keeping food hot with out drying it out or burning
Shar
10/25/11 		Church function -- all you can eat.
Macaroni n Cheese, Mash Pototoes, dressing
how do i keep these large quantity dishes hot without drying them out or burning them over a 4 hour service time.
ellen
10/26/11 		You don't.

It is unsafe for a dish to stand in the serving line for more than 2 hours. Experienced caterers only put out enough for an hour at a time; the rest is held hot and tightly covered at safe temp (170 or above), or cooked fresh every 1-2 hours.

What kind of kitchen do you have to work with and how many people each hour?

ellen
10/26/11 		You would use chafing dishes, electric roasters or a rented steam table to keep the serving dishes hot.
ellen
10/26/11 		Here is a guidesheet which may help:

www.profoodsafety.org/images/english/Hot%20and%20Cold%20Holding%20Temperatures%20fact%20sheet.pdf