“The summer months are met with many seasonal culinary delights; the simple joys of summer. For me, fresh corn on the cob, lobster rolls, Maine clams, anything BBQ (almost anything), and soft serve ice cream, all fall into that summer simple joy category. But, hands down, one of my favorite summertime treats is a good ol’ mixed berry shortcake. Berries pilled high on either a biscuit or sponge cake, topped with fresh whipped cream…yum.

For a fun, delicious and unique twist on this simple joy of summer, use a Simple Joy Lemon Cake as the base. The result is simply…delicious…and Simply Joyful.”

Simple Joys Bakery

Simple Joys Bakery crafts perfectly portioned indulgence. These individually wrapped cake slices are perfect for plated desserts, takeout, delivery, or as a well-positioned impulse purchase.

In the foodservice biz we often abide by the old saying “sometimes less is more.” In the case of this two-ingredient grilled cheese sandwich; the old saying holds true. The Pineland farms smoked cheddar cheese, paired with OvenStone’s garlic Texas toast explodes in a perfect symphony of rich, smokey, buttery, garlic flavor. A simple but mouth-watering symphony that will leave your customer’s palates singing along with a chorus of “oh mys” and “MmmMMMmms.”

OvenStone Garlic Texas Toast

Neatly packed in each case for easy preparation and handling makes for a convenient, labor-saving and ‘All Round’ great product. Serve these delightful breads as a breadbasket appetizer, an addition to a pasta dish or as a unique sandwich carrier.

If you have corned beef at your restaurant, but you’re not serving Reuben sandwiches, I highly recommend you try them on your menu. Today, I’m going to show you two different ways to make a Reuben sandwich using corned beef.

I’ll make the classic version with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing on rye bread. Then, alongside that I’ll make my personal favorite – a twist on the classic Reuben sandwich that substitutes pickled beet relish for sauerkraut. The sweetness of the beets pairs perfectly with the saltiness of the corned beef, and I just love beets!

Morse’s Sauerkraut is item #21931
Pickled Beet Slaw is item #21933

Find more ideas and video recipes on our St. Patrick’s Day page.

Download our St. Patrick’s Day Brisket Flyer
St. Patrick’s Protiens  See More from the Test Kitchen

Chef Tim takes chowder one step further with the addition of one simple ingredient, creating a item for you menu and adding additional profit to your bottom line. In this quick video you’ll see how to transform your existing chowder into hearty revenue with biscuit dough. Never made a “chowda”? Start with the basics outlined in this video!

Remember, we stock a fantastic variety of premium, ready-made, heat-and-serve chowders that could easily be customized into a wide variety of profitable pot pies for your menu. And of course we stock a number of biscuit products with which to top your crocks, including the one seen in this video, Rich’s Country Jumbo Biscuit Dough, item #11100.

Chowda Pot Pie up!

We all know that most visitors traveling to, and vacationing within New England, are looking to slurp down a wicked good amount of chowder. In some cases, your chowder might be the biggest reason for a repeat visit to your establishment year after year. Featuring a signature chowder on your menu could be just the ticket for those return customers or an easy up-sell by waitstaff. In this video recipe, I’ll demonstrate the basic steps of preparing a delicious chowder, from which you can derive your creative variations.

If preparing a unique chowder from scratch falls outside your operation’s current capabilities, we stock a fantastic variety of premium, ready-made, heat-and-serve chowders. These versatile products can even be used as a base layer for creating your restaurant’s signature chowder. For example, you could add chorizo to corn chowder, a dash of zaatar to fish chowder, or a pinch of saffron to lobster chowder.

House-made, premade, or premade as a base; consider chowder’s place on your menu and its potential impact on your average ticket. And, when you’re ready, here’s a simple way to add more profit with just one additional ingredient–I call it “chowda pot pie“.

Chowdah up!

Asian flavors are big, bold, rich in flavor, spicy, and vibrant, and above all, they are some of my favorite flavors to utilize. This flavor-forward Asian-inspired peanut soy glaze is super simple to make, holds well (under refrigeration) when bulk prep is a necessity, and can be used on a wide array of products. I chose Hormel’s Fire Braised Beef Short Rib for this application; however, this glaze can be used on chicken, seafood, pork, tofu, and vegetables. Watch and see how effortlessly you add Asian-inspired flavors to your menu.

Additional applications for the peanut soy glaze:
On grilled shrimp. With seared salmon. Tossed with roasted carrots. Slathered on chicken wings. Basted on a whole rib roast, pork loin, or pork chops. And it can even be used as a salad or slaw dressing.

Hormel Fire Braised Boneless Short Ribs are item #25708

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Traditional New England staple or creative menu offering? There is no right or wrong answer, as it greatly depends on your individual preference. Personally, I tend to evaluate the classics and come up with ingredients that play well within the traditional palate. Baked haddock is a perfect example of a classic dish that can be taken down several unique avenues. By adding grilled corn and oregano, which is my favorite all-purpose herb, I was able to give this New England staple a creative twist without reinventing the wheel.

Why stop there? Push the limits of your baked stuffed haddock dish by adding alfredo sauce and torn basil leaves for an Italian twist, or bake with sliced chorizo, corn, and saffron butter for a Spanish twist.

Traditional or creatively elevated? It’s up to you!

This labor-saving boneless beef short rib that is an easy way to add a consistently delicious item to your menu, without the work of braising. These tender cuts are gently seasoned with red wine and rosemary. A perfect starting platform for your recipe. They’re seared with fire to caramelize the exterior and develop flavor, and then slow-cooked until tender, moist, and delicious – so all you need to do is finish it!

Hormel Fire Braised Boneless Short Ribs are item #25708

More Fire Braised Meats
More from the Test Kitchen

Beans are a super cost-effective way to add both value and diversity to your menu as a side dish offering.  The addition of pickled beets adds a pop of vibrant color, a sweet and sour sass, and a hint of earthy flavor to balance things out.  A major perk of this dish is it fits in regardless of the season; refreshing in the summer and hearty enough for the winter.

We’ve even added some “Waste Not, Want Not” value and a secret weapon thickener to this dish…but you gotta watch to see for yourself.

Delicata Squash is a small-sized winter squash that is pale fleshed, and has medium water content. Delicata Squash is ideal for stuffing and serving from “the shell.” One unique finger food style offering is Delicata Squash Rings. Simply seed, slice, bread and fry. There’s no need to peal the skin, that’s edible too! Best served with your signature dipping sauce as an appetizer, add a heaping for a side with BBQ brisket, or load a pile on a burger.

Chef’s suggested dipping sauce: Maple Cumin Aioli. A combination of mayonnaise, dijon mustard, toasted cumin, real maple syrup and seasoning.