College Offers Meal Prep Help

College of the Holy Cross has launched a cooking program that has Chef Charles Manyak helping participants prepare and assemble healthful, tasty meals for their families. Similar to meal assembly services that have become fairly popular with time-strapped consumers who nevertheless want to serve home-cooked meals, Crusader Cuisine takes place at Holy Cross’s catering kitchen during the evening.

For $45 a session, participants mix, chop, season, cook and package a dozen entrees from set recipes that they then take home to serve immediately or freeze for future use. Manyak oversees the proceedings, offering advice, assistance and cooking tips. “I try to make things easier for you to cook at home,” says Manyak, who has worked at Holy Cross since 2003.

The recipes include dishes like pork cutlet roulade, roasted pub potatoes, seasoned buttered whole green beans, lemon crusted tilapia, confetti corn, and brown rice pilaf.

“We wanted to bring members of the Holy Cross community together in a social setting that was fun and engaging,” says Susan Hunt, organizational development specialist in human resources. “The idea of a cooking session with one of our esteemed chefs at the College started to form.”

Linda Nardella, director of dining services, hopes to expand the program in the future by offering it to students.