Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Prep Tips

The definition of efficient prep work changes by day part. The basics are the same for each meal, but to really cut costs you need to look at the specific challenges of breakfast, lunch, and dinner service.

Turn and burn for efficient breakfast service.

If an operation serves breakfast or brunch, speed is always essential for guest satisfaction. Keeping tables turning is especially important for lower-check-average day parts like breakfast. Certain kitchen tricks are necessary to "turn and burn," maintaining quality and keeping guests satisfied. In high-volume operations, prepared items like liquid eggs that can be poured into a waiting omelet pan can save measurable man-hours in cracking eggs. Preshredded cheeses eliminate the fuss of setting up and cleaning food processors. Products that you only have to reach for save the short-order cook time and keep finished plates flying out of the kitchen.

Prepared foods like scoop-and-bake muffin mixes help save time. Likewise for the increasingly high-quality, par-baked artisan breads, which are available in many flavors and sizes. High-quality, thick, crusty, fresh bread adds value to many morning menu items. Breakfast sandwiches and grilled Paninis (a type of bread) get an added value lift from high-quality breads. Because these breads are at their best on the day they are baked, the remaining loaf or two make excellent fresh croutons for the afternoon lunch soup or salad.

Other breakfast tips include cutting ingredients as small as possible to keep morning sauté items and omelets buzzing out of the pan. Smaller items heat faster and keep pick-up times down. Also, blanch and shock green vegetables in well-salted water before service. Broccoli, green beans, and zucchini all favor a short bath before cooking. Roasting mushrooms before service also picks up the pace in the pan, along with adding another level of flavor to a morning omelet favorite. Buy preslice button mushrooms, and in a preheated roasting pan use some good-quality olive oil, sliced garlic, fresh thyme sprigs with salt and pepper. Roast them in a high-heat oven for 8-10 minutes.