A Simple, Inexpensive Way to Ensure Your Thanksgiving Buffet Stays Warm From Start to Finish

Sarah Essex

If you’re setting up a buffet for Thanksgiving, you’ll want to keep everything nice and hot until everyone has had a chance to enjoy it. Most of us, however, don’t have a chafing dish on hand.

There’s really no need to go out and purchase one since, after all, how often are you going to use it? All you need are some terra cotta pots and a single-use Sterno can — it’s as simple as that.

No more cold buffet table — cheers to that!

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Materials:

  • Large terra cotta pot

  • 3 small terra cotta pots

  • 1 terra cotta pot dish

  • Glass potting beads

  • Sterno can

Instructions:

1. Place the terra cotta dish where you’d want your chafing dish.

2. Flip the three little pots upside down, and place them right up against the dish in a triangle formation.

3. Fill the terra cotta dish with the glass potting beads.

4. Place the Sterno can in the center of the dish, right on top of the glass beads. (Do not open the Sterno can, or light it, until you are ready to heat your dish.)

Related on Yahoo Makers: 3 Ways to Wrap Up Your Holiday Buffet

5. Place the large terra cotta pot, upside down, balanced over the three little pots, so that the Sterno can is in the center.

6. Pry off the lid to the Sterno and light it with a match about 10 minutes before you want to put your warm dish on the top.

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