95
Cooking and Reheating Guidelines
Most foods reheat very quickly in
your oven by HIGH power. Meals
can be brought back to serving
temperature in just minutes and will
taste freshly cooked. Always check
food is piping hot and return to oven
if necessary.
As a general rule, always cover wet
foods, e.g. soups, casseroles and
plated meals.
Do not cover dry foods e.g. bread
rolls, mince pies, sausage rolls etc.
The charts on pages 97-112 show
you the best way to cook or reheat
your favourite foods. The best
method depends on the type of food
you are cooking or reheating.
Remember to stir or turn food
wherever possible during cooking
or reheating. This ensures even
cooking or reheating on the outside
and in the centre.
When is food reheated?
Food that has been reheated or
cooked should be served “piping
hot” i.e. steam should be visibly
emitted from all parts. As long as
good hygiene practices have been
followed during the preparation and
storage of the food, then cooking or
reheating presents no safety risks.
Foods that cannot be stirred should
be cut with a knife to test that they
are adequately heated throughout.
Even if a manufacturer’s instructions
or the times in the chart have been
followed, it is still important to check
the food is heated thoroughly. If in
doubt, always return to the oven for
further reheating.
If you cannot find the equivalent
food in the chart then choose a
similar type and size listed and
adjust the cooking time if necessary.
Plated meals
Everyone’s appetite varies and
reheat times depend on meal
contents. Dense items e.g. mashed
potato, should be spread out well.
If a lot of gravy is added, extra time
may be required. Place denser
items to the outside of the plate. An
average plated meal will take 4-7
minutes on HIGH power to reheat.
Do not stack meals.
Canned foods
Remove foods from can and place
in a suitable dish before heating.
Stir food halfway through cooking
and again at the end of heating.
Soups
Use a bowl and stir before heating
and at least once during reheating
and again at the end.
Casseroles
Stir halfway through and again at
the end of heating.
