Outsmart today's challenges with these holiday menu hacks

Serving a holiday meal to your customers this season? Minimize the impact of today’s supply chain challenges and labor shortages by being prepared and thinking outside the box.

Here are a few tips from our Entegra Performance Kitchen to ensure that you can serve a delicious meal no matter what challenges your business is facing this holiday season.

• Outsmart product shortages. Can’t get your hands on enough poultry? Turn to an alternate product and serve a holiday ham.
• Stretch what you have on hand. A little chicken can go a long way, with scraps used for chicken pot pie, which can be served by the slice, going even further in doing more with less.
• Serve non-traditional mains. Consider making pasta the star with a Christmas themed lasagna. Using Italian sausage, red sauce and basil leaves, you can create a festive, comforting hearty meal that can be made a day or so in advance and is easy to portion to serve multiple customers at a time.
• Get creative and make delicious sides, or next-day “specials.” Use meat scraps to make a stock or consommé for a powerful flavor base for soups, like a potato and ham chowder. Or, add a simple and easy ham mac ‘n cheese to your next-day menu to use up what you do have on hand.
• Capitalize on what’s widely available. Cranberries are easy to find and offer traditional, yet unexpected holiday flavor to your menu. Easy and simple desserts, like this cranberry cake (recipe available below) from one of our Entegra Performance Kitchen team members, can be served by the slice to round out a guest’s meal perfectly. Then, using leftover cranberries, serve a cranberry pecan bread to spice up your morning menu.
• Prepare as much as you can in advance. A creamed spinach side with shredded cheddar on top can be made days in advance and will hold well. Take it up a notch and add roasted red pepper to create a festive red and green plate.
• Delight with a festive beverage option. Use colorful fruits like cranberries and oranges to make a holiday sangria. This can be prepared the morning of, allowing flavors to meld in time for dinner.

Entegra is the world’s largest food GPO with over $24 billion in purchasing power and a team of expert advisors, making it possible for clients to find solutions that outsmart operational challenges and delight guests. Learn more about what an Entegra membership can do for your business.