a homemade turkey brine this year for Thanksgiving. My recipe for roasting the 14 lb. turkey suggests flash cooking the turkey in the oven at 500 degrees for the first 30 minutes (in order to sear and cook the breast), then reducing the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees, and covering the breast with foil throughout remainder of cook time (2 to 2 1/2 hours or 161 degrees). Instead of reducing heat in oven, would I be able to move the turkey from the oven to 350 degree electric roaster?

I would use the same roasting rack from electric roaster in both oven and roaster so there would be no need to transfer turkey in the middle. Just a quick swap from one cooking unit to another. Thanks for you help.

Figure out how long to cook by the weight. Preheat the roaster for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Cook 1 hour at 400, remove the drippings, baste, cover again and turn down to 350. Cook at 350 til the last hour, then turn back up to 400.

Go to this manual and page down to page 5 for instructions on turkey raoasting and for times.

For Christmas, I will be cooking 3 pork tenderloins that are about 2 1/2 pounds each in a roaster. I've never used a roaster before. How long should I cook them and at what temperature? Also, should I cook it in any type of liquid or use a rub on it?

This is actually a small enough group that you will want to cook your dish in a roasting pan inside the oven, not in the cookwell itself. When I do sausages in the oven, I brown them first on top of stove, layer them in the pan with the other fixings, and bake at 325-350 covered for about 1/2 hour then uncovered for about 1/2 hour.

Your potatoes will probably make the kids happier if you will cook them separately- the penetrating flavor of the sauerkraut juice is usually not a kid favorite. I would boil for 1/2 hour, then put the adult potatoes in the sauerkraut when you uncovered it, and finish simmering the kid potatoes on the stove. I allow two sausages per adult and teen, and one per smaller kid, when I cut them up, and usually have a little left over. 3 1/2 to 4 pounds potatoes, 2-3 pounds sauerkraut.

Preheat the oven to 425 for at least 15 minutes. Roast in shallow pan 25 minutes. Brush with marinade, baste or oil of choice.. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; roast an additional 5 to 8 minutes to desired doneness (145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer for medium-rare, 160 degrees for medium). Allow to stand 10 minutes. Carve cross-grain in 1/2 inch slices.

For a 3 pounder, I would leave the temp and time alone for the first section, increase to 10-15 for the second phase, and DEFINITELY use a thermometer to judge doneness.

Yes you can use the roaster. If you have a crockpot recipe you like, set to 180-200 as the equivalent to low and use about the same amount of time as a low crockpot. The arm roasts having some fat/ marbling, they cook a bit slower than very very lean meat when slow cooked.

Corinne, first, to reduce mush, use red potatoes. Second, have the water HOT when you add it. Third, when the potatoes are done enough, _drain_ them and keep them warm covered at 170. For 325 people, I would use 125 pounds of potatoes, about 1 pound each celery and onions for each 8-10 pounds of potatoes.

BJW, you have to bring the center of the pan to 160 and keep it there, in less than 2 hours. If you have just freshly cooked the meat and it is hot, the best way to do this is to warm the beans in a pot on the stove and add them hot to the preheated roaster with the hot meat. If the meat is precooked and cold, keep it cold until the ropaster is preheated, put it in the roaster and bring it to heat, then stir in the hot beans.

I am cooking 70 chicken leg quarters and 80 coconut tilapia filets for a 40th anniversary party. How long would it take to reheat these if they were frozen?

I was wondering if you can cook the hot dogs and then keep them warm in a roaster oven?

How long will it take to steam the dogs in the first roaster?
Any suggestions? Do I place a little bit of water in the second roaster? Or will the buns get sogged out?

If you put a big rack in the bottom of the cookwell (the removable pan), the water goes under. If you are trying to do all at once, you have to stand them on end; lay the cookwell on the side, place the rack, fill the dogs, turn upright, then preheat the roaster to about 350, put in the cookwell, pour in boiling water to just under the rack, steam.

Allow at least 1/2 hour. When hot, turn to 200.

Why not just keep all the dogs in one and the buns in the other and put together as served? Heat the buns just as you would in an oven- spritz on a tiny bit of water-

Anyway, you want about 7 pounds dry macaroni per 100 people-s worth of mac salad. Like all the oter items, this is covered in the plan for 100 lists, the fruit tray list, the veggie tray article, and the sandwich event list (for the cold cuts).

We have been taking visiting teams downtown to pay for their after game meal, but want to save money.

Can you use a roster for cooking Rice?
If so, do we put the water on the bottom of the pan and the RICE PAN floats? or put the rice actaully in the water?

7 pounds (14-15 cups dry) of raw rice makes about the right amount for 100 adult people, but it takes TWO roasters to make this much rice. You can do about 4 pounds max in one roaster.

For teens, you increase amounts about 1/2 more.

If white bring to a boil, stir in the rice, turn to simmer and cook covered about 40 minutes.

No there is not and you could be shut down completely by your local department of health if you try to go with this arrangement. You CANNOT legally use either the bathroom or the janitor's closet for a water source for food prep or cleanup.

Options would include
1) rental of one or several RV's, food wagons (traveling kitchens, used for taco and sandwich stands in our area) or other vehicles with kitchen facilities.

2) Locate a commercial licensed kitchen such as a church or cafeteria, cook/clean there and tote.

3) Serve a cold breakfast and lunch and have the hot food catered in for dinner. EG pizzas one night, BBQ or chicken and fish one night.

Or some combo of the above.

Diane, if it is all going to be shredded and sauced, there is no reason to do a whole pig; they are hard to cook and NOTORIOUS for failing to cook through on time, someone would have to miss the wedding to stay with the pig, they are very messy to cut up and serve, and you need almost 4 pounds whole pig to serve 3 people. You could do prime rib for what it will cost you.

All pork butts or shoulder is a MUCH smarter and cheaper way to go. You want 50 pounds boneless or about 70 pounds bone in for 100 people. The pulled pork recipe above in this thread is a great recipe. You will need 3 roasters to keep the meat warm for this many people.

As to the rest, a 9x13 pan holds 2 1/2 quarts, chafing dishes vary. See the mac and cheese for 100 recipe. You need 22-24 pounds broccoli tops/florets per 100.

You need a total of about 8 pounds of raw rice for 100 people, counting both recipes. You don't say what goes with the pilaf, what the other dishes are, what kind of dirty rice with how much meat and what vegetables (mirliton?, eggplaNT?, etc, so I can't even begin to guess how to divide the rice.

But basically if it is two rice and ground meat mixed dishes, you are looking at 10 pounds of rice and 30 pounds of ground meats- you have to do more than 50-50 to allow choice and because people eat more when they self-serve 2 entrees. If part is other meat, decide what proportion; for example if you plan 60 servings of broiled chicken, you need about 5 pounds of rice in pilaf (the other 5 are in the dirty rice), and 6/10 the amount of chicken you would use for 100.

I plan on having foil pans keeping warm in the oven so I can refill the roaster as necessary.

My party is a week away. Please reply soon!

You can use it just like a regular oven. Do preheat the oven. Use any chicken recipe you like, Use the same temps you would for a regular oven. Start checking about 10 minutes before you would start checking in the regular oven, as it may cook a bit faster. The differences are that it will not get the crispy brown skin and it will be a little more moist that a regular oven. See the recipe in big pots called roast chicken mellee for additional help on cooking large amounts of chicken.

You can use it like a giant stew pot or crockpot. For a crockpot recipe, you use a temp of 300 to get the same equivalent as high, and the time is about the same. To use as a giant stewpot, use 375, and allow an hour longer than the regular recipe- it may finish a bit sooner, but with this much chicken you have to allow extra time.

You can tell it is done safely when a middle piece read 165 on a quick read thermometer.

TURKEY DRESSING SANDWICHES

20 pounds turkey, cooked (save juices), dice into bite size chunks
5 pounds dried mix, onion & sage dressing with croutons (I prefer 1/2 cornbread)

In large kettle, cook until tender:

6 cups celery, chopped
3 1/2 cupss onion, chopped
1 cup butter
Add and bring to a boil:
7 quarts good quality chicken or turkey broth

As for the chicken, I suggest you look at the dijon wedding chicken recipe on my big pots page, which CAN be made 1-2 days in advance and refrigerated. There is discussion how to do a large amount and about reheating. If you are stuffing the chicken breasts yourself, it is a fiddly, time consuming job. If the weight is for already stuffed breasts, it is not enough chicken.

The pulled pork recipe I like best starts two-three days ahead- see the pulled pork thread. Consider doing yours that way. It also lets you get the extra grease off.

"Too much" doesn't apply to ratatouille. Cook it the first time, and eat it hot as the main course; then have it again later as a cold hors-d'oeuvre. In the summer time, it's great as a cold main-course dish. It keeps for several days in the refrigerator.

One gallon serves about 10 people for a main dish serving, about 16-20 as a vegetable side dish, about 50 as an appetizer dip. If you don't have good garden tomatoes with flavor, add a small can of tomato paste to each gallon.

You will need fresh ice in the chests to transport.

My oven is out; and my husband is at sea for another week. I'm a big baker and have an electric roaster oven that I've not used. I need to bake an "Earthquake Cake" and a pecan pie for our Thanksgiving Meal at work on Thursday. Will my roaster bake a cake and pie at the same temperature and time called for in a regular oven?

Looking forward to your advice...

Go to this site. Read the whole article. Make the dressing with double the celery (celery is important) and no bell pepper. I make mine a little lighter/ drier than she does, but it is close. The cornbread and white bread mixture is just about essential for a great dressing, IMO.

Yes, you can skip the bacon grease and use some extra butter. Yes,it is actually very helpful to make the cornbread a day ahead of the dressing, just keep it bagged or tightly covered in foil.

My parents always used this roaster and their turkey was always fabulous, unfortunately, they have both passed and I didn't pay attention to how they fixed it.

The turkey is approx. 20 lbs. I need to know how long to cook it, do I add water in the bottom of the tray, do I put the turkey on the wire rack?

It is safer, and you get moister turkey, if you cook it unstuffed, because you don't have to heat it as high. See the first few paragraphs on this page for further discussion:
www.ellenskitchen.com/turkey/whack.html

This turkey is perfect size for this roaster and does NOT need to be cut up.

Roasters cook moister and usually a little faster than regular ovens at the same temperature.The only disadvantage to the roaster, is, it does not brown the turkey. So if you want superb cuteness, you will cook it for the last 25 minutes in a preheated 425 degree oven.

WARNING: the first time you heat a roaster, it STINKS as it burns off the factory solvents, etc. Do this now, and preferably on the porch or in the garage. If you try to roast a turkey in a roaster that has not been preheated like this, it will ruin the turkey.

Now, general notes about roaster turkeys.
1)Like all turkeys, they are the very best and juiciest if brined. Alton Brown at the "Good Eats" website explains this in detail. Yours is small enough to be brined in the refrigerator in the giant jumbo ziplock bag. If you can, do do this.
www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html
2)Preheat the roaster, no hotter than 325, for at least 20 minutes. before adding the turkey.
3) calculate the cooking time using anybody's table, but USE AN INSTANT READ THERMOMETER INSERTED IN THE THIGH TO CHECK THE TEMP. USE MY TEMPS IN THE ARTICLE I REFERRED TO ABOVE. Start checking at about 3/4 the time you expect to finish. Depending on the shape of the turkey (deep versus wide) it can finish in as little as 3/4 the calculated time.
3) It needs to stand at least 20 minutes out of the roaster before you carve it, up to 3/4 of an hour. This is the fudge factor that let's you get it done but not overdone.

About 1/3 cup sauerkraut per person, you won't have any left; or a little more if it is self serve or they are really enthusiastic sauerkraut eaters.

If it is just a regular casserole pan in the roaster, treat as any oven, be sure you preheat the roaster.

If making a roaster full in the cookwell, preheat the roaster beforte addinmg the cookwell..

You would do 4 times this good off-site recipe:

Yes, you need two roasters each for the potatoes and green beans, the roaster only holds about 50 side dish servings.

You keep taking the lid off the roaster and you will increase the reheat time about 50%. Keep the lid on. Place clean folded cotton duish towels across the top to catch condensation drips from the lid.

Trying to reheat the potatoes or green beans in large pots on a home stove is a recipe for scorch. I would not choose that method.

Joanne, each roaster only holds enough redbeans for about 60 people and you need to cook the rice separately. See my favorite cajun site for a really good red beans recipe:

www.gumbopages.com/food/red-beans.html

Mary Jo, best soak is overnight- in fridge if the weather is hot. Then drain this water and cook with fresh. Saute the seasoning veggies (onion, celery, bell peppers, etc) separately and sweat them before you stir them into the beans. There are lots of bean hints and recipes on this site- help with timing, etc. Check them out.

Assuming you want to cook a roaster full- if it is less, just cook it in a covered pan in the roaster as if the roaster were any other oven-
this works for up to 6-8 pounds of rice. Do NOT fill the roaster fuller, it will boil over:

Measure out the rice and water into bowls.
Put the water and desired salt and seasonings in the roaster, bring to a boil with the roaster at 350 or above. Allow up to 20 minutes per gallon for this- it can take a while.

Stir in the rice and 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil, bring it back to a boil, turn the heat to 300 and clap on the lid.

Cook covered about 40 minutes, stirring once about 10 minutes in. KEEP IT COVERED.

The secret to success for the large amount in the roaster is to precook the sliced potatoes, see this recipe:

nll.ahf.nmci.navy.mil/publications/docs%5Crecipe/Q05100.pdf

For this group, I would use 1 1/2 times those amounts, in 2 roasters. Preheat roasters at least 20 minutes to 350, allow an hour at least; check temp in the middle with a quick read thermometer, at 160, turn roasters to 180.

Yes, one roaster is great for 40 people- good for up to 60, easily.

I use about 12-14 pounds regular hamburger for plenty for 40; when I make it in the roaster, I buy leaner, so I don't have to drain off grease- then it takes a pound or two less.

Yes, if you post the recipe I will help multiply it, but you can probably do it yourself; multiply to get the meat right, cut the salt in half, spices 1/4 to 1/3.

I have a pretty simple recipe that I use for my family of 4. We are looking to serve approx 40 people. Can you tell me how much macaroni I would need?

Preheat according to the oven directions for the particular brand (but not over 325), at least 20 minutes. Have a rack in the bottom of each roaster. Put in a layer, paper towels, another layer, etc, no more than 2-3 inches thick total, leaving an inch or so around each edge for heat circulation. Cover tightly.

Grease or butter the cook pan and dust it with the plain grated Parmesan cheese to reduce sticking, before adding the mixed casserole into the pan.

Preheat the roaster at least 20 minutes before inserting the cooking pan, usually 350.

Spread a clean, dry cotton dish towel over the top of the casserole to keep the moist condensation from dripping back into the food.

Cook until the middle of the casserole is 165-180, which takes about the same as oven cooking the same amount.

Then you have to decide; it will be simmered, not teriyaki if you just dump it in and cook it all together, tasty, but not the original plan.

35 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced

Simmer 10 minutes until just tender. Drain. Spray the cooking pans heavily with non stick spray and divide the potatoes between the 2 pans.

3 gallons white sauce, made with 3 gallons whole milk, using 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and same of butter for each cup of milk. Salt, pepper and parsley to taste.

Divide the white sauce in half, pour over each pan, stir very gently.

Bake at 350 45 minutes. If you made the sauce and potatoes earlier, and they have been refrigerated, allow 1 1/2 hours.

When hot through, 180 in the middle, turn heat to 180 to hold.

Preheat the roasters to the desired temp for at least 20 minutes before adding the cook pan.

Expect it to stay moister- not so much water cooks out- you may want to use a slightly thicker sauce and a bit less than your regular oven recipe.

When hot through, 180 in the middle, turn heat to 180 to hold.

Preheat the empty roaster to 350 while you prepare the cooking pan full of corn. Boil some water.

Leave the husks on, trim the stem so the end is flat.

Stand them up in the pan on the flat end, leaning them if they are too long.

Put the pan in the preheated roaster.

Pour in enough boiling water to come about 1/2 inch up on the corn.

Cover tightly. Keep the lid on!

It takes somewhere from 40 minutes to an hour at 350, depending on the size of the corn.

There are a lot of different ways to cook chicken and rice, ranging for jambalaya to paella to creamy. What do you have in mind?

Use Basmati, converted (Uncle Ben's) or brown rice for best success with roaster rice.

Cut water only 10% from what you would use for stove top cooking.

Put a clean cotton dishtowel over the cooked rice when you turn it down, to catch any drips from condensation.

You MUST refrigerate, by transferring to shallow pans less than 2 inches deep, beans spoil faster than anything.

You can bake covered in the oven or the roaster.

Warm at 300-350, some stirring, preheat at least 20 minutes, allowing at least 1 hour. Turn down to 180 after temperature reaches 170 in the midle.

Hi, RC,
Turkeys are much less complicated than people think. Most people overcook them. See my recipe for honorable turkey in the recipebox. Then see:

eatturkey.com

For all you ever wanted to know about turkeys.

Overcooking ruins it. See this offsite article for detailed help:

I suggest you chunk them up into approximately same-sized pieces, roll in olive oil and herbs of choice (some people even use onion soup mix or ranch dressing mix).

I have 12 lb prime rib that i want to cook for tonight.

Here is what Chris Kimball suggests for the 200 degree cooking method and time:

Chris Kimball, publisher of Cook’s Illustrated have come up with a slow-cooking method that also produced a delicious brown crust.

First, they sear all sides of the meat in a hot skillet on top of the stove. They season the roast with a little salt and pepper, place it on a rack in a roasting pan and slip it into a 200°F oven, where it cooks until it reaches an internal temperature of 110°F (45°C). At that point, they turn the oven up to 500°F and continue cooking until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 130°F (55°C), which should take only 10 or 15 minutes more. Raising the temperature after most of the cooking is done gives you a deep brown crust very fast, Corriher says, because protein- and sugar-laden juices that came to the surface during cooking evaporated, leaving a high concentration of proteins and sugars that brown quickly.

Can I just stack them in the roster and reheat them? It would be approx. 120 burritos.

15 pounds of potatoes.

Do meatloaf NOT burgers- it is unsafe to hold for so long after cooking- make the loaves ahead, refrigerate, slice and reheat

Do chili mac/ hamburger helper style pasta and ground beef

The roasters each come with a pan that lifts out and fits snugly into the cooker. These can be used as giant size casseroles. Each one will safely and thoroughly cook 6 pounds of dry pasta, and the 6 quarts or so of sauce you need to make the casserole. More than that, they tend to over cook the edges and under cook the middle.

Preheat the oven base to the temp for your particular recipe. Heavily coat the cooking pan, which is out of the roaster, with grease or spray of choice, then dust on a coating of plain old grated Parmesan cheese. Cook the pasta, drain, mix with sauce, pour into the cookwells. Bake covered. Turn down to 180 to hold. The one thing it won't do is make a crispy top; you can either add a topping such as crushed French fried onion rings the last 15 minutes, or run them under the broiler, which is hard because the pans are heavy and hot.

Be sure to preheat the roaster for 20 minutes before starting the casserole. Since the layer is 2-3 times as deep as a 9x13 pan, use 350 degrees and allow 70-90 minutes baking time (takes up to an hour longer if it has has been refrigerated). The temperature in the middle must be 180 degrees for safety, before you turn it down to hold. It will not brown like the oven does.

An awfully good idea is a baked pasta dish like the sausage mozzarella bake on the spaghetti page.

What I would do is,
preheat the roaster 325
spray the cook pan with nonstick
bring the marinade or bbq sauce to a boil on the stove top to pour over the raw chicken in the cook pan, making sure the chicken is covered and it is stirred around so all the pieces are coated.
Simmer covered about 2 hours until the middle pieces are 165. Then turn down the roaster to 180 to hold.

I would allow 3 roasters.

I am assuming these are fully precooked and you are just reheating.

You need an electric griddle or warming tray to hold it. You would cook it in the oven, 350, 23-35 minutes depending on the size and shape of the chicken pieces.

When prepping the kabobs, you will benefit by partially cooking the bacon before wrapping, as the chicken will be completely overcooked if you try to cook the bacon from raw to crispy after it is wrapped, especially if you are using breast meat in small pieces.

The couscous will also take 2 roasters or 2 pans that size.

If done before you need them, turn roaster down to about 180 to hold.

We're having a come and go graduation party next weekend for 150 people. I'm making Italian Pasta Skillet to serve from an 18 qt electric roaster. It's kind of like Baked Spaghetti but I'm going to use Penne pasta instead.

1-2 days before the event, I was going to brown the hamburger, onions and green peppers on the stove. Then add minced garlic, diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, basil, italian seasoning and parmesan cheese to make the sauce. Then I'll put it in the roaster well. I plan to boil the pasta until almost done and keep it in ziplock bags with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking.

On the day of party, I'll heat the sauce up in the roaster for several hours. One hour before event, I'll add the pasta. I'm doing this because I don't want the pasta to overcook and get mushy.

Do you think I am going about this the right way? Do you have any suggestions or different ideas?

The cooking plan is fine. The only thing I would do differently is, to hold the sauce in baggies, too; it will cool faster (safer) and be easier to handle. The problem is that you are looking at at least 20 pounds of pasta which means more than 20 quarts of sauce (5 gallons), which is at least 2 1/2 roasters full, more like 3. A roaster will usually feed about 50 teens.

Keep in mind that you can only plug in one roaster per circuit. Consider borrowing extra same-brand cooking pans and heating them in the regular oven, or just borrow the roasters and plug them in in various rooms.

Cook the pasta, al dente, just a bit less than soft. Preheat the roaster 20 minutes, use the same heat as the oven. Usually 350.

It won't get crispy, except maybe a little around the sides. If you want a crispy top, it has to go under the broiler for a few minutes.

Time is a little difficult. Allow 75 minutes. If it has been refrigerated overnight, it takes about a half hour longer. If the sauce is freshly prepared and still hot, quicker. When it reaches 180 in the middle of the dish, turn down to 180 to hold.

05/30/14 Barb, the roaster will be VERY full. Preheat 20 minutes to 400.
I would melt the butter and toss the veggies in it. Put a rack in the bottom of the roaster with water under it to make a little steam. Put the veggies in, stir a bit once or twice, allow at least 40 minutes, turn to 180 when nearly done.

Im cooking for a grad party at home and transporting the smoked pork ribs, grilled bbq chicken thighs and drumsticks and brats from my home to my brothers home 30 minutes away. I need to keep food warm for travel and serving and a two hour window.

10 pounds thawed at preheated 350 covered, about 1 hour. Stir once or twice.

With the variety of cuts in the roaster, I haven't been able to find a good estimate for how long it will take (some say 6 hrs, some say 14 hrs). Will it depend on the size of the cuts? Can you give me a general idea on how long it will take?

We are doing whole pigs because that is what we have available from family. I'm not sure about pulled v. sliced. I guess I was thinking that it would fall off the bone in whatever way it would be served, with some slicing involved.

wild rice, figure just 1/4 cup per person if this is straight wild rice
cheesy penne, 1 pound dry pasta per 10, 1 quart sauce per pound, 1/2 to 1 pound cheese per pound

asparagus, takes 40 pounds as purchased for 100 servings

salad greens, use the salad table on the plan for 100 page, also discusses dressings

dinner rolls, 2 per person, 3 pounds butter per 100

Please consider adding an appetizer plan and here is why:

A self-catered buffet is a real challenge to the organizers, and things don't always come together as smoothly as hoped. By planning and setting up an appetizer area or "nibble table" which is ready when the guests begin to arrive, the cooks and servers have time to complete the arrangement of the dinner buffet. This is especially critical if there are children among the guests, or there is a wait before dinner, as at a wedding reception.

This does not have to be complicated. Three items, plus a punch, or two if one is alcoholic, are sufficient. Typically, include a fruit tray, a cheese tray and an attractive dip or spread; or you can go with a dinner theme such as TexMex with chips, salsas, Texas caviar and guacamole; Italian with bruschetta or antipasto; maybe shrimps or other cold seafood, if budget permits.

One appetizer service area serves about 100 guests.

This is a very nice recipe, you can simmer the kraut with the add-ins in the roaster:

allrecipes.com/recipe/sausage-and-sauerkraut/

Simmer the kraut at 350, but roasters vary, so stir it a bit and turn it down if it seems too hot. Rinsing and draining the kraut is important. Add apple juice if you need a little more liquid, or use unsweetened applesauce.

Texas brisket:

amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/texas_brisket.html

You would use the Texas crutch near the bottom of the article. Overnighting with early AM rise, then the 1-4 hour hold would accommodate your timing.

Here is how to do it in the oven. Each 4 pounds raw serves about 8. Allowing 1 piece of chicken per person, each 4 pounds serves about 10.

Be aware that more than one roaster on a standard circuit can and usually does blow the circuit.

I was thinking of baking or grilling them a day ahead, refrigerating, and putting then them in an 18- or 22-quart roaster with chicken broth and celery before we leave for church. Will this work? What temperature should I use?

Also - NEED MAJOR HELP - we are doing baby gold potatoes (olive oil, garlic and herbs) - these are delicious roasted in the oven but I don't have the time for oven roasting on wedding day... We have 70 lbs - can these be 'roasted' in the electric roaster on the day of the wedding with minimal 'care' and if so, how long and what temperature?? I can't find any information or recipe about cooking baby potatoes in an electric roaster.

My plan is to use two 18-20qt roasters for the pork and one 18-20qt roaster for each menu item (except the cole slaw).

I want to precook/freeze the pulled pork (unflavored). I will reheat the thawed pork adding carolina bbq sauce.

The cornbread mini muffins will be prebaked/frozen ahead of time and thawed the day before.

-Pulled pork sandwiches (80lbs raw)
-carolina bbq sauce (2gal)
-green beans (five #10 cans)
-corn (five #10 cans)
-baked beans (five #10 cans)
-mini cornbread muffins (25 dozen)
-cole slaw (20lb)
-cake (two full sheets)

So you will have to scout out the venue electrically. One option if there is a kitchen, is reheating using the stove and oven then transferring to Sterno/chafing dishes.

Also, you will need 2 serving lines or a double sided line to serve everyone in less than an hour. In addition, you will have 2, not one roasters full for each of the veggies- so you will plan to heat and hold the refill.

Now about the food:

-Pulled pork sandwiches (80lbs raw)- you need only 50 pounds of meat to make 200+ full size sandwiches, or 500 sliders. Slider buns are a really good choice for this lunch, as most people take 2, which still uses less than one full sandwich.
Add: 1 1/2 gallons pickle chips
12 pounds thin sliced onions- nice to slice the day before and soak in sugar water in the fridge overnight
-carolina bbq sauce (2gal): best storage is to freeze the meat in the sauce, then have a table bottle on each table.
You will freeze in gallon bags, and remember that it will take 2-3 days to thaw this much meat in the refrigerator.
-green beans (five #10 cans), OK,consider adding 1 #10 drained Chinese vegetables, 2 giant cans cream of mushroom soup, and several cans of crunchy French fried onions to top- see ellens better green bean casserole on the Big Pots page
-corn (five #10 cans), OK, consider stirring in 2 bags of frozen onion/bell pepper seasoning mix, for color and taste
-baked beans (five #10 cans), OK, see this recipe for a little easy jazz up and timing:
Plain old church supper pork and beans
www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/beans100.html
-mini cornbread muffins (25 dozen), some left, with the buns, 2 per person enough
4 pounds butter
pint honey
-cole slaw (20lb)- 3 gallons at least, could go 4
-cake (two full sheets)- plenty

Beverage planning page will help with drinks.

Now about the procedural questions:
2) How long will the pulled pork/sauce take to heat and what temp? (2 roasters)
Preheat roasters to 350 20 minutes. 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, check temp in the middle for 170, turn to 180-200 degrees to hold.
3) Veggies/beans--what temp and how long to heat straight from the can (1 roaster each)
350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, same info as meat. Note what I said about too much for one roaster
4) Cornbread Muffins--what temp and how long to slightly warm without drying out?
Set to 200. Good to put muffins in brown paper bags, such as lunch bags, and roll mouths closed.

Essentially, these will be simmered. I suggest you use a BBQ sauce or some such, as they will not brown , and look fairly gruesome. (if it were grownups,you could do red wine and onions...). 3 quarts sauce per 15 pounds, which means about 1 gallon per roaster.

Bring the sauce to a high simmer (20-30 minutes at 350). Slide in the chicken, coating each pieces. Allow at least 40 minutes per roaster full. The temp in the meat in the middle is 170 for food safety; when it reaches this, you can turn down to 180 to hold.

Eek! You need to hire recruit volunteers or help, and PLEASE hire a manager for day of or you will basically spend the whole time in the kitchen and miss the wedding! Local churches that do weddings and meal events are potential sources of help.

From your quantities, this looks like a wedding for 100 to at most 125. Day of that takes about 3 people in the kitchen and about 6 out front to set up, serve, and clean up this size party, and they will NOT be at the wedding, they will be setting up the dinner.

Also, please make an appetizer plan, and here is why:

A wedding buffet is a real challenge to the organizers, and things don't always come together as smoothly as hoped. By planning and setting up an appetizer area or "nibble table" which is ready when the guests begin to arrive, the cooks and servers have time to complete the arrangement of the dinner buffet. This is especially critical if there are children among the guests, or there is a wait before dinner, as at a wedding reception.

This does not have to be complicated. Three items, plus a punch, or two if one is alcoholic, are sufficient. Typically, include a fruit tray, a cheese tray and an attractive dip or spread; or you can go with a dinner theme such as TexMex with chips, salsas, Texas caviar and guacamole; Italian with bruschetta or antipasto; maybe shrimps or other cold seafood, if budget permits. For example, meatballs for 100 for appetizers, 10 pounds plus 3 quarts sauce; sausage rounds, a bit more, 12-15 pounds, same sauce. Chips, 6 pounds potato or 8 pounds corn per 100 plus 1 pint dip per pound. Cheese at least 8 pounds per 100, some can be logs or spreads; 6 pounds crackers per 100.

One appetizer service area serves about 100 guests.

Now on to dinner inquiry,.

red skin potatoes cut in half I will need about 50 lbs. I do not know how many I can put in a 18 quart oven roaster.

These are much better done in the oven. If you use roasters, you can do only about 20 pounds per roaster, 25 is too much. Preheat covered to 400 for at least 20 minutes. 4 pounds serves 5-8 people, depending on how heavy the other dishes are.
Stack rows of potatoes on top of each other. Make sure the potatoes don't touch the sides of the roaster oven; you can use foil pie pans or some such for this. It helps to put a rack in the bottom, also.
Place cover on roaster oven and bake until tender when pierced with a fork. Whole potatoes, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Pieces depends on the size of the pieces; if they get done too early, just turn the roaster to 200 to hold.

WARNING!!! Roaster ovens EACH require one full circuit, if you put 2 on the same circuit, they will blow the circuit and stop cooking! This usually means they have to be plugged in in different rooms. Do please check the electrical situation before depending on roasters.

150 3oz pieces of chicken breast. This will serve about 100 people, no more. Look at these recipes:

www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/oamc/chix1.html

It tells how to do the chicken ahead over 2 days, the sauce is MUCH tastier than the soup sauces. But if you use the soup sauce, each 6 pounds of chicken requires 1 quart of sauce.

Put a rack in the bottom of the chicken roasters and use non-stick spray thoroughly on the cook wells.

Do be sure to preheat the roasters 20 minutes before adding the food and starting the time counts. Do turn to 180 when done, to avoid shreds and mush. Whole reds take a little longer than same size cuts. 40 pounds doesn'y leave any extra- potatoes are cheap- add a few extra pounds unless you have lots of heavy side dishes.

Be sure to have either a crock pot of vegetarian un-chicken nuggets or a side dish that can serve as a vegetarian entree.

You can write back.

Thaw it in the sink or slowly in the refrigerator, allow 24 hours for a 5 pound package. If it is all in one package (I hope not!), It will take 4-5 days

Next, seal up you beef in oven-safe baking dishes. If you use roasters, use heavy duty foil to cover, you will be uncovering several times.

Pour in enough beef broth to cover the bottom of the dish and then tightly wrap the dish in aluminum foil.

Preheat the oven for 300F and plan to reheat 3 hours. You MUST have a temp of 165 in the middle of the pan at the end. Roasters tend to scorch the edges before the middle is hot, so about every half hour you stir the edges to the center, and you turn down the roaster if you see even the beginning of scorch. That is why I use the oven.

If it gets to 165, turn the oven/roaster to 185 to hold until served.

You can write back.

www.ellenskitchen.com/forum/messages/25635.html

You can write back.

The other entrée I'm a little uncertain about. I want to grill marinated chicken breasts ahead & freeze & reheat in a roaster as well. I have a delicious recipe with an olive oil and red wine vinegar base. How do I keep the breasts from drying out if I reheat? Probably planning to cut them in half when serving.

Basically, you have the beef right, just be sure it is fully thawed in the fridge for a couple of days before reheating. Your 20 pounds will make 100 standard buns or about 200-240 slider buns, enough for 80-90 teens/ young adults. Either chuck or rump; the rump will be a bit drier, the chuck juicier but perhaps shrink a bit more.

Do plan a crock pot of veggie burgers or vegetarian chicken (I like "Quorm") for the non-meat eaters; in this size crowd there will be some.

What I am saying is, I don't reheat these vast quantities of chicken except if I have a hot sauce to reheat them in, they simply dry out too much. The time reheating a family size recipe covered will be less than a roaster, simply because it is less food. You would use the same temp and preheat instructions as for the large amount in the roaster, but you are looking at 30-at most 40 minutes for a family batch.

Even a marinara sauce would be a sauce option for sandwich chicken.

Pork doesn't take happily to reheating, so we have to talk moisture Consider a layer of either stuffing or gravy, pork fanned across overlapping and then additional on top. Sealed tightly with foil and reheated in a preheated 250 oven.

Do be sure it is not overcooked to start with. Slicing the pork when it is cold will be easier than when it is warmed, less shredding. The meat will also be allowed to warm more quickly sliced, thus reducing the possibility of drying out the meat during reheating.

Or The iceberg lettuce trick is for reheating leftover roast, pork chops, etc. without drying them out or changing their flavor. It preserves the moisture, in some cases may even return a bit of moisture that has been lost, all without "re-purposing" the meat. Stovetop: put a couple of iceberg lettuce leaves in the bottom of a cast iron skillet or other heavy pan, setting the meat on the lettuce, slipping a teaspoon or so of water UNDER the lettuce (or you can just start with wet lettuce), pop on a lid and then set on medium low heat until warmed to the temperature I like.

Since the pork is already cooked, you could reheat it by sealing it in vacuum bags (or ziplock bags with as much air as possible removed) and immerse the bags in a pot of water that's been brought up to 140 degrees or so. Not really practical for very large amounts.

www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/plan/sphagetti.html

The baked mozzarella sausage for a crowd (120 people) requires 3 roasters, you would need about 2 1/2 recipes for your group.

The lasagna table will give you amounts per 50 for true lasagna, and is followed by a discussion on lasagna/pasta casseroles in 18 quart roasters, same page.

See also, freezer lasagna:
www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/oamc/crocklas.html

My essential caution is this: each roaster requires 1 COMPLETE electric circuit and many rooms only have one circuit. Check out your wiring situation long before you decide to plug in multiple roasters. You also must not use household extension cords- only the heavy duty orange or circuit breaker type- and duct tape them down if they cross floors.

Definitely presoak beans to be cooked in a roaster, 8-12 hours, up to 24 if possible.
There are a LOT of specific tips about bean success on this site:
www.ellenskitchen.com/recipebox/beanpeas.html