What to serve Shabbos lunch-not hot

amother

Sat, Apr 01 2023, 10:11 pm

I'm not comfortable leaving my crockpot on for 3 days.

Ideas of what I can serve Shabbos lunch? We are having a few guests. Aside from a salad bar type of thing, what are my other options?

I'm not a cholent expert-we always use our crockpot. If I put up a cholent on the stove on Friday afternoon, do I put it on a blech when it's time to bench licht? And does it come out okay? I've never done this so I'm worried.

Thanks.

amother

Maize

Sat, Apr 01 2023, 10:15 pm

Few options:
Ask your LOR if you can set your crockpot on a timer to turn on Friday morning (we've done this and it works out very well).

Schnitzel with alternative breading.
Grilled chicken
Deli.
Cold sliced London broil.
All of the above as part of a salad bar

amother

Hydrangea

Sat, Apr 01 2023, 10:16 pm

Are you leaving an oven on? You can do cholent in the oven. Or on a blech if you have a flame. Otherwise yapchik in the oven?

amother

Sat, Apr 01 2023, 10:47 pm

amother Hydrangea wrote:

Are you leaving an oven on? You can do cholent in the oven. Or on a blech if you have a flame. Otherwise yapchik in the oven?

Yes, I am leaving an oven on! How would I do cholent in the oven?

amother

Topaz

Sat, Apr 01 2023, 10:47 pm

amother Maize wrote:

Not op but what’s your shnitzel breading?

amother

Sat, Apr 01 2023, 10:50 pm

amother OP wrote:

Yes, I am leaving an oven on! How would I do cholent in the oven?

Actually, it won't work. Because we need the oven Friday night for the seuda. And it seems like I can't leave the cholent pot in once I open the oven on Friday night.

amother

Hydrangea

Sat, Apr 01 2023, 10:52 pm

Do it on the blech. It's what everyone did before crock pots and hot plates were a thing Wink

Sweetmommy

Sat, Apr 01 2023, 11:21 pm

amother OP wrote:

Actually, it won't work. Because we need the oven Friday night for the seuda. And it seems like I can't leave the cholent pot in once I open the oven on Friday night.

Why can’t you leave the cholent pot in once you open the oven?
According to halacha you can.
If you want to be machmir you can open the oven door only when the light turns on inside.

amother

Camellia

Sat, Apr 01 2023, 11:24 pm

Sweetmommy wrote:

Why can’t you leave the cholent pot in once you open the oven?
According to halacha you can.
If you want to be machmir you can open the oven door only when the light turns on inside.

We don't open the oven if it is still on. We can use the oven with cooktime. Once it shuts off we remove the soup.

Op can make a yaptzik in foil pan and leave in a double boiler idea, with water, on blech.

mommyhood

Sat, Apr 01 2023, 11:27 pm

amother OP wrote:

Actually, it won't work. Because we need the oven Friday night for the seuda. And it seems like I can't leave the cholent pot in once I open the oven on Friday night.

Heat your food for Friday night in the oven then transfer it to the blech before licht benching to keep warm. Turn some pans over on the blech and put the food on that so the food stays warm without burning.

ra_mom

Sat, Apr 01 2023, 11:30 pm

I put my crockpot on a timer.

How about a meat board?
Potato salad
Platter of colorful grilled veggies

amother

IndianRed

Sun, Apr 02 2023, 12:00 am

If you do the crockpot on a timer, remember that it has to be on the entire time that the cholent is in the crockpot. It can’t turn off during that time. If you can get a timer that works for a few days, that’s better.
Our timer is 24 hours. We turn it on from the time shabbos starts, until 2pm the next day.

amother

Alyssum

Sun, Apr 02 2023, 12:02 am

amother Hydrangea wrote:

Do it on the blech. It's what everyone did before crock pots and hot plates were a thing Wink

Yes, but it takes a few weeks to figure out the right temp

amother

Hydrangea

Sun, Apr 02 2023, 12:03 am

amother Alyssum wrote:

Yes, but it takes a few weeks to figure out the right temp

Pesach chulent anyways cooks differently from chometz so lots of people don’t have it down to a science.

amother

Lightblue

Sun, Apr 02 2023, 12:04 am

amother IndianRed wrote:

Why can't it turn off while cholent is in there? Like if it turns off at noon and you serve it at 12:30 how is that a problem?

amother

IndianRed

Sun, Apr 02 2023, 12:05 am

amother Lightblue wrote:

Why can't it turn off while cholent is in there? Like if it turns off at noon and you serve it at 12:30 how is that a problem?

Probably fine if it turns off a half hour before you serve it, but you can’t let it turn back on, so you’ll have to remember that it must come out before the timer goes on next. Too much pressure so we just leave it on till 2.

amother

Lightyellow

Sun, Apr 02 2023, 12:34 am

amother Topaz wrote:

Not op but what’s your shnitzel breading?

Matza meal, or crushed potato chips, or potato starch. Or any combination thereof.