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Do you ever make pancakes or waffles for a crowd?
Do you make them ahead & reheat? How do you reheat? Is there any way to do it without standing at the griddle or waffle iron while everyone waits?
Thanks for your help.

They are so time consuming, I would never do that for a crowd. You're in the kitchen cooking and everyone is having fun!

How about some other breakfast for the crowd? You could make a French toast kind of casserole.

Martha

Yes, I have done both pancakes and french toast ahead of time, and kept it warm in a 200-225 degree oven, on cookie sheets draped with foil.
And I have done waffles ahead, and froze them, then reheated in a toaster or toaster oven.

But I too think a breakfast casserole may be easier to both make and serve.

How big is the crowd?

I've made breakfast tacos for a crowd. I made them ahead, wrapped each one in a sheet of foil, and heated them up in the oven on
cookie sheets.

Then I packed them up in igloo coolers and fed a lot of airmen. They stayed warm for hours.

Not for a crowd, but I make the full recipe and freeze the extras. As already suggested - packackes and french toast - keep them warm in the oven.

I have a large electric griddle that can hold about 4 pancakes (small ones) at a time. Also much easier to get to the pancakes to flip than in a traditional frying pan.

I like the idea of freezing the waffles and reheating in a toaster oven - great idea. I do that with leftovers for us, just never thought about doing that to serve them to others.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Charming,

Hi Quiltzilla,

I have used one of the large flat electric griddles for pancakes/french toast. Does someone have an extra one you can borrow? Do you have a helper that could man another station too?

Conrad's suggestion sounds like a good plan to keep everything warm or perhaps one of those insulated food bags might work.

Good Luck!

I have precooked waffles and frozen them to be reheated in the toaster oven.

But when I'm cooking them to eat that morning...my waffle iron makes four waffles. I turn the oven to 'warm' while my waffle iron is heating up. When the first four finish, I put them on a plate, then slide off the plate directly on the oven rack. If you put them on a pan in the oven, they will not stay crisp at all...turn soggy.

This works for pancakes too.

A little off topic, but the title of the thread made me think about the horrible product I saw on a commercial recently - it is supposed to work like the hotel style waffle makers - put the batter in close the lid and after a minute flip it over to finish cooking. However, the pancakes they turned out on the commercial were all unevenly browned. They looked tough, as if they would make wonderful coasters.

I mean honestly! what can be easier to cook than a pancake? Pour the batter on the hot griddle, cook until bubbles form, flip it over and a minute or two later they are done.

My apologies to all of our friends on the boards who have bought it for personal use and as Christmas gifts.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Charming,

quote:

Originally posted by Charming:
My apologies to all of our friends on the boards who have bought it for personal use and as Christmas gifts.

LOL

So...think about this:
What if I make waffles ahead, freeze them in ziplocks.
Then when it's time to feed everyone, stand them up in the oven, using the rack to keep them upright with a cookie sheet underneath.
Wouldn't that work?

I am sure it would. We also have popped them in the toaster prior to serving, so your method should work just fine.

Extra special if you can warm the syrup too.

Quiltzilla, I have made them to freeze to take in the camper on vacation. Pop them in the toaster. You should be able to heat a batch in the oven just fine.