Simpler food prepared with passion and expertise has taken center stage. Seize the mega trend of casualization with these delicious recipes.
Flavor-forward, casual food is the order of the day. In fact, many see the casualization of American menus as a trend that will shift today's culinary landscape, impacting food culture even more so than here-to-stay trends like small plates or comfort food. Indeed, it makes sense—post-recession, diners still seek value, but continue to yearn for elevated culinary experiences. They want great food, but less fan fare. Celebrity chefs are making the move from white-tablecloth to casual, multi units are upping their value proposition—and independent operators need to balance the value equation, too, creating food memories without budget-busting prices.
Today's casual-food recipe development needs to deliver the goods to flavor seekers. It needs to wow with authentic, layered profiles, yet hit the strike zone of laid back, unfussy experience. Our chefs at the Kraft Culinary Centre live and breathe this approach, creating flavor-driven recipes that offer diners safe culinary adventures. Here are their latest casual-menu masterpieces.
Casual Recipes for Summer Dining
Seafood Quiche
Menu solutions: shareable appetizer; catering; brunch; lunch entrée
Other uses for custard: make mini quiches in tart pan
Here, our chefs elevate the classically simple quiche with an elegant combination of lobster, shrimp and crab, making those ingredients more accessible in a familiar presentation. Philadelphia Cream Cheese makes the custard silky smooth and Kraft ChedaSharp Pasteurized Process American Cheese Spread adds depth and texture. "For operators, quiche is a great way to use up what's in your pantry," says Barry Miles, executive corporate chef for Kraft Foodservice.
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
Menu solutions: side dish; catering; buffet
Other profiles: whole-wheat pasta salad; red quinoa salad
This recipe showcases the lasting trend of ratcheting up flavor, elevating culinary experience from everyday to memorable—from picnic potato salad to side-dish worthy potato salad. Roasted sweet potatoes combine with the full flavors of Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil, Oscar Mayer Bacon, blue cheese, grilled scallion and red pepper. Apple-cider vinegar adds its subtle sweetness to the mix.
Creamy Beet Salad
Menu solutions: appetizer
Other uses for cream-cheese blend: add herbs for a dip; use as sandwich spread
A more accessible version of the classic goat cheese and beet combination, our chefs replace the goat cheese with quenelles of Philly blended with heavy cream. They roast the beets in a gastrique (cider vinegar and sugar), then top with the creamy quenelles. "The cream-cheese element brings a softer tone to the profile than goat cheese, which has a bit of a gamey taste to it that not all diners love," says Chef Miles.
Grilled Veal Rib Chops with Dijon-Chickpea Salad & Spicy Tomato Chutney
Menu solutions: entrée
Other uses for creamy Dijon sauce: serve with grilled or poached fish
With its unabashed layering of flavors in a relaxed presentation, this dish personifies the casualization of menus. One of our 2010 Chefs of Grey Poupon, Joshua Linton, executive chef at Aja in the Dana Hotel & Spa, Chicago, replaced the formal accompaniments of piped mashed potatoes and perhaps a bundle of haricot vert with an informal profile. It's a simpler, fresher concept that still delivers complex flavors.
Barbecue Glazed Char-Burger with Tangy Coleslaw
Menu solutions: bar food; entrée
Other profile: use glaze on pork chops or ribs
Although the burger always plays well on casual menus, this one dials up flavor delivery on all fronts—from the glaze and the rub to the coleslaw and onion-straw garnish. For the glaze, our chefs heat a blend of Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce and A.1. Thick & Hearty Steak Sauce, which then caramelizes over the burger. "This recipe shows how you can still achieve great flavor balance and texture contrast in casual food," says Chef Miles.
Open-Face Smoked Salmon Sandwich
Menu solutions: lunch entrée; brunch item
Other uses for the spread: use in omelets or scrambled eggs (minus the cucumber)
Casualizing the formal smoked-salmon canapé, our chefs chose a hearty and thick slice of country-wheat bread. Philadelphia Cream Cheese blended with Grey Poupon Bistro Sauce and chives bumps up the sandwich spread with a subtle background of horseradish. The fresh flavors of seedless cucumber, red onion and micro greens balance the sandwich beautifully.
Caribbean Steak Flatbread Sandwich
Menu solutions: lunch entrée; bar food
Other protein: substitute the steak with pulled pork
Steak sandwiches aren't new, but turning up the flavor on them is what today's diners crave. A blend of orange marmalade, chipotle and A.1. Thick & Hearty Steak Sauce delivers sweet, smoky and savory beautifully.
Baked Spanish Tortilla with Salsa Verde Greens
Menu solutions: lunch entrée; brunch item; buffet
Global flavors are one of the largest spokes on the wheel of today's casualization trend. Here, guest chef Randy Zweiban and chef/owner of Chicago's Province, translates the Spanish tortilla with familiar and beloved flavors, like Oscar Mayer Bacon and Grey Poupon Country Dijon Mustard.
Whole Wheat Linguine Pasta Salad
Menu solutions: lunch entrée; brunch item
Other ideas: grill vegetables instead of roast; use grilled chicken breast instead of skirt steak
Pasta salads may be casual, but don't need to be boring. This recipe exhibits bold, fresh flavors wrapped in a better-for-you profile. Our chefs turn to Kraft Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette with Extra Virgin Olive Oil for its bright, layered tones.