Enjoyment. The strongest performers of the prior cycle are retained unchanged as anchors: braised short ribs with red wine gravy, filet tips bordelaise, chicken Marsala cream, wild king salmon, beef filet Bolognese, beef meatloaf with mushroom gravy, beef stroganoff, and slow-braised pot roast (replacing the prime rib-style roast per client direction, with pulled barbecue pork added to the rotation). Every dinner keeps a sauce or gravy per the house style — moist, tender, mild, depth from butter, cream, wine, and mushrooms.
Time on task. Prior-cycle days were running roughly 130–150 hands-on minutes. The new ceiling is 110. The gap closes three ways: (1) purchased deli sides where store quality equals scratch (Costco potato salad and coleslaw are the model); (2) a Sunday soup-base block (~20 min, outside the weekday window) so every scratch soup is a 9-minute finish on its service day; (3) day-before staging for every extra-long item so no single morning carries a braise, a gratin, and a bake.
Product volume. Buying the commodity cold sides also removes their ingredient trains (mayonnaise, celery, cabbage, pickle, eggs for dressing) from the grocery order and cold-storage load — fewer SKUs in the Atosa units, more room for RTE zoning.
BUY — store quality equals or nearly equals scratch; time saved noted per appearance:
MAKE — signature, non-negotiable: every dinner sauce and gravy, Bolognese, chicken salad, tuna salad, grainy mustard cream, Dijon cream, hollandaise, macaroni salad, Italian pasta salad, and every soup, all scratch — tomato basil, bisque, butternut squash, chicken noodle, corn chowder, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, potato leek, creamy potato, creamy vegetable, cauliflower, tomato rice.
Soup program: one Sunday base block (~20 min at two soups per week, alongside the Wk 4 pulled pork shoulder when applicable) builds the week's soup bases — velouté/cream mother base plus roasted or sweated aromatics per soup, chilled below 40°F. Each service day the soup is a 9-minute finish: add the vegetable or protein, cream, purée, season. Nothing purchased.
Judgment call — pasta & macaroni salads: homemade Italian pasta salad runs 25–30 minutes; homemade macaroni salad ~20. Rule: never make either twice in one week, and never both in the same day. Both are always homemade — no deli substitution. Appearances: Italian pasta salad Wk 3 Fri (staged Sunday) and Wk 4 Wed (in-budget) · macaroni salad Wk 1 Fri (staged Thursday), Wk 2 Fri (staged Sunday), Wk 4 Mon (staged Sunday). The two are interchangeable week to week at chef’s discretion. Both improve overnight; always staged, never day-of on a heavy morning.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Soft scrambled eggs, Comté & chive cream · multigrain toast · seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry) | Turkey, Swiss & avocado on sourdough bread (was wrap), creamy herb dressing BUY base · potato leek soup MAKE — Sunday base, 9-min finish | Beef meatloaf, mushroom gravy MAKE · creamy mashed potatoes · buttered green beans | ~88 |
| Tuesday | Creamy oatmeal, brown sugar, banana, walnuts · corn muffin top BUY bake-off (was toast) | Chicken Caesar wrap, mild dressing BUY · side garden salad, creamy herb dressing (was tomato basil soup) | Swordfish, lemon butter cream (was cod) MAKE · roasted red potatoes (was rice pilaf) · creamed spinach | ~92 |
| Wednesday | French toast on brioche · warm maple butter · chicken sausage (was turkey sausage) | Roast beef & Comté on kaiser roll (was wrap), grainy mustard cream MAKE (was horseradish cream) · potato salad BUY Costco | Beef filet Bolognese (was bison), pappardelle MAKE — start sauce 5:00, passive simmer · light garlic bread · roasted broccoli, olive oil & Parmesan (was zucchini — zucchini removed) | ~95 |
| Thursday | Egg, cheddar & ham sandwich on multigrain · roasted breakfast potatoes | Tuna salad sandwich, Swiss cheese MAKE salad (was tuna melt, Havarti — cold build, no melt) · cream of mushroom soup MAKE — signature; Sunday base, 9-min finish | Classic Chicken Divan, sherry Mornay & broccoli crowns (was chicken à la King over rice — rice count drops to 2) MAKE — bake passive · buttermilk biscuit BUY bake-off | ~97 |
| Friday | Greek yogurt parfait, honey, seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry), soft granola BUY granola · toast (jam removed — no cooked fruits) | Ham, turkey & Swiss club on Portuguese roll (was brioche, was wrap), creamy Dijon MAKE · homemade macaroni salad MAKE — staged Thursday, chilled overnight (was Costco coleslaw — coleslaw removed program-wide) | Braised short ribs, red wine gravy EXTRA-LONG — braise Thursday, passive oven; Friday reheat in gravy · buttered egg noodles (was creamy polenta — all polenta removed) · roasted carrots | ~84 |
Soup days (2): potato leek Monday, cream of mushroom Thursday — both signatures, both scratch via the Sunday base block. Tuesday and Friday soups removed per the two-per-week rule. Thursday now carries Friday’s macaroni salad (~20 min) alongside the passive Divan bake and short-rib braise — ~97, inside the window.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Soft scrambled eggs, Fontina · corn muffin top BUY bake-off (was toast) · orange slices (was melon) | Beef filet burger on brioche bun (was bison burger), cheddar, mild burger sauce · kettle chips (was creamy potato soup; pickle spear deleted) | Pan-seared chicken breast, spinach & Comté mushroom cream (stuffing deleted — sauté spinach into the sauce) MAKE · roasted sweet potatoes (was rice pilaf; broccoli florets deleted) | ~78 |
| Tuesday | Cream of wheat, maple syrup, cinnamon & cream · toast · chicken sausage (added v1.53) | Turkey & cream cheese wrap (cranberry removed — no cooked fruits) · cream of mushroom soup MAKE — signature; Sunday base, 9-min finish (was butternut squash) | Beef stroganoff, egg noodles, sour cream mushroom sauce MAKE · buttered peas | ~108 ▲ |
| Wednesday | Ham & Gruyère omelet · corn muffin top BUY bake-off (was toast) · seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry) | Chicken salad on butter croissant (was wrap) — grapes, celery, mild tarragon MAKE salad BUY croissant · side garden salad (was creamy vegetable soup) | Skinless salmon, dill cream sauce MAKE · roasted red potatoes (was herbed rice) · creamed leeks | ~93 |
| Thursday | Ham & Comté quiche MAKE — assemble ~15 min, oven-passive bake (was pancakes — pancakes now every-six-weeks rotation) · fresh seasonal fruit (chicken sausage removed — quiche carries the ham) | Roast beef & cheddar on kaiser roll (caramelized onion removed) (was wrap), grainy mustard cream MAKE (was horseradish cream) · tomato bisque MAKE — Sunday base, 9-min finish | Turkey pot pie, creamy gravy EXTRA-LONG — filling made Tuesday (light day, ~78 min); pie crust topping BUY; Thursday = assemble & bake · green beans almondine | ~101 |
| Friday | Ham & cheddar breakfast hash, roasted potatoes, soft scrambled eggs (was soft egg; was breakfast rice bowl — Asian-format removed) · toast | Grilled chicken & avocado ranch wrap (bacon removed) BUY ranch · homemade macaroni salad MAKE — staged Sunday alongside the base block, chilled; Friday pack only (was creamy cucumber salad, was corn chowder) | Filet tips, bordelaise-style gravy MAKE · mashed Yukon potatoes · buttered carrots | ~96 |
Tuesday is deliberately light (~78): that slack is assigned — Thursday's pot pie filling is staged Tuesday morning inside the window (caramelized onions removed from the cycle).
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Soft scrambled eggs with Fontina Val d’Aosta, corn muffin top BUY bake-off (was toast; was poached eggs, light hollandaise) · chicken sausage (was turkey sausage) · seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry) | Turkey, Comté & roasted red pepper wrap, creamy herb spread · side garden salad (was cauliflower soup) | Pot roast, red wine pan gravy (was prime rib-style roast; moved from Friday v1.55) MAKE EXTRA-LONG — braise Sunday, passive oven; Monday shred-slice & reheat in gravy · potato gratin par-bake Sunday, finish Monday · glazed carrots | ~100 |
| Tuesday | Banana walnut oatmeal, cream & brown sugar · toast | Chicken pot pie filling over rice MAKE — same base method as Wk 2 · small side salad | Swordfish, sherry cream sauce (was haddock) MAKE · roasted yams (was buttered rice — clears the rice-at-lunch-and-dinner collision) · creamed peas | ~92 |
| Wednesday | Cheddar scrambled eggs with ham · corn muffin top BUY bake-off (was toast) · orange slices (melon dropped) | Philly-style beef on kaiser roll (was wrap), provolone (mild cheese sauce / mornay removed — provolone carries the sandwich) · creamy potato leek soup MAKE — Sunday base, 9-min finish | Prime New York strip, onion-mushroom pan gravy (was bison Salisbury steak) MAKE — pan-seared, rested, gravy to finish · mashed potatoes · buttered corn | ~83 |
| Thursday | Cottage cheese bowl, peaches, honey, soft granola BUY granola · toast | Tuna, Swiss & tomato wrap, creamy dill dressing MAKE · cream of chicken soup MAKE — Sunday base, 9-min finish · vanilla Greek yogurt cup with honey BUY (was rice pudding) | Chicken Marsala cream sauce MAKE · butter noodles · buttered Savoy cabbage (was roasted zucchini) | ~90 |
| Friday | Belgian waffle, maple cream · chicken sausage (was turkey bacon, then turkey sausage) · seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry) | Ham & Gruyère on Portuguese roll (was brioche, was wrap), creamy Dijon MAKE · homemade Italian pasta salad MAKE — staged Sunday alongside the base block, chilled; Friday pack only (was creamy cucumber salad) | Beef Bolognese lasagna, ricotta & mozzarella EXTRA-LONG — sauce & assembly Thursday, day-before; Friday = bake only. Alternate: baked rigatoni Bolognese, saves ~35 min (moved from Monday v1.55) · Caesar salad BUY mild dressing · garlic toast | ~82 |
Monday note (~100): pot roast braise and gratin par-bake land Sunday (braise oven-passive, outside the weekday window); Monday is reheat, gratin finish, and sides. Friday (~82) is lasagna bake-only — sauce and assembly staged Thursday, so Friday never inherits raw work.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Soft-scrambled eggs, Comté · corn muffin top BUY bake-off (was toast) · seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry) (added v1.48) | Pulled barbecue pork on brioche, mild sweet BBQ sauce (added — replaces chicken avocado wrap) MAKE pork BUY premium sauce, butter finish EXTRA-LONG — shoulder cooked Sunday/day-before, 6+ hr passive; Monday = shred & sauce, 15 min · homemade macaroni salad MAKE — staged Sunday alongside the base block, chilled; Monday pack only (was Costco coleslaw — coleslaw removed program-wide) | Tenderloin beef tips, Pinot Noir demi-glace wild mushroom sauce MAKE — finished scratch from glace de viande (was Pinot Noir red wine mushroom gravy) · roasted sweet potatoes (was buttered rice) · steamed broccoli | ~85 |
| Tuesday | Farmer's omelette — potato, shallot, red pepper, ham, cheese · toast | Black Forest ham & Swiss on rye swirl · potato salad BUY Costco | Wild King salmon, lemon-caper sauce MAKE — gently oven-baked · rice pilaf · asparagus tips | ~85 |
| Wednesday | Italian frittata — Parmesan, mozzarella, roasted red pepper, spinach, basil · seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry) | Turkey, avocado & sliced apple on classic ciabatta roll — Havarti, arugula, grainy mustard (was bison meatball sandwich) · Italian pasta salad MAKE — always homemade, single weekly appearance, ~25 min inside the ~90 budget (buy option removed) | Chicken & wild mushroom casserole — mushroom medley of shiitake, king trumpet & oyster MAKE — day-before braise Tuesday (light day), gentle reheat · buttered carrots | ~90 |
| Thursday | Ham & Comté quiche MAKE — assemble ~15 min, oven-passive bake (was buttermilk pancakes — pancakes now every-six-weeks rotation) · chicken sausage (was turkey sausage) · fresh fruit (no melon) | Roast beef & Havarti on brioche, mild Dijon spread (caramelized shallot removed) MAKE · side Caesar salad, mild dressing BUY (was pasta salad from Wednesday batch) | Pork tenderloin medallions, Dijon cream pan sauce MAKE — scratch pan sauce (was apple sauce — no cooked fruits) · roasted potatoes · green beans blanched & buttered | ~99 |
| Friday | Cheese omelet, Gruyère & chives · corn muffin top BUY bake-off (was toast) · seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry) (added v1.56) | Chicken salad on Portuguese roll (was brioche, was wrap), crisp lettuce MAKE · potato salad BUY Costco | Chicken Fettuccine Ricardo — cream sauce MAKE — scratch cream sauce, pan-seared chicken (was beef filet Bolognese, rigatoni) · tender broccolini | ~82 |
Wednesday note (~90): the cold-build ciabatta keeps Wednesday off the ceiling. Pasta salad is a single weekly appearance (Thursday converted to Caesar) — always homemade, carried inside the ~90.
| Item | Where | Full-Scratch Reality | Mitigation (assigned, not optional) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braised short ribs | Wk 1 · Fri | 3–3.5 hr braise | Braise Thursday afternoon, oven-passive; Friday reheat gently in gravy. Flavor improves overnight. |
| Bolognese lasagna | Wk 3 · Fri | ~150+ min (sauce + assembly + 50-min bake) | Sauce and assembly Thursday (day-before); Friday is bake-only. Alternate: convert to baked rigatoni Bolognese (−35 min) if the Thursday slot is unavailable. |
| Turkey pot pie | Wk 2 · Thu | ~150 min full scratch | Filling made Tuesday (78-min day); pie crust topping (purchased); Thursday assemble + bake. |
| Pot roast | Wk 3 · Mon | 3–4 hr braise | Braise Sunday, oven-passive alongside the gratin par-bake (outside the weekday window); Monday shred-slice and reheat gently in red wine pan gravy. |
| Potato gratin | Wk 3 · Mon | 20 min prep + 75-min bake | Par-bake Sunday, finish and brown Monday. |
| Scratch soup program | All weeks | Scratch soup ~22 min day-of | Two soups per week (Wks 1–3), zero Wk 4. Sunday base block ~20 min outside the weekday window (velouté/cream bases + aromatics, chilled <40°F); each soup is a 9-min finish on its service day. |
| Pulled barbecue pork | Wk 4 · Mon | 6+ hr low oven | Shoulder cooked Sunday or day-before, fully passive; Monday hands-on is shred and sauce only (~15 min). Mild sweet BBQ sauce: premium purchased, butter finish. |
| Beef filet Bolognese (sauce) | Wk 1 · Wed (Wk 4 Fri retired v1.48) | 90-min simmer | Passive, not hands-on: start at 5:00 sharp, build the rest of the day around it. No day-before needed. |
| Chicken & wild mushroom casserole | Wk 4 · Wed | Braise + assemble | Day-before braise Tuesday (standing policy); gentle reheat Wednesday. |
| Homemade pasta salad | Wk 4 · Wed | 25–30 min per batch | Single weekly appearance (Thu now Caesar). Always homemade, carried within Wednesday’s ~90. Never twice-made in one week. |
| Where | Was | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 Tue dinner | Baked cod, lemon butter cream | Swordfish, lemon butter cream |
| Wk 3 Tue dinner | Haddock, sherry cream | Swordfish, sherry cream |
| Wk 1 Tue · Wk 2 Mon/Tue · Wk 3 Mon/Wed lunches & sides | Melon / sliced melon / soft grapes or melon | Grapes · orange slices · pineapple — melon removed everywhere |
| Wk 2 Thu · Wk 3 Fri breakfasts | Turkey bacon | Chicken sausage (via turkey sausage, superseded v1.21) |
| Wk 2 Fri lunch | Chicken, bacon & ranch wrap | Chicken & avocado ranch wrap — bacon removed |
| Wk 4 Mon lunch | Chicken bacon avocado wrap | Pulled barbecue pork on brioche, mild sweet BBQ sauce, Costco coleslaw — added per client request; bacon item eliminated |
| Wk 3 Fri dinner | Prime rib-style roast, au jus & horseradish cream | Pot roast, red wine pan gravy — braised Thursday, reheated in gravy Friday |
| All berry callouts | "Fresh berries" (unspecified) | Blueberry, strawberry, blackberry only — no raspberry |
| Wk 2 Fri breakfast | Breakfast rice bowl, soft egg, ham & scallions | Ham, egg & cheddar breakfast hash — nothing Asian, rice-bowl format removed |
| Wk 1 Tue · Wk 2 Mon/Wed · Wk 3 Tue · Wk 4 Mon dinners | Rice pilaf / herbed rice / buttered rice (5 dishes) | Roasted red potatoes (Wk 1 Tue, Wk 2 Wed) · roasted sweet potatoes (Wk 2 Mon, Wk 4 Mon) · roasted yams (Wk 3 Tue) — rice reduced from 7 dinner sides to 2 (à la King over rice, Wk 4 Tue pilaf) |
| Wk 1 Fri dinner | Creamy polenta (with short ribs) | Buttered egg noodles — all polenta removed cycle-wide |
| Two lunches per week, all four weeks | Wraps (15 of 20 lunches) | Converted to kaiser roll (Wk 1 roast beef, Wk 2 roast beef & onion, Wk 3 Philly beef; the Wk 4 meatball kaiser was later replaced — see below) and brioche bun (Wk 1 club, Wk 2 bison burger, Wk 3 ham & Gruyère, Wk 4 chicken salad) — wrap count reduced 15 → 7 |
| Wk 2 Mon dinner | Stuffed chicken breast (spinach & Comté), asparagus tips | Pan-seared chicken breast, spinach & Comté folded into the mushroom cream · broccoli florets — day drops ~107 → ~92, ceiling flag cleared |
| All soups, cycle-wide | 8 purchased premium soups, cream-finished | All soups scratch — Sunday base block + 9-min day-of finishes; buy list now carries no soups |
| Wk 2 Wed · Wk 3 Thu lunches | Rice pudding cups | All rice pudding removed — fresh fruit cup (Wk 2 Wed) · vanilla Greek yogurt cup with honey (Wk 3 Thu) |
| Soup count, Wks 1–3 | 14 soup appearances (4/5/5/0) | Two per week — Wk 1: potato leek, cream of mushroom · Wk 2: cream of mushroom, tomato bisque (butternut retired v1.47) · Wk 3: potato leek, cream of chicken. Removed soups replaced with salads, fruit, cucumber salad; tomato rice removal also cuts another rice item. Wk 3 Fri drops off the ceiling (~102). |
| Wk 4 Wed lunch | Bison meatballs on kaiser, mild tomato cream | Turkey, avocado & sliced apple on classic ciabatta — Havarti, arugula, grainy mustard. Cold build; Wednesday drops ~105 → ~90, ceiling flag cleared |
| Wk 3 Mon breakfast | Poached eggs, light hollandaise | Soft scrambled eggs, multigrain toast — hollandaise dropped; Monday ~93 → ~80 |
| Wk 3 Wed dinner | Bison Salisbury steak, onion mushroom gravy | Prime New York strip, onion-mushroom pan gravy — pan-seared; Wednesday ~92 → ~88 |
| Wk 3 Thu dinner | Roasted zucchini (with chicken Marsala) | Buttered Savoy cabbage — time-neutral |
| Cycle-wide | Water-bath method callouts (NY strip, wild king salmon, green beans, pack rules) | Method references removed cycle-wide — conventional pan-sear, oven-bake, and blanch methods throughout; times unchanged |
| Wk 3 Mon breakfast | Soft scrambled eggs, plain | Soft scrambled eggs with Fontina Val d’Aosta — time-neutral |
| Wk 4 Wed dinner | Wild mushrooms, unspecified | Mushroom medley specified: shiitake, king trumpet, oyster — per client direction; nothing-Asian rule governs dishes and preparations, and this medley is served in the French-style cream casserole |
| All breakfasts, cycle-wide | Turkey sausage (5 appearances) | Chicken sausage — mild, no bacon products of any kind remain |
| All breakfast fruit, cycle-wide | Named berry pairs (blueberry/strawberry/blackberry) + berry compote | Seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry) — chef selects by market; compote becomes seasonal fruit compote |
| Soft fruit cup & soft fruit sides | Purchased soft fruit cup (Wk 1 Mon) + soft fruit sides | Seasonal fresh fruit, cut fresh in house — no melon, no raspberry |
| Wk 2 Mon lunch | Bison burger | Beef filet burger — ground filet/tenderloin trim, brioche bun, cheddar, mild burger sauce; time-neutral |
| Wk 1 Wed · Wk 4 Fri dinners | Bison Bolognese | Beef filet Bolognese — ground tenderloin trim; technique, simmer, and times unchanged. No bison remains in the cycle |
| All remaining fruit cups (Wk 1 Fri, Wk 2 Wed/Fri, Wk 3 Tue) | Purchased fruit cups | Seasonal fresh fruit, cut in house — no melon, no raspberry; fruit cups removed from buy list entirely |
| Wk 4 Thu lunch | Pasta salad (carried from Wednesday batch) | Side Caesar salad, mild purchased dressing — Thursday ~95 → ~100; pasta salad now a single weekly appearance |
| Wk 1 Thu · Wk 2 Mon lunches | Pickle spears | Deleted — no replacement; Wk 2 Mon keeps kettle chips |
| Wk 2 Mon dinner | Broccoli florets (was asparagus) | Deleted — plate is chicken breast, spinach & Comté mushroom cream, roasted sweet potatoes; Monday ~82 → ~78 |
| Wk 4 Mon dinner | Beef tips, mushroom gravy | Tenderloin beef tips, Pinot Noir red wine mushroom gravy — tenderloin tips join the ground-filet butcher order; time-neutral |
| Wk 1 Thu dinner | Chicken à la King over buttered rice, peas & carrots | Classic Chicken Divan, sherry Mornay & broccoli crowns — broccoli built into the dish; rice and peas & carrots removed; Thursday ~92 → ~80. Rice count now 2 (Wk 3 Tue pot pie over rice, Wk 4 Tue pilaf) |
| Wk 2 Thu bkfst · Wk 4 Thu dinner · Wk 1 Fri bkfst · Wk 2 Tue lunch | Warm fruit compote · apple sauce · toast with jam · turkey cranberry wrap | No cooked fruits, no applesauce (new rule) — fresh fruit & maple syrup · scratch Dijon cream pan sauce · toast with butter · cranberry stripped from wrap. Applesauce off the buy list. |
| All lunches, cycle-wide | 13 standalone lunch fruit sides | All standalone lunch fruit sides removed — fruit retained only in-recipe: grapes in the Wk 2 Wed chicken salad, sliced apple in the Wk 4 Wed ciabatta build. Breakfast fruit unchanged. |
| Wk 1 Fri · Wk 4 Mon lunches | Coleslaw BUY Costco (2 appearances) | Coleslaw removed program-wide — slots filled with homemade macaroni salad, always staged (Thursday for Wk 1 Fri, Sunday for Wk 4 Mon). Interchangeable with homemade pasta salad under the never-twice-in-one-week rule. Costco coleslaw off the buy list; potato salad remains a buy. |
| Wk 1 Wed · Wk 2 Thu lunches | Mild horseradish cream (roast beef builds) | Grainy mustard cream — horseradish removed from the cycle; scratch, house-mild. Historical prime-rib horseradish reference retained in the record only. |
| Wk 2 Wed lunch | Chicken salad wrap | Chicken salad on butter croissant — same tarragon chicken salad, croissant purchased, packed separately, never pre-split until service. Wrap count 7 → 6. |
| Wk 1 Thu lunch | Tuna salad melt, Havarti | Tuna salad sandwich, Swiss cheese — cold build, no melt. Thursday ~100 → ~97. |
| Wk 2 Thu · Wk 4 Thu lunches | Caramelized onion (kaiser) · caramelized shallot (brioche) | All caramelized onion and shallot removed — sandwiches rebuilt without them. Wk 4 Thu ~103 → ~99; Wk 2 Tuesday staging slot freed. |
| Wk 3 Wed lunch | Mild cheese sauce (mornay) on the Philly beef | Mornay removed — provolone carries the sandwich. Wednesday ~88 → ~83. The Wk 1 Chicken Divan sherry Mornay is a dinner signature and stands. |
| Wk 4 Wed lunch | Italian pasta salad, make-or-buy | Always homemade — deli buy option removed; ~25 min carried inside Wednesday’s ~90. |
| Pack rules, cycle-wide | “Bread never pre-toasted, toast to order” | Rule retired (v1.44) — bread may be toasted at chef’s discretion during production; all other pack rules unchanged. Historical v1.7 reference retained in the record. |
| Wk 1 Wed dinner | Zucchini, olive oil & Parmesan (Bolognese plate) | Roasted broccoli, olive oil & Parmesan — zucchini removed from the cycle; only live appearance (Wk 3 Thu zucchini already retired to Savoy cabbage, v1.16). Time-neutral. |
| Breakfast toast, cycle-wide | Toast at 14 breakfast side slots | Every other toast converted to corn muffin top (bake-off buy) — 7 conversions alternating through the cycle: Wk 1 Tue · Wk 2 Mon & Wed · Wk 3 Mon & Wed · Wk 4 Mon & Fri. Toast retained on the alternating days; built-in breads (French toast, egg sandwich, pancakes/waffle) untouched. Time-neutral, oven-passive. |
| Wk 1 · Wk 3 · Wk 4 Friday lunches | Brioche bun (club · ham & Gruyère · chicken salad) | Portuguese bread rolls — all three Friday sandwich builds; brioche count 6 → 3, rolls added to the buy list. |
| Wk 2 Tue lunch | Butternut squash soup | Cream of mushroom soup (signature) — butternut retired; Wk 2 soups now cream of mushroom + tomato bisque, still Sunday base, 9-min finish. |
| Wk 2 Thu · Wk 4 Thu breakfasts | Pancakes (both Thursday griddle slots) | Ham & Comté quiche — assemble ~15 min, oven-passive. Pancakes limited to once every six weeks, substituted into a quiche slot on that cadence. Time-neutral. |
| Pantry inventory | — | Sun-dried tomatoes added to standing inventory (oil-packed) — carries into the inventory sheet suite. |
| Wk 4 Mon dinner | Pinot Noir red wine mushroom gravy | Pinot Noir demi-glace wild mushroom sauce — finished scratch from glace de viande; tenderloin tips unchanged. Time-neutral. |
| Wk 4 Mon breakfast | Eggs & corn muffin top only | Seasonal fresh fruit added (no melon, no raspberry) — brings Monday in line with the cycle’s fruit pattern. |
| Wk 4 Fri dinner | Beef filet Bolognese, rigatoni | Chicken Fettuccine Ricardo — scratch cream sauce, pan-seared chicken, broccolini retained. Bolognese now a single weekly appearance (Wk 1 Wed); Friday ~88 → ~82. |
| Soup program, cycle-wide | Scratch policy stated in Make vs. Buy only | Elevated to a standing dietary rule: all soups are homemade, never purchased — no change in practice (all-scratch since v1.9), now enforced on the rules page. |
| Weekly cadence | Menu + reheating instructions sent “every Friday” | Hard deadline: due to Morgan every Friday by 12:00 noon — Farm to People Thursday-before-noon cutoff unchanged. |
| Operational checks | — | Two standing checks added: fruits and bakery inspected every other day (cull, rotate, reorder on sight) · ingredients reviewed daily for the following day’s production. |
| Wk 1 Fri · Wk 2 Fri breakfasts | “Toast with butter” · “toast optional” | Qualifiers removed — both entries read simply “toast.” Time-neutral. |
| Wk 1 Mon lunch | Turkey, Swiss & avocado wrap | Turkey, Swiss & avocado on sourdough bread — same build, creamy herb dressing unchanged; sourdough added to the buy list. Wrap count 6 → 5. Time-neutral. |
| Wk 2 Tue · Wk 2 Thu breakfasts | Sausage on Thursday only | Chicken sausage moved Thursday → Tuesday — added to the cream of wheat plate; removed from Thursday, where the ham & Comté quiche already carries the breakfast meat. Cycle sausage count unchanged at 5. Time-neutral. |
| Wk 2 Fri · Wk 3 Fri lunches | Creamy cucumber salad (both appearances) | Creamy cucumber salad removed from the cycle — Wk 2 Fri carries homemade macaroni salad, Wk 3 Fri homemade Italian pasta salad, both staged Sunday alongside the base block, Friday pack-only. Never-twice-in-one-week rule holds; Friday totals unchanged (~96 / ~102). |
| Wk 3 Mon ↔ Fri dinners | Mon: Bolognese lasagna · Fri: pot roast, gratin | Dinners swapped — pot roast + gratin now Monday (braise/par-bake Sunday, oven-passive); lasagna now Friday (assembled Thursday, Friday bake-only). Monday ~80 → ~100, Friday ~102 → ~82; no Friday inherits raw work. |
| Wk 4 Fri breakfast | Cheese omelet & corn muffin top only | Seasonal fresh fruit added (no melon, no raspberry) — every Wk 4 breakfast now carries fruit. Time-neutral (~3 min, absorbed). |
| Wk 2 Fri breakfast | Breakfast hash with soft egg | Soft scrambled eggs — ham & cheddar hash and roasted potatoes unchanged. Time-neutral. |
| Wk 2 Thu dinner | Pot pie topping: puff pastry or bake-off biscuit | Pie crust topping (purchased) — buy list and register updated; Tuesday filling stage and Thursday assemble & bake unchanged. |
| Cycle-wide | — | Nothing Asian — no soy, teriyaki, sesame, ginger sauces, stir-fry, or rice-bowl formats in any menu, sauce, or side; cuisine held to French/American/Italian technique |
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week One | ~88 | ~92 | ~95 | ~97 | ~84 | 84–97 |
| Week Two | ~78 | ~108 ▲ | ~93 | ~101 | ~96 | 78–108 |
| Week Three | ~100 | ~92 | ~83 | ~90 | ~82 | 82–100 |
| Week Four | ~85 | ~85 | ~90 | ~99 | ~82 | 82–99 |
All twenty days land inside the 90–110 window (Tuesday Wk 2 runs light by design and carries staging work for Thursday/Friday). ▲ marks days at or near ceiling — the relief valve on each is listed in its week's footnote. No day exceeds 110.
| Version | Date & Time (ET) | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| v1.0 | July 8, 2026 · 11:50 AM | Initial Cycle Two game plan built from Weeks 1–4 review: make-vs-buy policy, 90–110 min time budgets, extra-long register, dietary compliance (no melon, no raspberry, no bacon/turkey bacon, swordfish & salmon only). |
| v1.1 | July 8, 2026 · 12:30 PM | Nothing-Asian rule added cycle-wide; Wk 2 Fri breakfast rice bowl converted to ham, egg & cheddar hash. |
| v1.2 | July 8, 2026 · 12:33 PM | Wk 3 Fri prime rib-style roast replaced with pot roast (Thursday braise); pulled barbecue pork added Wk 4 Mon lunch with Costco coleslaw. |
| v1.3 | July 8, 2026 · 12:35 PM | Version control and date-time stamp added to cover, footer, and this revision history. |
| v1.4 | July 8, 2026 · 12:40 PM | Layout reformatted: each week now begins on its own page (one page per week; two if content overflows). |
| v1.5 | July 8, 2026 · 12:48 PM | Five rice dishes replaced with roasted red potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, and roasted yams; clears the Wk 3 Tue lunch/dinner rice collision and the Wk 4 Mon/Tue back-to-back rice dinners. Rice dinner sides reduced 7 → 2. |
| v1.6 | July 8, 2026 · 12:52 PM | All polenta removed. Wk 1 Fri short ribs now served over buttered egg noodles. |
| v1.7 | July 8, 2026 · 12:58 PM | Two wraps per week converted to kaiser rolls and brioche buns (8 conversions); wrap count reduced 15 → 7. Buns purchased; bread never pre-toasted rule applies. |
| v1.8 | July 8, 2026 · 1:03 PM | Wk 2 Mon dinner: stuffing deleted — pan-seared chicken breast with spinach & Comté mushroom cream; asparagus replaced with broccoli florets. Day ~107 → ~92; item removed from extra-long register. |
| v1.9 | July 8, 2026 · 1:12 PM | All soups converted to scratch. Sunday soup-base block added (~35 min, outside weekday window); every soup finishes in 9 min day-of. All day totals recomputed; every weekday still ≤ 110. Buy list no longer carries soups. |
| v1.10 | July 8, 2026 · 1:16 PM | All rice pudding removed (Wk 2 Wed, Wk 3 Thu) — replaced with fruit cup and vanilla Greek yogurt cup; dropped from buy list. Only remaining rice: à la King over rice (Wk 1 Thu), salmon pilaf (Wk 4 Tue), pot pie over rice (Wk 3 Tue lunch), tomato rice soup (Wk 3 Fri). |
| v1.11 | July 8, 2026 · 1:24 PM | Soups reduced to two per week (Wks 1–3; Wk 4 remains zero): 14 appearances → 6. Kept: potato leek ×2, cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, butternut squash, tomato bisque. Sunday base block trimmed ~35 → ~20 min. Wk 3 Fri clears the ceiling (~102); tomato rice removal cuts rice count to 3. |
| v1.12 | July 8, 2026 · 1:28 PM | Weekly Time Summary moved to its own page. |
| v1.13 | July 8, 2026 · 1:33 PM | Wk 4 Wed lunch: bison meatball sandwich replaced with turkey, avocado & sliced apple on classic ciabatta (Havarti, arugula, grainy mustard). Wednesday ~105 → ~90; only one ceiling day remains (Wk 2 Tue). |
| v1.14 | July 8, 2026 · 1:37 PM | Wk 3 Mon breakfast: poached eggs with hollandaise replaced by soft scrambled eggs with multigrain toast. Monday ~93 → ~80. |
| v1.15 | July 8, 2026 · 1:41 PM | Wk 3 Wed dinner: bison Salisbury steak replaced with prime New York strip, onion-mushroom pan gravy (pan-seared). Wednesday ~92 → ~88. |
| v1.16 | July 8, 2026 · 1:44 PM | Wk 3 Thu dinner: roasted zucchini replaced with buttered Savoy cabbage (chicken Marsala plate). Time-neutral. |
| v1.17 | July 8, 2026 · 1:47 PM | Water-bath cooking references removed cycle-wide — replaced with pan-sear, oven-bake, and blanch-and-butter methods. No time impact. |
| v1.18 | July 8, 2026 · 1:52 PM | Document labeled CHEF’S VERSION on cover and in a running page header, with note that a Guest Version (menus only) is issued separately. |
| v1.19 | July 8, 2026 · 1:56 PM | Wk 3 Mon breakfast: Fontina Val d’Aosta added to the soft scrambled eggs. Time-neutral. |
| v1.20 | July 8, 2026 · 2:00 PM | Wk 4 Wed casserole: wild mushroom medley specified as shiitake, king trumpet & oyster per client direction. Time-neutral. |
| v1.21 | July 8, 2026 · 2:20 PM | All turkey sausage converted to chicken sausage cycle-wide (5 breakfast appearances). Dietary rule updated: bacon replacements are chicken sausage or ham. Time-neutral. |
| v1.22 | July 8, 2026 · 2:26 PM | All named berry garnishes and the berry compote converted to seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry), chef’s market selection. Time-neutral. |
| v1.23 | July 8, 2026 · 2:31 PM | Soft fruit cup (Wk 1 Mon) and soft-fruit sides converted to seasonal fresh fruit, cut fresh in house. Purchased fruit cups elsewhere unchanged. Time impact negligible (~3 min cut, absorbed). |
| v1.24 | July 8, 2026 · 2:35 PM | Wk 2 Mon lunch: bison burger replaced with beef filet burger (ground tenderloin trim). Time-neutral. Remaining bison: Bolognese (Wk 1 Wed, Wk 4 Fri). |
| v1.25 | July 8, 2026 · 2:39 PM | Bison Bolognese converted to beef filet Bolognese (Wk 1 Wed pappardelle, Wk 4 Fri rigatoni, extra-long register). No bison remains anywhere in the cycle. Time-neutral. |
| v1.26 | July 8, 2026 · 2:43 PM | All four remaining purchased fruit cups converted to seasonal fresh fruit, cut in house; fruit cups removed from the buy list. All fruit in the cycle is now fresh-cut seasonal. ~3 min per appearance, absorbed — no day leaves its band. |
| v1.27 | July 8, 2026 · 2:47 PM | Bold operational note added: clearly label all menu items; take pictures and send to Morgan daily prior to delivery. |
| v1.28 | July 8, 2026 · 2:51 PM | Wk 4 Thu lunch: pasta salad replaced with side Caesar salad (mild purchased dressing). Thursday ~95 → ~100; Wednesday pasta salad now single-appearance with make-or-buy option. |
| v1.29 | July 8, 2026 · 2:56 PM | Chef’s Notes section added as the final page: staging map, ceiling watch, sourcing, fruit program, delivery protocol, Cycle Three seeds, and ruled space for handwritten notes. |
| v1.30 | July 8, 2026 · 3:00 PM | Pickle spears deleted from Wk 1 Thu and Wk 2 Mon lunches. Time-neutral. |
| v1.31 | July 8, 2026 · 3:04 PM | Wk 2 Mon dinner: broccoli florets deleted. Plate runs protein, sauce, and roasted sweet potatoes. Monday ~82 → ~78. |
| v1.32 | July 8, 2026 · 3:08 PM | Wk 4 Mon dinner: upgraded to tenderloin beef tips with Pinot Noir red wine mushroom gravy. Time-neutral (~85). Pinot Noir added to Wk 4 order; tips join the tenderloin butcher call. |
| v1.33 | July 8, 2026 · 3:13 PM | Wk 1 Thu dinner: chicken à la King replaced with Classic Chicken Divan, sherry Mornay & broccoli crowns. Rice and peas & carrots removed; Thursday ~92 → ~80 (bake passive alongside the short-rib braise). Rice count 3 → 2. |
| v1.34–v1.37 | July 21, 2026 (consolidated) | No-cooked-fruits / no-applesauce rule adopted and enforced: compote → fresh fruit & maple (Wk 2 Thu) · apple sauce → scratch Dijon cream pan sauce (Wk 4 Thu, ~100 → ~103) · jam off toast (Wk 1 Fri) · cranberry out of wrap (Wk 2 Tue). All 13 standalone lunch fruit sides removed; in-recipe fruit retained. Weekly cadence codified: Farm to People order every Thursday before noon (hard cutoff) · next week’s client menu + reheating instructions sent every Friday. Times recomputed; Wk 2 Thu ~105 → ~101. |
| v1.38 | August 7, 2026 · 6:27 AM | 11 × 17 Print Edition — tabloid page size, enlarged type, and a ruled Week Notes block added beneath each week’s table for handwritten annotations. Content reconciled with the July 21 session record (v1.34–v1.37). No menu changes. |
| v1.39 | August 7, 2026 · 6:30 AM | Landscape orientation (17 × 11) — week table and Week Notes block set side by side. No menu changes. |
| v1.40 | August 7, 2026 · 10:01 AM | Coleslaw removed program-wide per client rule — both appearances (Wk 1 Fri, Wk 4 Mon) replaced with homemade macaroni salad, staged day-before (Thursday / Sunday). Macaroni salad added to MAKE signatures; salads interchangeable with pasta salad under the never-twice-in-one-week rule. Wk 1 Thu ~80 → ~100 (carries the staging); all other days unchanged. |
| v1.41 | August 7, 2026 · 10:06 AM | Horseradish removed from the cycle — both roast beef lunch builds (Wk 1 Wed, Wk 2 Thu) converted from mild horseradish cream to scratch grainy mustard cream; MAKE list updated. Time-neutral. |
| v1.42 | August 7, 2026 · 10:09 AM | Wk 2 Wed lunch converted from chicken salad wrap to chicken salad on butter croissant (purchased). Wrap count 7 → 6; Week 2 now carries two wraps. Time-neutral. |
| v1.43 | August 7, 2026 · 10:16 AM | Wk 1 Thu tuna melt converted to cold tuna salad sandwich with Swiss (~100 → ~97) · all caramelized onion and shallot removed (Wk 2 Thu kaiser, Wk 4 Thu brioche; Wk 4 Thu ~103 → ~99) · Philly beef mornay removed, provolone only (Wk 3 Wed ~88 → ~83) · Italian pasta salad now always homemade, buy option retired. Divan sherry Mornay unaffected. |
| v1.44 | August 7, 2026 · 10:18 AM | “Bread never pre-toasted” rule removed from the standing pack rules and delivery protocol — toasting now at chef’s discretion. No menu or time changes. |
| v1.45 | August 7, 2026 · 10:20 AM | Zucchini replaced with roasted broccoli, olive oil & Parmesan (Wk 1 Wed Bolognese plate) — the cycle’s only remaining zucchini. Time-neutral. |
| v1.46 | August 7, 2026 · 10:23 AM | Every other breakfast toast replaced with a corn muffin top (bake-off buy, added to the buy list) — 7 of 14 side-toast slots, alternating within and across weeks. Time-neutral. |
| v1.47 | August 7, 2026 · 10:30 AM | Portuguese bread rolls added to the lunch rotation — all three Friday brioche builds converted (Wks 1, 3, 4); brioche 6 → 3 · Wk 2 Tue butternut squash soup → cream of mushroom (signature) · both Thursday pancake breakfasts (Wks 2, 4) → ham & Comté quiche, pancakes limited to a once-every-six-weeks rotation · sun-dried tomatoes added to standing pantry inventory. All time-neutral. |
| v1.48 | August 7, 2026 · 10:36 AM | Wk 4 Monday dinner sauce upgraded to Pinot Noir demi-glace wild mushroom sauce (scratch from glace de viande) · seasonal fresh fruit added to Wk 4 Monday breakfast · Wk 4 Friday dinner converted from beef filet Bolognese rigatoni to Chicken Fettuccine Ricardo, scratch cream sauce (~88 → ~82). Bolognese register updated to single appearance. |
| v1.49 | August 7, 2026 · 10:39 AM | Two standing notes codified: all soups are homemade, never purchased (elevated to the dietary rules box) · next week’s client menu and reheating instructions due to Morgan every Friday by 12:00 noon. No menu or time changes. |
| v1.50 | August 7, 2026 · 10:43 AM | Operational notes added: inspect fruits and bakery every other day · review ingredients daily for the following day. Stated in the operational note box and the Chef’s Notes staging map. No menu or time changes. |
| v1.51 | August 7, 2026 · 10:50 AM | “With butter” and “optional” qualifiers removed from the two remaining toast entries (Wk 1 Fri, Wk 2 Fri) — both now read “toast.” No menu or time changes. |
| v1.52 | August 7, 2026 · 10:51 AM | Wk 1 Monday lunch converted from turkey, Swiss & avocado wrap to the same build on sourdough bread (purchased). Wrap count 6 → 5. Time-neutral. |
| v1.53 | August 7, 2026 · 10:52 AM | Week 2 breakfast sausage rebalanced: chicken sausage added Tuesday (cream of wheat plate), removed Thursday (ham & Comté quiche carries the meat). Count unchanged; time-neutral. |
| v1.54 | August 7, 2026 · 10:54 AM | All creamy cucumber salad removed — Wk 2 Fri converted to homemade macaroni salad, Wk 3 Fri to homemade Italian pasta salad, both staged Sunday with the base block (Friday pack-only, day totals unchanged). Salad appearance map and Sunday staging note updated. Cucumber salad off the MAKE list. |
| v1.55 | August 7, 2026 · 10:55 AM | Week 3 Monday and Friday dinners swapped: pot roast with red wine pan gravy and potato gratin move to Monday (Sunday braise and par-bake), Bolognese lasagna moves to Friday (Thursday assembly, Friday bake-only). Times: Mon ~80 → ~100, Fri ~102 → ~82; register and staging map updated. |
| v1.56 | August 7, 2026 · 10:56 AM | Seasonal fresh fruit added to the Week 4 Friday breakfast (cheese omelet plate) — all five Wk 4 breakfasts now carry fruit. Time-neutral. |
| v1.57 | August 7, 2026 · 10:57 AM | Title header changed to Cycle Three (cover and document title) — the plan as revised v1.34–v1.56 is promoted as the Cycle Three game plan. Interior Cycle Two section labels retained pending full relabel. |
| v1.58 | August 7, 2026 · 11:45 AM | Wk 2 Friday breakfast egg converted to soft scrambled eggs (hash plate unchanged) · Wk 2 Thursday turkey pot pie topping standardized to purchased pie crust (was puff pastry / biscuit option). Time-neutral. |
Weekly staging map. Sunday: soup bases (~20 min) plus the week’s assigned cold salads (Wk 2 macaroni · Wk 3 Italian pasta · Wk 4 macaroni) and, in Week 4, the pulled-pork shoulder (passive). Tuesday is the workhorse stage-day in Weeks 2 and 4 — pot pie filling (Wk 2), casserole braise (Wk 4). Thursday stages Friday in Week 1 (short-rib braise, oven-passive, plus the macaroni salad, ~20 min chilled overnight) and in Week 3 (lasagna sauce and assembly — Friday is bake-only). Week 3 Sunday carries the pot-roast braise and gratin par-bake for Monday, both oven-passive outside the weekday window. Never let a Friday inherit raw work. Standing checks: fruits and bakery inspected every other day; next-day ingredients reviewed daily.
Ceiling watch. One ▲ day remains: Week 2 Tuesday (~108), carrying its soup finish (cream of mushroom, was butternut) plus the pot pie filling. Nothing gets added to that morning. Week 4 Thursday runs ~99 (shallot removed, scratch Dijon pan sauce carried) — second-heaviest day of that week; keep the pork tenderloin sequence tight.
Sourcing. Ground beef filet (tenderloin trim) for the Wk 1 Bolognese night and the Wk 2 burger is a special order — call the butcher the Friday prior, or grind filet tails in house (~5 min, absorbed). Mushroom medley for the Wk 4 casserole: shiitake, king trumpet, oyster — client-approved on record. Swordfish center-cut 1" thick; wild king salmon only, never farmed for that plate. Sun-dried tomatoes added to the standing pantry inventory (oil-packed; drain and blot before use). Pancake cadence: pancakes appear no more than once every six weeks — on that cadence, substitute pancakes into a Thursday quiche slot for that week only, then revert.
Fruit program. All fruit is fresh-cut seasonal, selected at market — never melon, never raspberry; any berries limited to blueberry, strawberry, blackberry. Summer: stone fruit and berries. Fall: pears, grapes, citrus start. Cut morning-of, packed dry, below 40°F.
Delivery protocol. Clearly label every menu item. Photograph the completed pack and send to Morgan daily, prior to delivery — no exceptions. Sauces in 2-oz cups, gravies separate from protein.
Cycle Three seed thoughts. Rotation candidates that fit the rules and the 90–110 window: veal Marsala, chicken Français (lemon butter, no wine-forward finish), roasted pork loin with cider cream, shepherd’s pie (day-before assembly), swordfish au poivre (white pepper). Retire before repeat: any dish served twice this cycle.