Hamburger Dinner Party

March 23, 2013 7:53 AM

How can I keep hamburgers and hotdogs warm after grilling and how can I melt cheese on burgers that are kept warm but not hot?

I have read that you can keep cooked burgers and hotdogs warm in a beef broth mixture in a crockpot set on low. This is fine but how will I melt the cheese on the burgers? Will they be hot enough after they come out of a crockpot set on low? This seems like a silly question, but I am unsure.

If I wanted to keep the burgers warm in a dry oven set on "warm" (under 200 degrees) how long could I do this without them drying out?

Any tips on keeping hot dogs and burgers warm are appreciated.

posted by Fairchild to food & drink (9 answers total)

Also, I don't have warming trays or chafing dishes.
posted by Fairchild at 7:55 AM on March 23

A few ideas:

Microwaves make surprisingly good "holding stations". If you have some burgers that are ready before dinner is ready, you can keep them in there (in a single layer if they have cheese on them). But depending on how big your party is, this might not work.

If the concern is that you want to keep cheeseburgers and dogs warm so that people can help themselves, I would invest in the disposable tin-foil pans, put a little liquid in the bottom, and suspend the burgers/dogs over the liquid by putting them on a raised grate (such as a cake rack, steaming basket, etc.) Part of the joy of grilled meats is the crispy texture, and you don't want that to go all to heck by sticking them in broth. Cover with tin foil, pop in oven on warm. This way, people can serve themselves, and cheeseburgers can be kept in one layer, and they don't simmer in the liquid and get all soggy and blergh.
posted by absquatulate at 8:09 AM on March 23 [3 favorites]

Note: if you don't have the time to get some of those disposable pans, a lasagna pan or 13x9 baking dish would work just as well.
posted by absquatulate at 8:09 AM on March 23

I worked at a concession stand for a time where a lot of people commented on how good the burgers were. The secret? Keep then warm in a crock pot full of regular Pepsi.
posted by sanka at 8:27 AM on March 23 [2 favorites]

Can you melt cheese in the final stages of cooking the burgers (as one would do cooked to order), and just do a portion of them with cheese?
posted by loveyallaround at 10:03 AM on March 23

I have a butane cooking torch that I think would do a quick job of melting cheese on demand. Maybe a friend or neighbor would lend you one.
posted by lakeroon at 12:47 PM on March 23

Just stick them under the broiler with cheese on them when it's time to eat. You probably won't even need to keep them warm, they'll warm up under the flame.

It should only take a minute or so to melt the cheese, not enough time to overcook the burgers.
posted by TheRedArmy at 7:10 PM on March 23

Keep then warm in a crock pot full of regular Pepsi.
Whaat. Don't they taste like they're soaked in sugar?
posted by artdrectr at 8:28 PM on March 23

Thanks everybody. I held some of them in the microwave and some in the oven with the cheese already melted. I had a about 20 burgers. It went fine. I probably should have done the steam bath thing because some were a bit dry looking but overall everything was good and hot. Thank you!
posted by Fairchild at 7:13 AM on March 24