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Menu Items that Stretch Your Dollars
March 31, 2012
3 Min Read
RE-HASH IT: A great hash, like this Yukon Gold & Sweet Potato one, can be a way to clean out the pantry. Photo: Kettle Cuisine
When revamping a menu or planning a cycle, theidea of a “food cascade” can help with making
sure every ingredient gets used as much as
possible. When today’s pulled pork sandwich
becomes tomorrow’s pizza topping, you are really stretching
your dollars. Try one or more of these ideas from Corporate
Chef Joseph Ascoli of Kettle Cuisine.
MENU ITEM: HAMBURGER PATTY
Extra cooked patties can easily become “meatballs” in a
pasta dish. See the recipe for Meatballs with Pasta, Onions &
Fresh Tomatoes at http://tinyurl.com/czs977p. A surplus of
ground beef can make for great hamburgers or cheeseburgers,
but can also become the star of a signature Shepherd’s
Pie. Use mashed potatoes, root vegetables, frozen peas, your
current favorite blend of seasonings and bake for your own
instant classic.
MENU ITEM: BAKED POTATO
Hash—truly a meal in itself—is great for any daypart and can
double as a side. Sweet potatoes plus cumin can equal a
smoky Southwest Hash. Plus, it’s another way to use up not
just potatoes, but any item in your pantry. See the recipe for
Yukon Gold & Sweet Potato Hash at http://tinyurl.com/bnxhlgz.
Another incarnation of a baked potato is mashed or smashed.
Create new flavors with herbs, infused oils, cheese or even
bacon. For something fancier, how about a casserole, layered
with potatoes, whipping cream, cheese and fresh herbs?
MENU ITEM: PULLED PORK SANDWICH
The slow cooker is an economist’s friend. Take a lesser cut
of meat (in this case, pork shoulder) and cook until it’s falling
apart and succulent. Serve it with barbecue sauce on buns
one day or at one station. Carnitas burritos, tacos or nachos
can use some of the pulled pork. Still have some shreds left
over? Next day, use it to make a signature pizza with a drizzle
of barbecue sauce and some grilled red onions.
MENU ITEM: COOKED RICE
Wild rice can be added to soups to instantly hearty them up.
White rice can become “faux risotto.” Try this idea for an elegant
appetizer or small plate item: Form cooked rice into balls
(you can add chopped fresh parsley to the rice beforehand),
coat it with egg and Panko breadcrumbs, then pan fry and
dust with finely grated Parmesan.
MENU ITEM: COOKED PASTA
Pasta that has been cooked—then tossed with olive oil to
keep it from drying out and stored in an airtight container—
can have many more miles on it. Mix pasta with vegetables
and soy sauce; stir fry it for American Chop Suey. Or serve it
cold tossed with a great vinaigrette and raw vegetables for
pasta salad.
MENU ITEM: CARVING STATION ROAST BEEF
Roast beef can become part of a down-home open face sandwich
in slices, or sliced a little more, fi red up on a grill with red
peppers and onions—fajita day!
MENU ITEM: BAKED BEANS
These can become bean burritos or bean quesadillas
(great vegetarian menu items). Or, take the beans away from
Mexico and into France for inspiration and create a cassoulet.
Beans are a key component, and this French casserole can
feed many people.
MENU ITEM: VEGETABLE MEDLEY
Leftover roasted vegetables can be pureed, then used as
the base for a creamy soup (without the added fat of actual
cream!) Hello, healthy and thrifty. Any roasted vegetable can
also have a second chance when mixed with rice or lentils.
MENU ITEM: MAC 'N CHEESE
The possibilities are endless. Add leftover roasted, shredded
chicken, some hot sauce and blue cheese, and you’ve
got Buffalo Mac ‘n Cheese. That’s just one idea. Think about
truffle oil, roasted garlic, Sriracha hot sauce, or even kimchi
vegetables to make a mac statement.
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