It's not just potluck anymore…

Archive for the ‘Photos’ Category

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Thanks to Steve Cronin and Pizza Ranch for bringing in 1400 pieces of delicious broasted chicken for our dinner last night. The Calvary kitchen crew was doing the happy chicken dance at not having to make the main dish this week.  Steve and his restaurant did a great job of getting the chicken to us freshly cooked and hot. We served a big crowd of 565 with chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, salad bar, fresh broccoli and banana pudding.  Look forward to another chicken dinner in the spring and a Pizza Ranch pizza extravaganza will be coming up on November 12th!

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Photos and Recipes from October 1st Dinner

Great attendence of 550 last night for our BBQ dinner at Calvary Lutheran Church in Rapid City, SD.

Great attendence of 550 last night for our BBQ dinner at Calvary Lutheran Church in Rapid City, SD.

The menu was BBQ pulled pork or brisket, salad bar, southern style baked beans, apples and caramel dip, and carrot cake.  Some of these recipes (or links to the recipes) will follow at the end of this post.

The menu was BBQ pulled pork or brisket, salad bar, southern style baked beans, apples and caramel dip, and carrot cake. Some of these recipes (or links to the recipes) will follow at the end of this post.

These guys like to come early and get the window seat.

These guys like to come early and get the window seat.

Our food seemed to agree with everyone of all ages tonight.

The menu gets a thumbs up from all age groups tonight. We love seeing these happy faces on Wednesday nights.

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Kitchen clean up is under control. Did you know that Calvary’s Kitchen received a 100% on a surprise health inspection this week?

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The key to our success…we enjoy each other’s company and keep smiling!

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Pork or beef?

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…she chooses the pork!

Our hard working volunteers are a dedicated bunch.  These 2 keep the drinks filled up, which isn't an easy job.  Each week we go through 500 half-pints of milk, 12 gallons or more of lemonade, 12 gallons of water, and 6 gallons of iced tea.

Our hard working volunteers are a dedicated bunch. These 2 keep the drinks filled up, which isn’t an easy job. Each week we go through 500 half-pints of milk, 12 gallons or more of lemonade, 12 gallons of water, and 6 gallons of iced tea.

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Just hanging out in the kitchen waiting for the dirty dishes to come rolling in.

NEW ORLEANS COLESLAW FOR A CROWD: Serves 400

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New Orleans Style Coleslaw

40# shredded cabbage with carrots (2 20# cases)

10# shredded carrots

12 bunches green onions (about 160 onions)

12 bunches celery, about 80 stalks

26 cups mayonnaise

8 cups buttermilk

6 cups maple syrup

2 cup apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

chopped pecans (Optional)

Mix all vegetables. Whisk dressing ingredients, toss with vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste.

The Carrot Cake recipe can be found here in a previous post: Calvary Carrot Cake Recipe

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake

This little cutie was licking her frosting off her cake as she walked back to her table!

This little cutie was licking the frosting off the cake as she walked back to her table. She proclaimed it to be “Delicious!”

Hot Chili on a Cold December Night

Over 400 faithful Wednesday meal diners donned their winter apparel and braved the below zero temperatures to join us for chili, tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches this week.

Over 400 faithful Wednesday meal diners donned their winter apparel and braved the below zero temperatures to join us for chili, tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

The kitchen crew made 10 roasters full of chili, 8 gallons of tomato soup, 480 grilled cheese sandwiches, and 48 angel food cake rolls.

The kitchen crew made 10 roasters of homemade chili, 8 gallons of tomato soup, 480 grilled cheese sandwiches, and 48 angel food cake rolls.

It's wonderful to see these youthful smiling faces.  Who wouldn't want to come here for dinner every week with this kind of service?

It’s wonderful to see these youthful smiling faces. THIS is why we do this, week after week–to teach our young people the importance of service to others and the priceless value of sharing a meal with family and friends in God’s house.

Blessings upon blessings at Calvary Lutheran Church...  After dinner, St. Nick's elves get prepped on proper shoe collecting, then the children gather to hear the message of giving and God's love for all. At the end of the service, Pastor Herb joins the kids for "I Get Down, and He lifts me up!" before the kids rush out to find their shoes filled with candy bags.

Blessings upon blessings at Calvary Lutheran Church… After dinner, St. Nick’s elves get prepped on proper shoe collecting, then the children gather to hear the message of giving and God’s love for all. At the end of the service, Pastor Herb joins the kids for “I Get Down, and He lifts me up!” before the kids rush out to find their shoes filled with candy bags.

What Happens on Wednesdays?

Here’s a look at a typical Wednesday at Calvary Lutheran Church.  It’s a fun place to be!

Dinner prep starts in the kitchen at 1:00, and work in the kitchen continues until the last dish is washed, usually around 8:00.

Dinner prep starts in the kitchen at 1:00, and work in the kitchen continues until the last dish is washed, usually around 8:00.

Sharing a meal with friends and family.

Dinner service starts at 4:45 and continues until 6:15. Two sessions of the children’s education classes allow some families to eat early, and some to eat late.

All ages are welcome and celebrated.

All ages are welcome and celebrated. Some weeks we have Milestone Ministries, helping families pass on the faith.

  • Milestones

    Milestone Ministry is a way of helping families pass on the Christian faith. It is a way to celebrate events in our every day lives that shape our identity and give us a sense of belonging to the family of Jesus Christ. Milestone’s bring an awareness of God’s presence into the home while also bringing the events of our every day lives into the congregation. Each month, we will be celebrating these sacred and ordinary milestones in conjunction with our Wednesday night service at 6:30*.

Milestones Nights – “Passing on the Faith”
Sept 18, 2013 – Kindergarten, Backpack Blessing
Sept 25, 2013 – 6th Grade, Middle School (NEW)
Oct 2, 2013 – 8th Grade, Entering Confirmation (NEW)
Oct 16, 2013 – 3rd Grade, Bibles
Nov 6, 2013 – 2nd Grade, The Lords Prayer
Nov 20, 2013 – Birth to 2, Baptism
Jan 15, 2014 – 1st Grade, Favors for Neighbors
Jan 29, 2014 – 4th Grade, Passing on the Faith
Feb 12, 2014 – 5th Grade, First Communion
Feb 26, 2014 – Pre-school (3,4,&5 yr olds), Belonging (UPDATED – 2 groups combined)
March 5, 2014 – 7th Grade, Serving Others* (At 7:00 pm worship service) (NEW)

And some nights we have special dinner music, as we did last week with Al Spreizer on accordian for our Octoberfest meal:

A 30 minute worship service follows dinner at 6:30, with gathering music by the Praise Band starting at 6:20.  The kids love it when the band plays, “I Get Down, and He Lifts Me Up”:

Great lyrics:

Lavishly our lives are wasted
Humbleness is left untasted
You can’t live your life to please yourself, yeah
That’s a tip from my mistakes
Exactly what it doesn’t take
To win you’ve got to come in last place
To live your life you’ve got to lose it
And all the losers get a crown

CHORUS:
I get down and He lifts me up
I get down and He lifts me up
I get down and He lifts me up
I get down

All I need’s another day
Where I can’t seem to get away
From the many things that drag me down, yeah
I’m sure you’ve had a day like me
Where nothing seems to set you free
From the burdens you can’t carry all alone
In your weakness He is stronger
In Your darkness He shines through
When you’re crying He’s your comfort
When your all alone, He’s carrying you

CHORUS

This valley is so deep
I can barely see the sun
I cry out for mercy, Lord
You lift me up again

Then after all of this, the high school group, confirmation groups, and adult Bible study groups meet.

All in all, Wednesdays are a great place to be at Calvary Lutheran Church.

A Great Start

600 church members and friends joined us for our hamburger cookout last night at Calvary Lutheran Church.  I hope you enjoyed the burgers, beans and tots, watermelon, and all those homemade cookies.  Here’s a new recipe we tried this week:

Brown Sugar Cookies

Makes 10 dozen

SAMSUNG CSC

2 cups Crisco

2 cups (1#) butter

5 cups firmly packed brown sugar, light or dark

4 large eggs

4 tsp vanilla

8 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

 

Preheat oven to 325* convection.

Beat together shortening, butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Whisk together flour, soda and salt.  Combine well with ingredients in mixer.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls.  Press lightly into decorative sugar or sprinkles.  Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Thanks to your donations last year, we started the new year with enough money to buy 20 dozen new plates, a new plate cart, 16 dozen new drink cups, 4 sets of salad dressing dispensers, a propane grill, 6 new soup kettles, 12 full size baking sheets, 12 steam table pans, and 2 high tech vegetable choppers (what a time saver!).  These new additions will make life in the kitchen easier and our hungry folks on Wednesday nights fed more efficiently.  Thanks for your financial support of this ministry.

Makes chopping fun (or at least fast!)

Makes chopping fun (or at least fast!)

It’s great to be back in the kitchen, and it’s wonderful to have lots of volunteers.

Vonna, Larry and Jim...still smiling through the mounds of dirty dishes!

Vonna, Larry and Jim…still smiling through the mounds of dirty dishes!

Doug and Karla thank you for bussing your own tables in a timely fashion!

Doug and Karla want to thank you for bussing your own tables in a timely fashion!

Jack, Randy, Dan and Perry (inside eating dinner?) endured the massive smoke and grilled up 480 mini burgers and 405 .3# burgers.

Jack, Randy, Dan and Perry (inside eating dinner?) endured the massive smoke and heat from the grill. They grilled 480 mini burgers and 405 .3# burgers. Thanks guys!

 

Baked beans, tater tots, burgers and the new salad dressing containers for the salad bar.

Baked beans, tater tots, burgers and salad. Check out the new salad dressing dispensers.

 

It's great to see these smiling faces in the dining room again.

It’s great to see these smiling faces in the dining room again.

At worship tonight after dinner, the kindergartens had a Milestone "Blessing of the Backpacks" for the beginning of school.

At worship tonight after dinner, the kindergartens had a Milestone “Blessing of the Backpacks” for the beginning of school.

Next week’s menu will be posted soon.  See you in church!

Christmas Pig Feast and the Molasses Cookie Recipe

What an amazing crowd of about 650 people at dinner last night!  We feasted on smoked pig and whole boneless pork loins, spinach salad with mandarin oranges, scalloped potatoes, apples, rice pudding and molasses cookies.  Tony Balay graciously offered to volunteer his time and BBQ expertise to prepare all the meat for us, which involved quite a lot of preparation.  Tony picked up the pig, a 220 pound Duroc, from a ranch in Scenic on Monday.  He prepped the pig and started smoking it on his grill at 10pm on Tuesday.  19 hours later, the Christmas pig was ready for display and within an hour and a half it was nothing but bare bones!  The volunteers in the kitchen prepped the 200 pounds of pork loin with a beer and butter marinade that was injected and allowed to absorb overnight in the refrigerator.  At noon on Wednesday, the loins were covered with seasonings and strips of bacon, then went into the smoker to cook for 4 hours.  Meanwhile, our hard-working volunteers made 100 dozen cookies, 24 crockpots of rice pudding, 18 pans of scalloped potatoes, and the salad with 36 pounds of spinach and 24 pounds of romaine lettuce.  Very few leftovers tonight!

 

Tony prepares the pig for display and carving.

Tony prepares the pig for display and carving.

 

All dressed up and ready for dinner.

All dressed up and ready for dinner.

 

Isn't she lovely.

Isn’t she lovely.

 

It's time to eat!

It’s time to eat!

Apples sauteed in butter with brown sugar and cinnamon goes great with roast pork.

Apples sauteed in butter with brown sugar and cinnamon goes great with roast pork.

Spinach salad with mandarin oranges, celery, green onions, sugared almonds, and an orange juice vinaigrette

Spinach salad with mandarin oranges, celery, green onions, sugared almonds, and an orange juice vinaigrette

 

Molasses cookies, look for the recipe at the end of this post.

Molasses cookies, look for the recipe at the end of this post.

Tony finally gets to eat dinner!  Thanks for all your hard work Tony!

Thank you Tony for all your hard work. Now you can have dinner too!

 

We made pretty quick work of this little piggy.

We made pretty quick work of this little piggy.

And then after dinner...a wonderful celebration of the season with our children singing songs of baby Jesus and Christmas Joy!

And then after dinner…a wonderful celebration of the season with our children singing songs of baby Jesus and Christmas Joy!

Molasses Cookies,  7 dozen made with small scoop

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup shortening

1 ½ cup sugar

½ cup molasses

2 eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups flour

2 ¼ tsp baking  soda

2 ¼ tsp ground ginger

1 ½ tsp ground cloves

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

½   tsp salt

granulated sugar for coating

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cream butter and shortening, then beat in sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in molasses and eggs until thoroughly combined.  Whisk dry ingredients together and add gradually to butter mixture until smooth and blended.  Drop by small scoops into sugar to coat, rolling into balls.  Put on ungreased cookie sheets or parchment paper to bake.  Bake for 7 or 8 minutes.  Cookies flatten as they bake.  Remove from oven and move to wire rack to cool.

 

We’re taking a little break from our Wednesday night programing from now until January 16th.  The menu for the 16th will be posted the week before, so check back here or on the Calvary Lutheran Church website http://www.calvaryrapidcity.org/events/ if you want to know what’s for dinner.  Thanks to all the many volunteers who have helped out in the kitchen and dining room for the first 13 weeks.  Looking forward to 14 more weeks in the coming new year before the break for summer!

Thanksgiving Dinner and Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Happy Thanksgiving from the Wednesday meal team! We hope you enjoyed our turkey and that you will enjoy some family time next week. See you back in the church dining room on Nov. 28th.

Well, another great turnout for dinner, education and worship at Calvary Lutheran Church last night.  We served 600 meals of turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and cupcakes in four flavors.  What goes into preparing a Thanksgiving feast for 600 people?  Here’s a short synopsis:

On Monday morning the Sysco order arrives on the delivery truck and the cooking begins.  120 pounds of sweet potatoes are washed, baked, peeled and mashed.  These go into the refrigerator to await becoming a casserole on Wednesday.  Also on Monday, chicken breasts are cooked and shredded for the dressing and the broth is saved for making gravy.

On Tuesday morning, a volunteer group of 10 show up at 9:30 ready to cook.  By 1:00 they have prepared 14 large pans of homemade cornbread, 74 dozen cupcakes, rinsed and brined all the turkeys, and  set up the serving tables in the dining room.

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20 boneless turkey breasts and 12 whole turkeys are ready to spend the night in the refrigerator in buckets and pans of seasoned brine on Tuesday morning.

Lemon, vanilla, chocolate and pumpkin cupcakes are baked on Tuesday.

On Wednesday morning at 7am, the smoker gets fired up with wood and charcoal by Kim Balay, and the turkeys get seasoned and buttered and go into the smoker for about 7 hours.  Thanks to Dan Ferber for manning the smoker from 8am to noon.  At 1:00, more volunteers arrive and the many recipes are divided up.  The dressing is mixed up by hand and put into the oven to bake for an hour and a half, the sweet potato casserole is whipped up in the mixer and it goes into the oven too.  The gravy is made and put into roasters to keep warm.

Cornbread dressing ingredients lined up and ready to be mixed.

The frosting is made and the cupcake extravaganza begins…

888 cupcakes frosted in under an hour!

A fine team of turkey carvers made short work of all that turkey just before dinnertime on Wednesday…

A little break from turkey carving before dinner starts

The cupcakes are ready to go

 

At 4:15, Connie has the water boiling and she begins cooking 96 pounds of green beans.  The potato pearls are mixed with hot water, cream cheese and sour cream and put into the insulated warmers.  And then dinner is served:

Recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole for 6 servings:

Sweet Potato Casserole:  6 servings

3 cups baked, peeled and mashed sweet potatoes (about 1 ½#)

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup melted butter

 

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

 

Combine first 6 ingredients.  Pour into a buttered 2 qt. casserole dish.  Mix remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over top.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until hot and browned.

 

 

Sweet Potato Casserole for a Crowd:

Sweet Potato Casserole  300 servings

12 half size disposable pans, ½ cup per serving, approx 24 servings per pan

 

140 cups mashed sweet potatoes (120# sweet potatoes, baked and peeled)

15 cups brown sugar  (5#, lightly packed)

80 eggs lightly beaten (6 dozen plus 8)

15 TBSP vanilla

12 1/2 cups whole milk (or more if needed)

5#  melted butter

 

Divide into 5 batches to combine in mixer.  Beat until smooth.

28 cups sweet potatoes

3 cups brown sugar

16 eggs, lightly beaten

3 TBSP vanilla

2 ½ cups whole milk

1# melted butter

 

Pour into a buttered  pans.  Bake at 325 for 45 min until hot.   Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle over top.  Bake an additional 30 minutes to brown.

Topping:  (Add after 45 min of cooking so top doesn’t burn)

8 cups brown sugar (5 1/3# lightly packed)

4 cup flour

1 1/2# melted butter

Fried Chicken Dinner

Calvary Lutheran Church was lively last night!  The 3 year olds through 5th graders shared their songs they learned in Wednesday school with the congregation at 6:30 worship.  Special guests from Woyatan Lutheran Church came to have dinner with us and share their drum circle and dancing with the high school youth group.

Our fried chicken dinner was delicious, thanks to a little help from Family Thrift Center on Omaha Street, who fried up 1000 pieces of chicken and delivered it to us Wednesday afternoon.  We made mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits, green beans, broccoli and chocolate cherry cake to go with the chicken, and there was not much left after serving 560 hungry people.  For the biscuits we used 4 cases (576 biscuits) of Sysco’s Bakerboy Butter flavored biscuit dough, which we put into the oven directly from the freezer and baked for 12 minutes.  We steamed the broccoli, boiled the green beans, and seasoned both with seasoned salt and a little melted butter.  Our mashed potatoes were mixed up using 22 packages of Excel Potato Pearls, hot water, and some cream cheese and sour cream added to each batch. Six gallons of gravy was mixed up in 2 large roasters using Sysco turkey gravy mix.  For dessert, we baked 14 chocolate cherry cakes in 12 x 20 x 2 inch cake pans on Tuesday morning.  We topped it with whipped cream or cool whip and a cherry (recipe below).

Chocolate Cherry Cake

560 servings: 14 cakes 12 x 20 x 2 inch pans.  Cut each in 40 pieces (8×5).  For one 9 x 13 cake, make 1/2 of the following recipe.

 

Each Cake: (Make 14 times)

2 pkg (18.25 oz each) devil’s food cake mix with pudding

6 eggs

2 Tbsp almond extract

2 21 oz cans cherry pie filling (use 5 1/2 #10 cans cherry pie filling)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Mix together cake mix, eggs, extract, pie filling and chocolate chips, and stir until just combined.  Pour batter into greased pan.

Bake at 325* convection for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from oven.  Spread glaze on cake while warm.

 

Glaze (for each cake): Melt chocolate with butter and milk.  Stir in sifted powdered sugar.

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp milk

1 cup powdered sugar

Cut each cake into 40 pieces (8×5) and top with cool whip and a cherry.

Thanks for visiting us!

 

Pork Roast and Cheesecake Recipes

It wasn’t a traditional Irish dinner, but in the spirit of the season, we decked out the dining room in green.  We served 470 for dinner with 200 pounds of boneless pork loin roasts, broccoli rice casserole, sweet potato casserole, and dinner rolls.  For dessert we made 30 cheesecakes with fresh strawberries and a strawberry glaze on top and 5 gallons of chocolate pudding.  Here are a couple of requested recipes from our dinner:

Roasted Pork Loin

5 pound boneless pork loin, rubbed with a mixture of 1 tsp sage, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1 clove crushed garlic.  Marinate in refrigerator overnight with the rub, or go ahead and cook right away.  Roast uncovered at 325 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.

Mix glaze ingredients in saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbly and thickened.

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBSP cornstarch

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 TBSP soy sauce

Brush roast with glaze and return to oven for an additional half hour.  Rest the roast for 10 minutes before slicing.

Basic Cheesecake adapted from The Foster’s Market Cookbook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 ½ pounds cream cheese, softened

¾ cup sugar

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

½ cup heavy cream

2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325*.  Cut cream cheese into small pieces and blend with electric mixer until soft and creamy.  Add sugar and flour slowly until completely incorporated.  Add eggs and yolk one at a time, beating after each addition.  Combine the cream and vanilla in another bowl and slowly add to the cream cheese mixture, blending thoroughly.

Pour filling into prepared pan (see below).  Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan or baking dish.  Add enough water to come 1 inch up the sides to make a water bath.  Place the roasting pan with the cheesecake in the oven to bake for 1-1 ¼ hours, until the cheesecake sets and is firm about ¾’s of the way into the center, the center will be slightly loose.

Remove cheesecake from oven and remove from water bath.  Place on a baking rack to cool completely.  Leave in the springform pan and place in the refrigerator to chill several hours or overnight.  Add topping.

Crust:

1 ½ cups graham crackers, crushed

3 Tbsp sugar

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Combine and press into bottom of greased springform pan, pressing about 1 inch up the inside of the pan.  Place in refrigerator and chill until ready to use.  Before adding filling, wrap the bottom of the pan with a large sheet of foil, going up the sides about 2 inches to prevent any water to seep in from the water bath.

Strawberry Glaze:  from Junior’s Cheesecake Cookbook

1 cup strawberry jelly

½ cup apricot preserves

1 Tbsp light corn syrup

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp cold water

½ cup pureed fresh strawberries

Mix jelly, preserves and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted.  Blend in strawberry puree.  In a small cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the water, then whisk into the glaze mixture.  Bring to a simmer and cook until it boils, thickens and turns clear.  Strain the glaze and drizzle over berries on top of the cheesecake.  Refrigerate until cold and glaze has set, about 2 hours.

NOTE:  Since we made 30 cheesecakes, we did not use a water bath.  The tops of the cheesecakes crack a bit, but when you cover them up with strawberries who can tell?  Also, in making the glaze, we opted not to strain it in the interest of time and it still looks and tastes great.

“Thanks for making my birthday dinner!”  Happy 9th Birthday Ellie!

Mitch and EJ are regulars on Wednesdays. Thanks for joining us guys!

“Don’t come any closer and don’t touch my food…I’m just getting started and it’s delicious!”   (at least I think that’s what he said)

Greek Dinner Recipes

Here are all the recipes from our Greek menu last night.  We made 576 baked lemon chicken breasts (bone-in, skin on), 165 pounds of roasted yukon gold potatoes, and 350 servings of Greek Salad.  On the side we had pita bread with 24 pounds of prepared Hummus and 2 gallons of Kronos Tzatziki sauce that were ordered from Sysco.

 

Here’s the original recipe from Ina Garten, “The Barefoot Contessa”, from her newest cookbook How Easy Is That?

Lemon Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

» 1/4 cup good olive oil
» 3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
» 1/3 cup dry white wine
» 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
» 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
» 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
» 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
» Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
» 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
» 1 lemon

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just one minute — but don’t allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt, and pour into a 9-by-12-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in eight wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for two minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

 

GREEK SALAD:  350 servings

50# case Cucumbers, seeded, peeled, cubed (about 50 lg or 80 smaller cucumbers)

25# case Roma tomatoes, diced (about 100-120)

2 large red onions, about 2#, thinly sliced lengthwise

12# feta cheese, either crumbled or cubed

12 cups kalamata olives, pitted  ( 4.4# jar from Sysco)

Dressing:  Whisk to combine

2 cups lemon juice

1 cup red wine vinegar

7 ½ cups olive oil

2 cups dried oregano

2 TBSP Salt

1 TBSP pepper

If you don’t have 350 to feed for dinner, here’s the smaller version of the recipe:

GREEK SALAD FOR 20

3 1/2# Cucumbers, seeded, peeled, cubed (about 5)

1 3/4#  Roma tomatoes, diced (about 7)

1/4 of a large red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise

12 oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled

¾ cup kalamata olives, pitted

Dressing:  Whisk to combine

2 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP red wine vinegar

½ cups olive oil

2 TBSP dried oregano

½ tsp Salt

½ tsp pepper

 

 

Greek Roasted Potatoes with Garlic, Lemon, and Oregano

Serves 10
3 pounds pre-cooked Yukon Gold potatoes, use either whole small potatoes, or larger ones cut into wedges

¼ cup olive oil
½  tsp garlic powder

¾  tsp dried oregano, crumbled
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ cup chicken stock
2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375°F convection. Combine all ingredients except potatoes in large bowl.  Toss potatoes in marinade to coat.  Put on sheet pans covered with Silicone mats or foil in a single layer.  Drizzle extra marinade over potatoes.
Baking time will depend on whether or not potatoes were pre-cooked.  The pre-cooked, frozen potatoes will take about 35 minutes to roast until golden brown. Uncooked potatoes will take additional time.  Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking for a Crowd:

Greek Roasted Potatoes with Garlic, Lemon, and Oregano

Serves 525  5 oz servings

165 pounds pre-cooked Yukon Gold potatoes (Eleven 15# cases Baby Bakers frozen potatoes from Sysco) or use fresh uncooked Yukon Gold Potatoes cut into wedges

10 ½  cups olive oil
12 TBSP garlic powder

13 TBSP dried oregano, crumbled
4 TBSP salt
1 TBSP ground black pepper
130 oz chicken stock
6 ½  cups freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375°F convection. Combine all ingredients except potatoes in large bowl.  Toss potatoes in marinade to coat.  Put on sheet pans covered with Silicone mats or foil in a single layer.  Drizzle extra marinade over potatoes.
Baking time will depend on whether or not potatoes were pre-cooked.  The pre-cooked, frozen potatoes will take about 35 minutes to roast until golden brown. Uncooked potatoes will take additional time.  Add more salt and pepper to taste.

 


For dessert we served Blue Bunny Mango Tango Sorbet and Wholesome Farms Raspberry Sherbet.


καλή όρεξη   kali orexi

 Enjoy your dinner!

Bon Appetit!