It’s time for sensational skillets to race through your menu. Sizzles, pops and delectable smells drift through the air when you cook in a skillet or fry pan or sauté pan. A technique that brings out the flavours of simple ingredients in a short amount of time is an unbeatable choice for busy foodservice kitchens.
Who you are and where you grew up (even who fed you) are key when you consider what “skillet” means to you. But for everyone, skillet evokes the feeling of nostalgia. A warm hug from your mom or dad, aunt or uncle, grandparent. A weekend breakfast ritual or a comforting weeknight meal.
As the pandemic continues — we are so close to being on the other side — customers are still looking for comfort to ease the anxiety caused by ongoing changes to normal routines.
Do skillets have a place on current menus? Most certainly. Who doesn’t want the comfort (or a reminder) of simpler times? So, go ahead, take your skillet to the starting line, stay true to your brand with your eye on the finish (and bottom) line, in this crazy race back to the new normal.
On your mark
James Keppy, corporate chef for Maple Leaf Foods, continues helping restaurant operators streamline their menus by promoting value-added ingredients.
For Keppy, breakfast is the first place he thinks of for skillets. “But they can be offered through lunch, dinner and finishing with desserts. Often made as a family meal, they are perfect for operators to create as individual meals that can arrive hot and steaming to the table.”
Skillets, sautés and stir fries are also a perfect option for restaurant LTOs. And Keppy adds, “One-dish meals are great to serve on the patio as well as for delivery. Small skillets can be prepped and quickly cooked allowing for easy variety and daily menu features.”
“One-dish meals are great to serve on the patio as well as for delivery. Small skillets can be prepped and quickly cooked allowing for easy variety and daily menu features.”
James Keppy, corporate chef for Maple Leaf Foods
Menus have been gradually shrinking for many reasons and that won’t likely change once we finally get to the other side of the pandemic.
“With smaller menus, ingredients need to be used in multiple applications throughout the menu. Each restaurant has its signature dishes and a skillet can be a way to possibly offer those dishes as a stir-fry, a sauté or simmered in a sauce,” he suggests.
With planning and proper prep, operators can focus on utilizing lower cost ingredients but still give a powerful flavour boost.
Get set
“I love the word skillet! It evokes feelings of comfort and familiarity,” says Thomas Heitz, corporate chef for Kraft Heinz Canada. “We have a huge portfolio of products that really work well with skillet concepts.”
Escalon and Mama Linda brand of tomato and tomato products, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Velveeta, Richardson’s, Diana’s, Renée’s are a few he mentions as being “skillet-friendly.”
“Skillet meals are an effective choice for today’s smaller menus for a combination of reasons, including cross utilization of menu items and decreased labour requirements.”
Thomas Heitz, corporate chef for Kraft Heinz Canada
“Skillet meals are an effective choice for today’s smaller menus for a combination of reasons, including cross utilization of menu items and decreased labour requirements. This results in increased quality because staff can focus on a smaller inventory of ingredients and then reap the rewards of decreased costs.”
It’s so easy to create a daily skillet using ingredients that may need some attention, either from your fridge, freezer or pantry.
Finishing your skillet dishes with unique offerings created by Heitz’s speed scratch approach offers the benefits of consistency and time savings without compromising on flavour.
“My speed scratch Singapore Sauce is gastronomically intense but so easy. A 50:50 blend of Richardson’s Butter Chicken Sauce and Richardson’s Szechuan Sauce.”
As customers come out of lockdown fogs, they are shifting their eating habits. They still crave comfort, but want some healthy with that comfort.
Heitz reminds us, “Skillets may not necessarily have a healthy connotation, but they certainly can offer indulgent and familiar flavours with healthy twists. They are just screaming for spinach, rapini, broccolini or tomatoes to be added.”
GO!
It’s the bits and pieces of you, your background, your brand and your ingredients that can be put together to make delicious and memorable dishes, one skillet at a time.
“Like adding bacon or ham to Lunch Mac ‘n Cheese Skillet,” says Maple Leaf’s James Keppy.
Constantly building concepts for customers, Keppy tempts us with Spicy Mexican Chorizo Sausage Breakfast Skillet or gives us great examples of cross utilization using boneless chicken thighs in both a Creamy Chicken & Biscuit meal or Parmesan Lemon Chicken and Rice Skillet.
Serving up skillets for flavour, comfort and health that use simple ingredients that can be cooked fresh to arrive on the plate or in the delivery box in less than 15 minutes is definitely a race you and your customers both win!
Winning at foodservice takes a lineup of all-star players. Yes, the food is important and always will be, but we aren’t just talking about the food. You need a team effort to succeed — to provide quality, consistency and service. Winning at takeout needs adaptable players. Is your takeout team ready?
The right coaches bring out the best in players. Why? Because they have played those positions. They understand the wins and losses, the risks, obstacles and struggles. Use foodservice coaches, from nationally recognized and trusted brands, to be your guides to build your best takeout menu and strategy.
Offensive line coach – on land
Chef James Keppy is the corporate chef for Maple Leaf Foods Canada.
“Operators … need to focus on items that they are known for, that travel well and that customers will come back to, again and again!”
Chef James Keppy, corporate chef for Maple Leaf Foods Canada
“Most corporate chefs are usually consulting with operators to introduce new menu items and increase check averages. Today, all of us are helping operators streamline menus and offering value-added products for quicker service times. We are matching the best products to hot hold for delivery, while keeping quality high.”
“Operators are already adapting to a takeout world, but they need to focus on items that they are known for, that travel well and that customers will come back to, again and again!”
“The menus should be getting smaller and ingredients need to have multiple applications wherever possible.”
- TIP: Consider family-sized options
Wings and pizza are king, but the innovation will be in the complete family dinner. Consider selling popular menu items family style — servings for two, four or six instead of a family ordering four different entrées.
Takeout is blurring the lines between grocery and retail with finish-at-home meal kits. Get the order for tonight’s meal and offer up a “Finish at Home” package for tomorrow… like a smokehouse kit with cooked ribs with signature sauce, baked mac and cheese, slaw and Mexican street corn.
Maple Leaf offers pulled meats, shaved steak, fully cooked ribs, wings and chicken sandwiches — perfect for takeout menus.
Remember to return to the comfort foods, because they also happen to travel well!
“Wings will always hold well for travel, especially breaded wings, but so do pulled pork and beef, BBQ ribs, mac and cheese, shepherd’s pie, lasagne and chili. These items can quickly become a regular order in a family’s dinner rotation.”
Offensive line coach – at sea
Chef Philman George is the corporate chef for High Liner Foodservice. High Liner Foodservice is on a mission to remind Canadians how healthy, versatile and tasty seafood is.
“My goal is to place craveable seafood on your menu and help you generate more profit. I work closely with operators to help them succeed and reach their full potential with seafood offerings.”
Chef Philman George, corporate chef for High Liner Foodservice
“My goal is to place craveable seafood on your menu and help you generate more profit. I work closely with operators to help them succeed and reach their full potential with seafood offerings.”
- TIP: Maximizing your online presence is key. Whether through social media, reviews on Yelp, or third-party delivery apps, it’s vital that your restaurant be seen in as many digital avenues as possible.
- TIP: You eat with your eyes first! Take pride in capturing drool-worthy, Instagrammable photos of your menu items. Most delivery service apps offer photography sessions and most of them are free. Get as many dishes captured as possible!
- TIP: Be strategic with your takeout menu offerings. Less is more! Design a menu that is easy and quick to execute and delivers an exceptional culinary experience.
When customers order takeout, they want it relatively quickly and they want it to taste as good as it would if they were dining in-house. Be strategic with your takeout offerings to deliver great food without an extremely long wait time. Successful operators have streamlined their takeout offerings to make it simple for the kitchen staff to execute.
“High Liner has many fantastic products that can help the operator save time, money and deliver exceptional seafood takeout. I think the true value to the operator is being able to tap into our High Liner Foodservice dedicated seafood experts, available across Canada. They love seafood and are passionate about helping the operator achieve their seafood goals.”
“We have some fantastic new Guinness beer-battered products which are unique and simple for the operator to execute.”
Special teams coach
Chef Thomas Heitz is the corporate chef for Kraft Heinz Canada, a company with a large portfolio of brands.
“Create something true to your brand. Don’t try to be everything, figure out what customers come to you for, what you do well. Own it and do it better.”
Chef Thomas Heitz, corporate chef for Kraft Heinz Canada
“Create something true to your brand. Don’t try to be everything, figure out what customers come to you for, what you do well. Own it and do it better. People do not tolerate mediocre food anymore.”
- TIP: Less is more. Streamline and focus your takeout menu.
An added benefit? If you are doing less, it’s easier to focus on being the best. Your customers are happy and satisfied, you reduce your ingredient count and labour needs and typically save money.
“The key to making that happen is convenience for the kitchen. Speed scratch. Take our Renée’s Roasted Garlic Aioli, add your own herbs or horseradish and you have a unique item you can execute with consistency. But that same Renée’s Roasted Garlic Aioli can used for other applications or again be quickly transformed into another unique ingredient just by adding one or two extras.”
Whether takeout or in-house dining, it is still about the quality of the food. Maintaining quality for takeout means using the right packaging and hopefully, sustainable packaging. Some premium ingredients lose their premium status after 30+ minutes in the wrong packaging.
It’s okay to package takeout menu items deconstructed. Keep cold and hot items separate whenever possible.
- TIP: Test your takeout packaging before you use it with customers.
To test something for takeout: Put it into the container, put aside for 20 minutes or more. Give it to someone, tell them to walk up and down the stairs, maybe even drop the bag, then look and taste.
“Figure out the little things like whether to have the bun buttered or not buttered, using bibb versus iceberg lettuce. Your final menu item will be better for the time and attention to all the details.”
“Service is part of the details. Having your takeout packages sealed and numbered, for example, can provide your customers with peace of mind while ensuring orders are complete and delivering quality.”
“It’s all about collaboration: working as a team in your own establishment and working with vendors and suppliers to succeed. You don’t need to do it on your own. Let us help.”
The final huddle
The best defence against the ups and downs of foodservice is a good offence. A good offence takes practice, training and creativity. It’s worth taking the time to streamline your takeout plays to achieve quality, consistency and service. Grab the opportunity now and your team is sure to execute a smarter, more profitable, winning takeout game.
One, two, three…go, takeout team!