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September • 2010
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Cocktail Recipes

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cheese

Reinvent Comfort Foods to Increase Guest Satisfaction

How can you offer new comfort food menu items to keep your patrons coming back for more?

Comfort foods have achieved near permanent menu status in the United States, and in tough economic times, with cold weather approaching, patrons are likely to up their ordering incidence of those types of foods. Entrée, and side dish items like lasagna and macaroni and cheese are prevalent across menus and have become welcome staples for the colder months.

According to Datassential menu research, macaroni and cheese in particular has a high menuing incidence rate as both an entrée and a side dish, showing comfort foods' versatility on the menu. Nationally, almost ten percent of macaroni and cheese menuing instances were as an entrée, and just over 14 percent were on the side dish portion of the menu. Lasagna has also gained ground recently in foodservice, particularly in casual dining, and 40 percent of lasagna on menus can be found in casual dining establishments.

Operators can differentiate their offerings and create signature dishes with some easy speed scratch recipes. For example, simple ingredients like tomatoes, bacon, pancetta, chilies or bread crumbs can take a macaroni and cheese entrée to new levels of creativity, while also adding another use for common ingredients in your kitchen. Consider offering a new macaroni and cheese entrée weekly as part of a limited time offer or a rotating special, or create your own macaroni and cheese bar with ingredients and toppings customers can add themselves. Or take Block and Barrel Stuffed Green Peppers and turn them into a trendy Relleno for a simple, yet festive Mexican inspired dish.

For a convenient heat and serve alternative to traditional macaroni and cheese, try Block and Barrel Pepperjack Macaroni and Cheese; it offers a zesty twist on an old time favorite. Other items in the Sysco frozen entree line, such as stuffed cabbage rolls, meat lasagna and beef stew also offer the opportunity to heat and serve or to use as a base for additional menu items.

ConAgra Foodservice Award Cuisine Pot Pies and Skillet Meals are additional examples of convenient, low labor meal ideas that can add to your comfort food offerings. In fact, the Skillet Meals line includes such favorites as pot roast and Philly cheese steak, in an easy, cook and serve, portionable format.

Take advantage of frozen entrée products to entice consumers while spicing up menu offerings, cutting down on labor and minimizing ingredient waste. To find out more about Block and Barrel frozen entrees and other products provided by ConAgra Foodservice, check with your SyscoMarketing Associate or visit conagrafoodservice.com, and call 1-800-357-6543.

Block and Barrel
Pepperjack Macaroni and Cheese
RECIPE


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