Side Dishes from the Lucas Kitchen

Remember we recently put together our Menu of ideas for producing foods that your customers can enjoy at home?  Within the Menu, we included a section on Side Dishes and we’ve been giving some further thought to this.  We reckon that your Side Dishes don’t need to be on the side-lines, they could easily become the Main Event!

This approach could also help you to satisfy a broader customer base, with dishes that are suitable for the vegetarians, as well as the meat-eaters in a family.  Who can resist a big plate of Cauliflower Cheese – served as a main course with some crusty bread, or as a side dish with a chop, or gammon steak?  Likewise, a bowl of cheesy Potato Mash served with chunks of veg, or with a lamb cutlet might suit everyone in the family.

It’s so easy to get creative with side dishes too.  Simple additions can really help you make a meal of even apparently ordinary foods.  Mushrooms drenched in our Garlic & Herb butter, is simply delicious.  Take a shredded and cooked cabbage or leeks, add our Bechamel Sauce and some stir-fried bacon trimmings and suddenly you have something really tasty on the table.  Sprinkle pine nuts, or herbs on the top of your side-dishes to make them look even more appealing and interesting.  This is your opportunity to make restaurant-style meals for your customers that are actually really quick and easy to prepare.

A little bit of creativity goes a long way when it comes to making side dishes seem really special.  Creamy Potato Gratin made using Lucas Bechamel Sauce mix really could be a meal in itself – especially if it’s served with something a bit different like sausages (vegetarian, or meat).  Who says you have to have mash with sausages? (Though, of course, there’s nothing wrong with that tried and tested combination!).

Then of course, there’s the matter of profit.  Side dishes can be really very profitable and offer you the opportunity to make incremental sales.  Your customers are better locked in (not literally in these strange times) and will not necessarily need to go elsewhere to produce a complete meal at home.  They can come to you, their local butcher, for everything, knowing they’ll be getting something fresh, reliable and of good quality.

So, be sure to make the most of Side Dishes and don’t miss out!