From college and university to healthcare and K-12, every foodservice segment succeeds when comfort food appears on the menu. Whether it’s a casserole that’s been cleaned up, nutritionally speaking, or a potato-based side dish that’s been doctored for extra flavor, diners will relish seeing a familiar favorite available for order. According to Technomic’s 2017 Flavor report, about one-fifth of consumers (including 23% of baby boomers) say that they prefer sticking to their favorite flavors and rarely try new ones. But a larger number—65% of consumers overall—say that they like trying new flavors from time to time. With updated classics, both groups can find something they like.
As customer tastes have become more sophisticated and the expectation for quality, flavorful foods has risen, there’s an opportunity for chefs. It’s not about reinventing the wheel, but rather modifying that wheel to make it more appealing in a number of ways. Take, for example, a Southwest Potato Casserole—diners know and love potato casseroles, but add a southwestern twist with beans, corn and red bell pepper, and it can intrigue a guest looking for something a little different.
When trying to revamp these classics, there’s no need to spend a bunch of time to create new menu items. Rather, start with a quality base product and then add a twist that will appeal to customers. Here’s four ways to do that.
Pasta is one of the top comfort foods out there, and amping up the health-factor only makes it more appealing. Alternative pastas cook up with the same easy and convenience as traditional pastas, but offer with extra nutrition. Swapping in a plant-based protein option, such as a lentil penne pasta, lures those nutritionistas back into the fold, but is also perfect for diners who aren’t necessarily health-conscious and just want something that tastes great. Ratatouille Lentil Penne adds in a good amount of veggies to boot, meaning it packs a double-whammy of nutrition.
For many customers, seasonal foods are what they crave. An operation can’t go wrong in menuing mashed potatoes, but the addition of fresh acorn squash, thyme and garlic, plus maple syrup for a little sweetness, simply improves the quality of the menu item and excites the guest that might be a little bored by the standards. By adding these seasonal flavors, too, diners who prefer to eat with the seasons might be enticed to try something new. According to Technomic’s 2017 Flavor report, 32% of consumers overall—and 47% of diners 18-to 34-years old, say their preferences tend to change depending on the season.
Remember, it’s about tweaking, not totally overhauling some classics. Sometimes, it only takes one extra ingredient to give a dish a whole new flavor, such as in the case of Dijon mashed sweet potatoes. The flavor combination of Dijon mustard and sweet potatoes is just enough of a twist to excite patrons without creating a significant amount of extra work for the kitchen staff. Best of all, though Dijon sweet potatoes may be new to customers, those flavors on their own aren’t. It’s a perfect combination of classic flavors and new ways of eating them.
Sometimes, the flavor and quality of a menu item is top notch, but it’s no longer exciting to diners. Tater tots, for example, are delicious, but there’s often nothing new and unexpected to get excited about. However, adding bacon and cheddar cheese, plus making them out of hash browns, freshly frying the item and serving with a chipotle-ranch dipping sauce, gives Cheddar Bacon Tots a modern feel.
Another way to bump up the interest of a classic dish is to offer diners the option to add their own choice of toppings. For instance, if they want a dish of fettuccini alfredo or lentil penne with marinara, jazz up the dish with topping options such as fresh garlic, grilled chicken, sundried tomatoes or steamed spinach.
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