I am in over my head and I desperately need your help. (((HELP))) >>>

E

evan

Well-known member
I work in a corporate office building and I'm also the head of the health, environment and safety board here (elected among the employees) and one of the things we have discussed is the food served in the cafe.

The cafe closes after lunch, but as more and more people are working late, employees have asked if there is a way to buy dinner or hot food later in the day/evening.

(The building is in the middle of nowhere so you have to get out in your car and drive to get anything to eat at that hour).

We do have an automat with cold sandwiches but to be honest, it's really tasteless and low quality food.

Well, the people working at the cafe are pi**ed because they feel it's an attack on their cooking and won't have anything to do with serving dinner late in the afternoon/evening.

The person responsible for the cafe says it's hard to cook something that "everyone" will like!

I disagree, and have therefore taken upon myself to make a menu for 7 days that is:

1. Nutricious and well tasting

2. Not too expensive

3. Something that will please most palates

4. It has to be pre-made and possibly heated in the microwave - OR served cold as an alternative (- I was thinking that one day can be chicken pasta salad, kwim?)

So for now, I have got chicken pasta salad, Chili con carne..........and I desperately need your help.

I'd love it if you included recipes too, but the most important thing now is to get a menu together.

 
Eva, our group enjoys a baked potato bar, and taco bar. (Meat cooked and reheated in micro)

 
What about hearty soups which could be kept warm in crockpots? Lots of recipes have

alread been posted. The soups could be served with rolls and a cheese spread.

On average, how many people would be staying late?

 
If the cafeteria has large independently heated soup pots like those found in buffet restaurants

they can be used for chili, stews and soups.

 
Wow, that's a lot of people.Will there be an attendant in the lunch room to put these out?

Then a crockpot sort of thing would be OK.
Salad with grilled chicken strips.
Wrap sandwiches.
A nacho cheese bowl for a snack
Better made sandwiches than the automat serves
Snacky foods like celery, carrots, broccoli, etc. with a dip. I am thinking about late afternoon and just staving off hunger a bit before dinner.
But that really isn't a menu for the week and something everyone would like. It's a bit of a problem meeting that criterion.
How about selling the dehydrated soups in a cup--some of them are not too bad. Bear Creek comes to mind. This would at least be a service to the employees which is at least one of the criteria you are trying to meet.

 
Also, what about keeping available a small stock of frozen dinners for purchase, esp. Lean Cuisines

...something that is easily transportable back to the desk (which is how I liked to eat when I was in the corporate world). I wanted to eat, but hated to leave my project and lose momentum.

Red beans and rice (with or without meat)
Black beans and rice (I just made this - very good!)

In fact, the Goya site has some great soup recipes - the beans provide great protein (as you know!)

I'll keep thinking...
Debbie


Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Goya Olive Oil
3/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, finely chopped
2 tsp. Goya Minced Garlic or 4 cloves garlic minced
2 cans (15.5 oz.) Goya Black Beans, undrained
2 tsp. oregano
1-1/2 cup water
2 packets Goya Sazón without Annatto
2 tbsp. Goya White Cooking Wine or cider vinegar

Optional garnishes:
Chopped onion
Cooked white rice
Sour cream

Directions
1. Heat oil in a saucepan on medium. Stir in onion, pepper, and garlic; cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Serve with desired garnishes.

Serves 4

 
One of the challenges has been the price, but I am convinced that >>

you CAN make a hearty warm meal for $5 - $10.
And the thing is, if nobody goes with this idea, I have taken the challenge to do it myself, as a project, to show everyone that it indeed can be done! (I never know when to keep my mouth shut!)

But as I work late now and then myself, I would also benefit from this. And so would most of my collegues. I know it can be done, and I think I could do it for a little while (It would be a lot of work - but probably a lot of fun too smileys/wink.gif

 
Eva, you've very likely considered this......when you present your menu ask the "lunch ladies"

for their valuable input. They will still grumble but at least won't be alienated.

Good luck!

 
I was thinking that if you lived here you could just drop in to this particular supermarket that

freezes dinners in a really creative way with terrific results. So I went to their website and have herein copied the list of their products. This might help your thought process.

The website is loblaws.ca

and here is the list of their frozen foods...

PC is the abbreviation for President's Choice, which is the supermarket brand. I believe that they have single-handedly altered Canadians' perceptions of frozen pre-prepared food.

Frozen Foods (excluding Meats)
This blue checkmark indicates a healthier choice.

PC 3-Cheese & Sundried Tomato Filo Rolls PC 6-Berry Frozen Fruit Blend PC Baby Brussels Sprouts PC Beef & Bean Quesadillas PC Beef Chili PC Beef & Chipotle Tortilla Strata PC Beta Blend PC Blue Menu 9-Vegetable Vegetarian Patty NEW! PC Blue Menu Barley Risotto with Herbed Chicken PC Blue Menu Cauliflower-Topped Shepherd's Pie PC Blue Menu Chicken Bangkok PC Blue Menu Chicken Curry PC Blue Menu Chicken Szechwan PC Blue Menu Chicken Tikka Masala PC Blue Menu Ginger Glazed Chicken PC Blue Menu Indian Butter Chicken - Reduced Fat PC Blue Menu Lentil & Bean Vegetarian Patty PC Blue Menu Macaroni & 3 Cheeses - Reduced Fat PC Blue Menu Parmesan Chicken NEW! PC Blue Menu Penne with Roasted Vegetables PC Blue Menu Reduced Fat Cheese & Spinach Cannelloni PC Blue Menu Reduced Fat Deep-Dish Chicken Pie PC Blue Menu Reduced Fat Roasted Vegetable Lasagna PC Blue Menu Roasted Chicken & Red Pepper Wood-Fired Thin Crust Pizza NEW! PC Blue Menu Rotini with Chicken Pesto PC Blue Menu Sesame Ginger Chicken PC Blue Menu Shepherd's Pie - Reduced Fat NEW! PC Blue Menu Soy Burgers PC Blue Menu Splendido Lasagna PC Blue Menu Stone Baked Pizza - Vegetable, Pesto & Feta PC Blue Menu Stoned Baked Pizza - Chicken & Red Pepper PC Blue Menu Tomato and Herb Chicken PC Blue Menu Yellow Curry Chicken PC Breaded Coconut Shrimp PC Brie and Portobello Stone Baked Thin & Crisp Crust Pizzas PC Brie & Cranberry Filo Parcels PC Broccoli Spears PC Caramelized Onion and Pesto Chicken Focaccia PC Cauliflower Florets PC Cheese Hors d'oeuvre Collection PC Chicago Style Deep-Dish Pizza - Sausage & Pepperoni PC Chicago Style Deep-Dish Pizza - Spinach & 3-Cheese PC Chicken Casserole PC Chicken Florentine PC Chicken Lasagna PC Chicken Lasagna Pies PC Chicken Nasi Goreng PC Chicken Quesadillas PC Chicken Spring Rolls PC Chicken Suisse PC Chicken Tortilla Soup PC Chinese Black Bean Beef PC Chinese Cashew Chicken PC Chinese Chicken Chow Mein PC Chinese General Tao Chicken PC Crispy Crab Rangoon - Cream cheese and crab hors d'oeuvres PC Fisherman's Pie - Atlantic Salmon PC French Onion Soup PC French Quiche Hors d'oeuvre Collection PC Frozen Broccoli Florets PC Frozen Mixed Pepper Strips PC Frozen Peaches & Cream Corn NEW! PC Fully Cooked Beef Goulash PC Fully Cooked Turkey Breast with Gravy PC Gourmet Mushroom Lasagna with 5 cheeses NEW! PC Greek Moussaka PC Home style Scalloped Potatoes PC Indian Butter Chicken PC Indian Chana Masala PC Indian Chicken Biryani PC Indian Chicken Korma PC Italian Hors D'oeuvre Collection PC Jambalaya PC Large Homestyle Meatballs PC Macaroni & Cheese PC Meat Lasagna PC Meat Lasagna Pies PC Mediterranean Hors D'oeuvre Collection PC Mediterranean Pork Loin Roast PC Microwaveable 4-Vegetable & Cheddar Cheese Pies PC Microwaveable Beef Pies PC Microwaveable Chicken Pies PC Mini Chefs Bug-A-Licious Pasta in Tomato-Chicken Sauce PC Mini Chefs Elbows on the Table! NEW! PC Mini Chefs Mini Cheese Pizzas PC Mini Chefs Pizzavioli PC Mini Chefs Wheelie Dealies Pasta with Meat NEW! PC Moroccan Chicken Tagine PC Moussaka PC Organics Canadian Wild Blueberries PC Organics Cannelloni PC Organics Macaroni & 3 Cheeses PC Organics Meat Lasagna PC Oriental Chicken & Vegetables PC Oriental Hors d'oeuvre Collection PC Pad Thai PC Pad Thai with Shrimp PC Penne Rigate with Tomato & Meat Sauce PC Phyllo Pastry PC Puff Pastry Pizza - Ham & Swiss Cheese PC Puff Pastry Pizza - Roasted Chicken & Tomato PC Puff Pastry Pizza - Roasted Tomato, Feta Cheese & Olive PC Rising Crust Pizza - All Dressed PC Rising Crust Pizza - Extra Pepperoni PC Rising Crust Pizza - Quattro Formaggi PC Rising Crust Pizza - Smoked Meat PC Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Focaccia PC Salami and Mozzarella Stone Baked Thin & Crisp Crust Pizzas PC Seafood Hors d'oeuvre Collection PC Shepherd's Pie PC Shepherd's Pie - Extra Lean PC Shrimp Spring Rolls PC Silver Platter Quiche Collection Hors d'oeuvres NEW! PC Spanish Paella PC Stuffed Sole With Atlantic Coldwater Shrimp PC Texas-Cut Onion Rings PC Thai Green Curry Shrimp PC Thai Mango Chicken PC Thai Noodles with Coconut Chicken PC Thai Red Curry Chicken PC The World's Best Meatless Burger PC The World's Best Meatless Meatballs PC Thick & Juicy Vegetarian Portobello Swiss Burgers PC Tomato and Mozzarella Stone Baked Thin & Crisp Crust Pizzas PC Tomato & Tortellini Soup PC Vegetable Egg Rolls PC Vegetable Lasagna with 7 Cheeses PC Vegetable Quesadillas PC Vegetable Spring Rolls PC Whole Baby Carrots - Frozen PC Wood-Fired Thin Crust Pizza - Ham & Sweet Onion PC Wood-Fired Thin Crust Pizza - Quattro Formaggi PC Wood-Fired Thin Crust Pizza - Spicy Italian Sausage & Salami PC Wood-Fired Thin Crust Pizza - Vegetarian PC Wood Oven Thin Crust Pizza - All Dressed

 
I just looked at the list & apologize that the HRTs were lost. If you want to look at it, the

website would work better, and with pictures. Their food is soooo good.

 
Eva, Sylvia found a good resource here-and some other ideas for you

if you go to "page 2" of the site you will find some good chicken one dish ideas- also I think it was "page 4" that had a taco casserole- rely on casserole-type things for several of the evenings. Inexpensive, easier to prepare, keeps warm because of large bulk, easy to self-serve.

Here are a couple of my easiest and most-used catering "secrets"- they always got raves.

Here is a corn and potato chowder that will suit most everyone's taste and it is easy to make- this recipe will feed 7 so take it times 5 for your crowd and bump up the cooking times and go easy on the Cayenne:

CORN AND POTATO CHOWDER
Makes 7-8 cups
4 slices bacon cut into 1/2” pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 cup celery, sliced thin
1 bay leaf
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 cup half/half or cream
2 cups corn
1 cup shredded cheddar or American cheese
salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
sour cream (just for serving)

Cook bacon until crisp and transfer to paper towels. In the bacon drippings, cook the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, salt & pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add potato and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Add the corn, milk and cream. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Take about 2 cups of veggies and soup and puree it in a blender or food processor. Return it to the soup pot. Add the cheese and cayenne.

If you want to get fancy, hollow out big Kaiser rolls to make "bowls" for the chowder.

*******

Everybody seems to love Mexican food- this recipe originally came from the Pace Picante Sauce cookbook but I tweaked it a bit. This recipe serves 8 so take it times 4 for your crowd and bump up the baking times:

Enchilada Casserole

1 lb ground beef
1 med green pepper (sweet), chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (15 oz) pinto or black beans, drained
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 cup Pace Picante Sauce (I use medium)
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Jack and Cheddar cheese
12 corn tortillas
shredded lettuce, sour cream and chopped tomato (optional)

Brown meat with green pepper, onion and garlic in large pan. Drain. Add beans, tomato sauce, picante sauce, cumin, salt and cilantro. Simmer 15 minutes. Spoon small amount of meat mixture into bottom of 13 X 9 X 2" baking dish (it keeps the tortillas from sticking). Top with 6 tortillas, overlapping to cover bottom of dish. Top with half the meat mixture, sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Cover with remaining tortillas. Top with remaining meat mixture then with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. Remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes. Let stand 10 min before cutting. Have bowls of chopped lettuce, chopped tomato, picante sauce and sour cream on the side OR sprinkle lettuce and tomato on the casserole and offer bowls of sour cream and picante sauce on the side.

*******

Another cheesy Mexican offering, this is my all-time favorite big crowd standard. It takes time to put all the enchiladas together but this dish holds really well and is absolutely delicious. I would serve it with a green salad:

CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS (serves 5-6)
3 garlic cloves, chopped, 1 large onion, chopped
2 T butter
2 C shredded cooked chicken
2 C picante sauce (I like PACE Medium)
3 oz cream cheese
1 T ground cumin
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 C sliced black olives
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 C shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese
10-12 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
chopped green onion for garnish
Cook onion and garlic in butter until translucent. Stir in chicken, 1 C of the picante sauce, cream cheese, green pepper, and cumin. Heat through, then add cilantro and olives. Add 1 C of the mixed cheeses, then set aside.
Soften the tortillas in the oil. Heat about 1/4” of oil in a 10” sauté pan at medium-high. Put each tortilla in the oil for 3-4 seconds on each side, then drain on paper towels.
Spoon some of the mixture in each tortilla, roll up and place in a 10x14" baking pan. Pour over the rest of the picante sauce, sprinkle the remaining cheeses on top, and bake about 15-20 minutes at 350°. Sprinkle with the green onion.

*******

Something else people seem to love is Chinese Chicken Salad- here is an excellent recipe- just take it times 12 and add extra lettuce:

CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD
(serves 3)

4 cooked chicken half-breasts, chilled and shredded
1 head lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
6 green onions, chopped
1 can mandarin orange slices, drained
bunch Chinese parsley, chopped
1 package Wun Ton Chips (fried eggroll skin strips)

Dressing:
¼ C salad oil
¼ C sesame oil
4 T sugar
6 T seasoned rice vinegar
salt, pepper to taste
Blend dressing items. Mix together lettuce, green onions, mandarin oranges and Chinese parsley. Toss with dressing. Sprinkle Wun Ton Chips over top.

 
How about foods suggested as "freeze" ahead, and then they can just microwave them?...

Do I understand correctly that the cooks want the employess to rely on the machines, or that they definately don't want the machines?

Maybe they could stock the machines with some "microwavable" food?

Lasagna, chili or any kind of soup, chicken casserole, turkey with dressing, pot pies, ham casserole, scalloped potatoes - stuff that is already cooked but needs to be reheated.

Then, as you say, cold tuna-pasta salads, chef's salads, chicken salads, cold fruit plates with ham, tuna, shrimp, or chicken salad?

Menus shouldn't be hard for a professional food worker to think up... and if they don't want to stay and do the cooking later in the day, they shouldn't really complain about putting prepared foods in the machines! :eek:)

 
Will you be preparing these dishes? Are there health codes/licenses to worry about?

What is the cafe currently serving for lunch? If it's soups and chili etc, maybe the employees would want something different. I guess I don't understand why the cafe people are taking offense.

 
Having 40 - 50 people lined up to microwave individual frozen dinners just isn't practical.

Most take 6 - 8 minutes to defrost and then heat.

 
True. I should have said "make-ahead" but I couldn't change the title. And Eva,...

are there going to be cooks/chefs around to be making them, or is it just something that people can buy on their own? I still don't quite understand if the cooks were in favor of the machines, or not (?).

"Warming" in the microwave (not defrosting) should only take a couple of minutes, however. Especially if the people trickle in and out, and if they bought a couple more microwaves, this might not be a problem.

 
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