How should I keep noodles hot for a buffet

Is it a heated table, or is the dish heated? If not kept warm enough, cooling butter-oil on the noodles will also tend to gather the noodles. If the table-dish-tray is not heated, your crock pot idea for serving them is a good one. (And a tongs or spaghetti fork rather than a spoon, depending on your guests expertise?)

Consider using egg noodles, which in my experience stick less than others. I don't know if it's because they hold oil on their surface better, or they have less starch on the surface, or what. After draining, toss the noodles in olive oil or butter and keep them warm. I have tried both putting olive oil and butter in the boil water to minimize sticking. The results were iffy.

Thinking about it now, I would guess that the starch on the noodle sticks when warm, so if you cool the cooked noodles in running cold water without draining, they wouldn't stick. Then drain them and toss them cooded with some olive oil (or butter). Except you end up with cool noodles, and you need to re-warm them some (without water in the boiling kettle) for the buffet tray.

( BTW - I see beef bourgonion on the menu - does yours come out like a soup and is served in bowls and eaten with a spoon, or like a thick stew eaten with a fork? I only ask because it was made by several different people for a progressive dinner a few years back, and we got soup -to -stew from the very same recipe. I have tried that recipe using round steak, and it was soup - using boneless chuck, it was a thick wine gravy stew. Just curious.)

Would

I wouldn't have them finish much more than 15 minutes before serving, and wh ile I would use some butter or oil, I would avoid "a lot" of butter.

I don't want them to stick together in a big