[lentil]

Hi again, all! I just picked up a job for 3 meals a day for 35 guys for 14 days. I've got some ideas for each meal, but would like your input. The budget is $5, $10, $10 for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so while that's not a wedding budget, I think it's adequate.

Here are a few of the things I'm thinking of:

Breakfast- strata, breakfast burritos, Mexican breakfast hash (eggs, potatoes, chorizo, etc), breakfast sandwiches

Lunch-sandwiches, soup, enchiladas

Dinner- chicken pot pie, meat loaf, roast pork, sausage peppers onions in sub roll

There doesn't have to be a variety within each meal, just between the meals. They'll all eat the same thing with the exception of breakfast where I might mix it up with cereal, eggs, bagels, sausage and gravy, etc if $$ allows.

any thoughts? Thanks.

[shroomgirl]

French toast/strata for left over breads, caramel sauce is cheaper than maple syrup.

Muffins/bananas, melons

poached eggs can be made in advance

roulade (egg souffle) with filling....spinach, cheese, etc....


Lunch,
entree pasta salad
calazones
BBQ sandwiches

Dinner,
Veg Beef soup
Lasaga
Enchiladas
Shepard's Pie

[lentil]

Thanks, shroom! I've copied your ideas.

[ED BUCHANAN]

Don't know what kind of work these guys will be doing , but if heavy work feed a lot of carbs, pastas etc, Climate also has a say in this. The budget you have is more then enough. In fact I would juggle $2 or 3 off a lunch one day and add it to dinner and give them a prime rib or steak, potato and salad they will love that.

[shroomgirl]

Buying in bulk and recreating different meals both saves in labor and food costs.

This would make a good thread...gotta run or I'd start it.

[shroomgirl]

Ok,there's a few minutes left.....

An example would be:
whole poached chickens turned into:
chicken strudels
chicken pot pie
chicken salad
chicken and dumplings
chicken soup
chicken pasta salad
etc.....
potpies and strudels freeze very well. Thus you've just saved in labor.

Chuck Roasts:
pot roast
BBQ sandwiches
shepard's pie ( american style)
enchiladas
if it's viable chunks, veg beef soup

Ground meat:
meat loaf
meat balls
sloppy joes
all freeze well

Rolls/bread can be made into bread pudding, strata or french toast....well and bread crumbs or stuffing/dressing

Left over bananas from breakfast make great breakfast breads or cake or ice cream topping if you are making desserts too.

It'd be great to have an open menu.......make plans but alter them if you find a deal or have product in stock you wanna move. etc.....guess I'm saying the less specific you are the better for you.

Market Vegetables instead of listing them
Sandwiches, ditto
Entree with salad and rolls instead of elaborating.

[lentil]

I've run into a snag with this job. I've had to simplify the menu as I was approaching it like a catering job and they were expecting a casserole.

Tomorrow, I'm serving an Asian pasta salad with crispy pork for lunch. I need ideas for something to go with it. I'll probably do brownies for dessert, but the pasta salad isn't going to cut it for lunch.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[leeniek]

I would suggest some sort of sandwich item to go with the pasta salad.. maybe something on the simple side like ham? Just a suggestion. Brownies for dessert sounds really good too.

[lentil]

Thank you! I served the pasta in my cafe and gave the guys something else altogether.

Only 5 more days of this job. I am exhausted and couldn't pass a quiz about what's on my menu for the next meal, let alone the rest of the week!

[leeniek]

Men seem to like hearty meals... I worked at a workplace cafeteria and that workplace was about 75% men and they wanted the stick to your ribs meat and potato stuff every day for lunch. Some of them took the salads (and on all you can eat salad days they ALL took the salads!) but for the most part they went for the gooey stuff.

I hope your next five days go smoothly!

[shroomgirl]

I can imagine just keeping up with 3 squares a day, was it worth it?

What did you end of making?

[nofifi]

Ok, Lentil, first calm down, lol. Here's a good one, not too expensive, can be made mostly the day before and popped in the oven the last 45 minutes. I've used this when I've done 3 squares a day, plus appetizers for 42 golfers, 4 days. They always requested it year after year. I don't have exact measurements because I've been making it so many years, I just taste until it's right.

BA-NA-DA

1-2" TRIMMED PORK CUBES (LEAVE ALITTLE FAT ON SOME FOR FLAVOR)
GREEN ONIONS, CHOPPED (THE WHOLE THING) (LOTS OF GREEN ONIONS FOR THIS DISH. note: ground pork DOES NOT WORK!!!

GARLIC, SALT, PEPPER, OLIVE OIL

SAUTE' UNTIL BROWNED.

1 or 2 cans Rotelli tomatoes, and a couple large cans of plum tomatoes, cook down in dutch oven on stove and let simmer several hours.

I use to make my own dough but found the pillsbury pizza dough works just fine, as does Rhodes bread. I make a thick dough, add the filling (drained and cooked down) put another layer of dough on top, pinch ends, rub the top layer of dough with some olive oil, bake at 350 degrees, serve hot, although this is great the next day cold for yourself, lol.

I usually added a salad and blackberry cobbler and this shuts those guys up for a few hours, it usually made them all nap until I could get the next meal out, lol.