In the restaurant industry, time is an ingredient as important as salt or sugar. It’s the invisible seasoning that can make or break a restaurant’s success.

That’s why a growing number of foodservice businesses, of all sizes and categories, are exploring labor-saving products in their battle against the clock. These ingredients aren’t just culinary shortcuts; they are strategic decisions that can improve your operation’s efficiency and success.

Why Choose Labor-Saving Products?
Labor-saving products provide more than convenience. By removing unnecessary steps, streamlining prep procedures, and incorporating time-saving ingredients into your most popular and profitable menu items, you’re not just simplifying food preparation; you’re opening up a world of possibilities for marketing, social media engagement, and business growth.

The direct benefits of labor-saving products are clear…

• Save Staff Time: Reduce the hours spent on tedious prep work.
• Cut Training Requirements: Simplify the on-boarding process for new staff.
• Reduce Waste: Minimize the risk of human error and ingredient spoilage.
• Ensure Consistency: Deliver the same high-quality experience every time.

The ancillary benefits come with time…
With time reclaimed through labor-saving ingredients, your team can shift their focus from the cutting board to the drawing board. This newfound time could be used for brainstorm sessions that fuel fun marketing ideas, epic food photo shoots, fostering engagement with your audience across social media platforms, and to drive overall business growth.

“I wish I had more time…” is something I hear often from business owners regarding their marketing efforts. Marketing, social media management, and content creation are just a few of the areas that would benefit from having more time. What other aspects of your business could benefit from a little more time invested?

Looking toward the future of foodservice, in a world exploding with AI-powered advancements; it’s clear that speed and efficiency will be increasingly tied to profitability. By embracing labor-saving products, you’re not only keeping up with the times; you’re future-proofing your business.

Visit www.dennisfoodservice.com/laborsavers to explore a selection of our favorite labor-saving ingredients. For personalized recommendations and suggestions, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Account Executive. Together, let’s optimize your kitchen’s efficiency and unlock new opportunities for success.

Multitasking ingredients such as flavored butters, sauces, dressings, and gravies save time and money in the kitchen.

Multitasking ingredients can enhance several dishes keeps food costs, labor, and inventory in line. Ingredients that can be used in more than one item are the Holy Grail of menu management, keeping food costs, labor, and inventory in line. Dennis offers a variety of products from multiple vendors that are designed with multitasking in mind—you can use them as is, or as speed-scratch basics for multiple applications.

Consider the following examples as a template for maximizing the utilization of your own flavor-building inventory. 

Flavored Butters

One of the easiest and most convenient ways to add flavor to food is by mixing seasonings and other ingredients into butter, which can then be chilled or even frozen for later use. In addition to using on steaks and other proteins hot off the grill, these butters can be used to:

• Sauté or dress vegetables
• Slip under the skin of chicken before roasting
• Include in a signature bread service
• Offer with cornbread or muffins
• Float on a bowl of soup
• Top off a baked potato
• Spread on grilled or toasted sandwich bread

Nestlé Professional Chef Mary Locke suggests the following to offer as schmears for corn on the cob, but the butters have many other uses:

• Fire Roasted Poblano Flavor Concentrate with butter, Cotija, and a squeeze of fresh lime
• Herb de Provence Flavor Concentrate and goat cheese
• Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Flavor Concentrate thinned out with a dab of good olive oil and toasted pine nuts
• Fire Roasted Jalapeño Flavor Concentrate and mashed, ripe avocado
• Chipotle Flavor Concentrate, blue cheese, and crumbled bacon

Dressings as Marinades

Many dressings, particularly vinaigrettes, include an acidic ingredient such as vinegar or citrus juice, which also serves as a tenderizer in marinades. Other common dressing ingredients that tenderize proteins include honey and yogurt (think of tandoori marinade), which also aid in flavor-boosting caramelization when cooked.

Likewise, many marinades can be used as dressings for salads and other chilled foods—perhaps with the addition of an ingredient to make them more clingy, such as oil or mayonnaise.

Creamy Sauces

Creamy, relatively neutral-flavored sauces such as béchamel, Alfredo, and cream gravies have many uses in addition to adding a luxurious touch atop cooked foods.

• Use as a replacement for cream sauce or béchamel in a casserole or au gratin
• Flavor mashed potatoes or other vegetables by substituting a creamy sauce for some of the liquid
• Customize with the addition of tomato, pesto, sautéed onions, mushrooms, crumbled bacon, and so on
• Use in cream soups, such as Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice or Seafood Bisque
• Substitute for cream sauce in a classic Spinach and Artichoke Dip recipe
• Mix with vegetables and a protein (optional) for a main course stuffed baked potato

It’s All Gravy

Talk about a menu workhorse: Gravies of all kinds are the ultimate multitaskers. in ways that go way beyond the mashed potato.

• Over hearty sandwiches like French dips, open-face turkey, and New Orleans-style po’ boy sandwiches
• As a dip for fries or tots, or for a classic poutine
• In casseroles, shepherd’s pie, and pot pies
• As a binding for meatloaf or meatball mixtures
• As a flavor-building thickener for soup
• To moisten a brunch-worthy egg strata
• In a simmer sauce for pot roast, chicken fricassee, and other braised proteins
• In quesadillas, instead of—or in addition to—cheese

Sauces = Spreads = Dips

Sauces are the true shape-shifters of the menu-making world. Depending on qualities such as flavor and thickness, a sauce can be used as-is or in additional uses such as a warm spread (for sandwiches, for instance) or a dip for finger foods.

The cheese sauce is a perfect example. The binder for mac-and-cheese and the topping for nachos and steamed broccoli can also be used to create a cheeseburger, fondue, or dip for fries. Thicken cheese sauce with a product such as cream cheese to make it more spreadable or add flavor and body with products such as crumbled cooked chorizo or crabmeat to create a dip.

Stir into scrambled eggs, mix into fritters, layer on flatbread, or mix into beer and broth with sturdy vegetables to create a soup.

Content courtesy of Nestle Professional
GreatMenusStartHere.com

Create, supplement, or simplify BBQ takeout with premium, prepared products that are designed to reduce labor while delivering authentic customizable flavors. For example, a simple pulled pork sandwich can easily add trendy appeal to any menu. You could choose the convenience of pre-sauced or go plain and add your own. Easily customize prepared products to create a few menu items or an elaborate BBQ lineup.

Here are a few popular items perfect for summer menus. Be sure to visit our Barbecue Season page for information, recipes, and products, and to ask your Account Executive for more ingredient suggestions.

POULTRY

BEEF 

PORK

SIDES

Need more inspiration? Check out our selection of BBQ Recipes.

In today’s fast-paced culinary world, labor-saving products are not just a backup plan; they’re a strategic move towards greater profitability. By integrating these innovative solutions, restaurants can empower their staff to accomplish tasks more efficiently, thereby increasing productivity without compromising on the premium quality and authenticity of their recipes.

Time is a valuable commodity in the kitchen, and every moment saved in preparation directly translates to cost savings. Whether it’s streamlining operations or expanding menus, this selection represents only a fraction of what’s available. And as always, be sure to ask your Account Executive for additional products options!

HORMEL FIRE-BRAISED MEATS
Hormel put a tremendous amount of time and attention into perfecting these proteins. Searing in the flavor, then slow braising them to tender, juicy perfection. This gives you more time to create amazing dishes across your menu.

HORMEL BACON 1
There is one bacon suitable for all needs – Bacon 1. Fully cooked and ready for your dishes, with just a flash on the griddle (or in an oven) it serves up sizzling a looks just like from-raw. One look, one taste, and you’ll see why Bacon 1 is not your average pre-cooked bacon.

FONTANINI MEATBALL MIX
This raw, fully-seasoned, herbatious meatball mix works great for pork sliders, meatloaf and makes a phenomenal American style chop suey.

KAYEM BEEF BRISKET
For a fully-cooked smokey beef brisket, this is item will knock your customer’s socks off. Suitable for any smoked brisket application you can conjure up the product will seriously impress in sandwiches, pasta dishes or as a center of the plate presentation.

SMITHFIELD CULINARY
Part of the largest hog producer and pork processor in the U.S., Smithfield Culinary offers delicious and versatile products that are enjoyed by millions nationwide, as well as globally.

BAKE N’ JOY
As the name suggests, you just bake and enjoy. This line offers a wide variety of mixes, batters, shells and straight to oven products.

SIMPLY POTATO
Made with 100% real potato, butter, milk and seasonings… the real deal mashers. Heat and serve ready with a long refrigerator shelf life. You could say they’re the perfect spud for the job.

JOSEPH’S PASTA
Joseph’s has a complete line of quick gourmet style pasta. While the line is vast, here’s a few favorites – try the potato gnocchi in a mac and cheese dish!

STOUFFER’S
Ingredients like freshly made pastas, real cheeses, and farm-select ingredients are crafted into recipes in kitchens just like yours, these products are oven ready and easy to craft as your own.

AWARD CUISINE
The unique packaging  of their chicken pot pie, allows the top and bottom crust to get brown and flaky in the microwave which makes it easy to serve up made from scratch taste and appeal.

SIMPLOT
Fresh from the farm, then carefully frozen at the peak of maturity. Then frozen and packed up for your convenience. Click here to see more labor-saving produce ingredients.

BROOKLYN CANNOLI
When authenticity matters, Brooklyn Cannoli hits the mark. From the cannoli shells – chocolate dipped, mini or full size – to the traditional style cannoli filling. And you can’t forget the New York style cheesecake and pre-packed ready to travel tiramisu.

MISC ITEMS
Here are just a few miscellaneous items that are great for dessert, add-ons or for sale in retail capacity. Our La Brea Bakery Tuscan bread loaf is ready for you to finish baking and includes retail packaging bags in each case.