How much do you cook in advance?

[Morticia]

Last year we had 3 different innkeepers help Gomez in the kitchen. Each one of them told me later that they suggested to him that he cook everything in advance and just plate and serve as guests sit down.
So, eggs, pancakes, French toast, sausage, bacon, all of it. Cook and hot hold.
Is this what everyone else does?
There are two of us in the morning. I get that anyone working alone with one seating has to cook everything in advance. But is that the SOP?

 

[Generic]

Well... I don't hot hold anything. I make when the guest arrives, with SOME exceptions....
Potato pancakes, I keep churning them out and put them in the oven to keep warm.
Blintzes. I churn them out and keep them in the oven to be final fried and served.
Quiche or other egg oven dish... served and kept warm for those who arrive late, but cooked for 8 or 9 am, whichever breakfast.

 

[gillumhouse]

I start cooking pancakes about 5 min or so before the stated breakfast time and they go in the oven to keep warm until served. Otherwise, the only thing I do ahead sometimes is do the dry ingredients for the muffin bread in one bowl and the dry ingredients for the muffins on another so I just add the wet ingredients - saves about 15 min. All else is done in the morning.

 

[Momma Smurf]

The only thing we cook to order are Eggs in a Cloud. Max 8 people. Breakfast time is individually preset.
We are making something special and time sensitive tomorrow. What time would you like your breakfast?
Otherwise we have a hotplate and use the oven warming drawer to hold for late risers.

 

[JBloggs]

I make everything beginning with prep when I wake up and cooking to serve. If it is an oven item it goes in just before serving time, ne'er a moment before. If I have done that I always regret it. But we don't do casseroles, or any group meals, quiche once in a while, but only if everyone sits at once.
Disclaimer: I do cook all the bacon at once, and get it done. But that morning, like the rest I make. I cannot cook it and use another element on that side of the kitchen or blow the fuse, so I do it all at once, and have it ready to reheat when serving.
Second P.S. - I am a maniac about food being served hot hot. I have issues. I have my ways and means and whys. So at the same time, I have rarely ever had bacon hot and freshly cooked anywhere, but I like it to be this way.

 

[Anon Inn]

I prep everything in advance. Fruit salads are made and held in fridge. Eggs are out of their shells in individual small cups ready to be scrambled or omletted (yes I just verbed that), bacon is already individually pulled from the package and readied for the griddle, bread is cut for the toast, jam is in the pots, plate garnishes are ready to plunk on plates. Potatoes are held in steamer before browning on griddle. Condiments are ready to grab when I bring out the plated meals. So - not finished cooked but as close to as possible while still ready for the possibility of half hour late to breakfast.
Oh and by the way, the new conveyor toaster is a thumbs up. It's close to the stove so I can feed new slices into the conveyor as I'm cooking, it holds warm when done so I can come back and butter as soon as I deliver the plates. As I set down their plates I tell them 'and your toast will be right up'.

 

[Highlands John]

There are two of us and we have a maximum of 6 guests, so I cook everything from fresh. It can be challenging when six people all come down together, I cook in the order people arrive and can manage 4 breakfasts at a time so if you come down last you may have to wait for me to finish the other 4 before I even start yours. That's the price you pay for having it freshly cooked.
I do make a big thing of not asking guests for breakfast orders the night before (because I know many of my competitors do) and having several different choices which change daily (which my competitors don't do).
I pick the menu options depending on circumstances, if I think they'll all be down on the dot I'll put choices on the menu that I can whip up quickly, or don't take too many rings on my cooker. If I've got a mixed bunch in (young couples tend to come down later as do Brits here for a relaxing break, whereas foreign tourists tend to be down on the dot because they want to make the most of their time) I'll put more complicated dishes on the menu.

 

[Morticia]

I will say the weekend these good folks helped out here was full. So between 14-16 guests.
It lead me to believe that we are maybe the only inn in town where your breakfast is cooked when you sit down. The others seem to cook everything in advance and then plate and serve.
I know one place does mostly oven baked dishes so that makes sense.

 

[2cat_lady]

I bake fresh every morning, unless it is a breakfast bread, then I make that the night before so I can ice it the next morning. Dry and wet ingredients measured night before. Everything has been defrosted. I usually cut my fruit first thing then start thinking about the order of breakfast then do prep accordingly.
The most I've had here was 10--extra people in rooms, so it's usually 8.
I've started to ask for the approximate time they'll be down. Tweaking my menu so that I can make individually served dishes that I pop in the oven at the appropriate times. I got a new oven this year that has two chambers and I LOVE IT! Nothing like getting something hot out of the oven. I'm thinking I'll do more of my cutting up the night before as I get busier into the season.

 

[Generic]

Now, if the question was different... how much do you prepare ahead and have frozen to use, the answer may be different. I keep a number of items prepared and frozen and ready to thaw overnight and use. Things that can make a day with a lot of people easier. Like quiche that I have parbaked.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

I love a buffet!

 

[Morticia]

Now, if the question was different... how much do you prepare ahead and have frozen to use, the answer may be different. I keep a number of items prepared and frozen and ready to thaw overnight and use. Things that can make a day with a lot of people easier. Like quiche that I have parbaked..

Nope. The question is simply how much do you cook in advance in the morning that you then have to hot hold until the guests sit down.
I have no room for freezing stuff in advance. We do have a freezer but anything that goes in there is soon forgotten so we've stopped using it.
And nothing I've frozen has ever come out worth serving. Whole other thread.

 

[JBloggs]

Now, if the question was different... how much do you prepare ahead and have frozen to use, the answer may be different. I keep a number of items prepared and frozen and ready to thaw overnight and use. Things that can make a day with a lot of people easier. Like quiche that I have parbaked..

Nope. The question is simply how much do you cook in advance in the morning that you then have to hot hold until the guests sit down.
I have no room for freezing stuff in advance. We do have a freezer but anything that goes in there is soon forgotten so we've stopped using it.
And nothing I've frozen has ever come out worth serving. Whole other thread.
.

Nope. The question is simply how much do you cook in advance in the morning that you then have to hot hold until the guests sit down.

Oh cook in advance IN THE MORNING.

 

[MtnKeeper]

Two of us and up to 18 guests. Bacon cooked and held in warming drawer (if you have room for only a toaster oven you can hold it in there or regular oven at 200 degrees); soufflés in oven at 8am sharp to be ready for 8:30 (we serve 8:30 to 9:30) and they hold well in warming drawer in case anyone coming down later; quiches or egg puff pastry same thing. If I'm doing sausage it's all cooked ahead and held in warming drawer in bowl with water to keep moist. Pancakes, french toast and waffles are all dropped when the first course is out the door and that's either a muffin, scone, fruit dish, etc. So all sweet dishes are done as the guest arrives but egg dish which take longer are done ahead and held in warming drawer. Many guests are heading out to do activities and wouldn't want to wait 20 minutes or more for their dish to come out so this works great. I put nothing out on a buffet.
I'm just starting to make my biscotti again and that I will have on the counter near the coffee during breakfast. I might take the idea below about making hard boiled eggs and having those for anyone who doesn't seem to like the sweet dish or isn't eating carbs. I can always enjoy them for lunch in egg salad so I won't have waste.

 

[Glaciers In Saskatoon]

One of the joys of being a very small operation is breakfast. The most we serve is 5 plus ourselves. 95% of the time we are able to arrange a common breakfast time which means I begin one hour earlier and I start everything fresh at that time. I do set the table and put out the non-perishables ingredients and set up the coffee/tea before heading to bed.
Knowing guests likes and allergies allows me to cook a meal of my choice and everyone gets the same thing. I don't pre-plate but allow for very generous helpings from the serving plates (need enough left-overs for the elderly neighbor) fresh fruit, muffins, toast, eggs, waffles, bennies, pancakes, french toast, etc.etc.etc., my choice. I do cook eggs to each guests request, but that goes quickly on the flat grill. Bacon - ahhhhh Kirkld's precooked is so easy to cook on the grill - honestly one minute and 95% LESS fat to dispose off. I also use the toaster oven for sausage. In the summer I am able put fresh flowers, buds etc on each plate to decorate them, it only takes seconds to walk the flower beds.
We then have the pleasure of actually sitting down with our guests and enjoying a "family" breakfast. I do get up and down for coffee and the forgotten jam or ketchup, but it is not a big deal. The conservations are such a delight and we certainly get to know our guests.

I admire all of you that run the larger B&B's and Inns. It is alot of work running our small three bed place, so I can see the amount of work it would take to run the larger facilities.

This really is the best of jobs!!!!!

 

[Glaciers In Saskatoon]

Two of us and up to 18 guests. Bacon cooked and held in warming drawer (if you have room for only a toaster oven you can hold it in there or regular oven at 200 degrees); soufflés in oven at 8am sharp to be ready for 8:30 (we serve 8:30 to 9:30) and they hold well in warming drawer in case anyone coming down later; quiches or egg puff pastry same thing. If I'm doing sausage it's all cooked ahead and held in warming drawer in bowl with water to keep moist. Pancakes, french toast and waffles are all dropped when the first course is out the door and that's either a muffin, scone, fruit dish, etc. So all sweet dishes are done as the guest arrives but egg dish which take longer are done ahead and held in warming drawer. Many guests are heading out to do activities and wouldn't want to wait 20 minutes or more for their dish to come out so this works great. I put nothing out on a buffet.
I'm just starting to make my biscotti again and that I will have on the counter near the coffee during breakfast. I might take the idea below about making hard boiled eggs and having those for anyone who doesn't seem to like the sweet dish or isn't eating carbs. I can always enjoy them for lunch in egg salad so I won't have waste..

I put nothing out on a buffet.
I'm just starting to make my biscotti again and that I will have on the counter near the coffee during breakfast.

No buffet here either. Not enough people to make it viable.
We also have a place where there is fresh baking: held under a dessert bell, along with plates and forks. All guests know that they can help themselves at any time and make themselves a tea or coffee at the coffee area or grab a water. Only once in the past 5 years has this been abused and someone has pigged out. But they also had other "issues" that we had to deal with as well, remember the label lady?

 

[Glaciers In Saskatoon]

Now, if the question was different... how much do you prepare ahead and have frozen to use, the answer may be different. I keep a number of items prepared and frozen and ready to thaw overnight and use. Things that can make a day with a lot of people easier. Like quiche that I have parbaked..

May have to try that with the quiche, does it go runny or the pastry go soggy? It does take more time in the morning to put together and bake. Will look on-line for ideas about pre-bake.

 

[Glaciers In Saskatoon]

I bake fresh every morning, unless it is a breakfast bread, then I make that the night before so I can ice it the next morning. Dry and wet ingredients measured night before. Everything has been defrosted. I usually cut my fruit first thing then start thinking about the order of breakfast then do prep accordingly.
The most I've had here was 10--extra people in rooms, so it's usually 8.
I've started to ask for the approximate time they'll be down. Tweaking my menu so that I can make individually served dishes that I pop in the oven at the appropriate times. I got a new oven this year that has two chambers and I LOVE IT! Nothing like getting something hot out of the oven. I'm thinking I'll do more of my cutting up the night before as I get busier into the season..

 

[Glaciers In Saskatoon]

Well... I don't hot hold anything. I make when the guest arrives, with SOME exceptions....
Potato pancakes, I keep churning them out and put them in the oven to keep warm.
Blintzes. I churn them out and keep them in the oven to be final fried and served.
Quiche or other egg oven dish... served and kept warm for those who arrive late, but cooked for 8 or 9 am, whichever breakfast..

Potato pancakes, I keep churning them out and put them in the oven to keep warm.

Oh yum - will do this, thanks for the reminder.

 

[Momma Smurf]

Now, if the question was different... how much do you prepare ahead and have frozen to use, the answer may be different. I keep a number of items prepared and frozen and ready to thaw overnight and use. Things that can make a day with a lot of people easier. Like quiche that I have parbaked..

May have to try that with the quiche, does it go runny or the pastry go soggy? It does take more time in the morning to put together and bake. Will look on-line for ideas about pre-bake.
.

We make quiche all the time. One for 6 guests or 2 for 12. Stays great on the buffet hotplate while the other is in the warming drawer. No issues with sogginess.