Recipe report: Comfort foods connect customers to home

When foodservice directors and chefs were asked to choose a menu must-have—a signature dish that can’t be taken off the menu—comfort foods were singled out the most often. From K-12 and C&U to B&I and senior living, customers continue to crave dishes such as lasagna, fried chicken, mac and cheese, burgers and down-home desserts. Here, noncommercial operators share their recipes for those comforting favorites.

Our scratchmade Fried Chicken Dinner is without a doubt the signature dish at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. It’s typically served with greens (often sourced from the campus farm), smashed red potatoes, made-from-scratch mac and cheese, fresh green beans and homemade cornbread. We knew it was a hit when Thursday became the busiest day in the dining hall and we had to add an extra service area to accommodate demand.

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The ribs were launched last fall, and the slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone recipe made it such a resident favorite, they’re now on the menu year round. It’s not something you usually see at a long-term care facility.

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Tomato soup is always a comfort food favorite. This version is amped up with hot sauce and served in a bread bowl with a slice of havarti cheese melted on top. It became an immediate student hit when we introduced it three years ago at the campus Rocket Subs Shop.

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We were looking to provide something different for our vegetarian customers in the fall. The first time we served this, guests raved about it, and it’s been a hit ever since.

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This dessert was created by chef Frank Leake years ago, and has long been loved by residents and staff. But it wasn’t until it won the Taste of Pikesville competition that the bread pudding rose to fame and became very special.

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Macaroni and cheese is nostalgic for many of our students. People do not cook large family meals as frequently as in the past, and having this dish prepared for them allows them to take a minute, enjoy the tastes and reconnect with home. Diners can customize with a choice of add-ins, including bacon, scallions and fresh tomatoes.

Click here for the recipe.