Week One — Mise en Place & Time on Task

Production window 5:00 AM – 7:25 AM load · Cycle Two · Companion to Game Plan v1.33
Chef Robert · Darien Weekly Meal Prep · Mise Version m1.0 · Wednesday, July 8, 2026 · 3:55 PM ET
Every day ends the same way: portion cold, sauce cups separate, label all items, photograph, send to Morgan, load 7:25.
Sunday base block (~20 min, outside the weekday window): sweat leeks/onion, add potato and stock — potato leek base · sweat cremini/shallot, roux, stock, thyme — mushroom base. Both blitzed smooth short of cream, chilled <40°F, labeled MON and THU.

Monday

Hands-on ~91 min
Mise (pull first, 5 min inside first block): chuck out of fridge · dice onion (meatloaf + gravy) · slice cremini 1 lb · peel/quarter russets 2½ lb · trim green beans · wash fruit · Comté grated · chives sliced · potato leek base staged · wrap station: turkey, Swiss, avocado, romaine, herb dressing cup.
Time Task Min Station
5:00 Meatloaf: mix, pan, glaze — into oven 350°F (bake ~60 passive) 18 Mixer / oven
5:18 Mashed: russets on to boil (passive); start mushroom gravy — sweat, roux, beef stock, cream 15 Range
5:33 Potato leek soup: finish Sunday base — cream, white pepper, portion cups 9 Range
5:42 Green beans: blanch, shock, butter; drain & whip mashed (milk, butter) 14 Range
5:56 Breakfast: soft scramble with Comté & chive cream; fruit cut; bread packed untoasted 14 Egg pan / board
6:10 Lunch: turkey, Swiss & avocado wraps; dressing cups; seasonal fruit portioned 12 Cold board
6:22 Meatloaf out, rest; finish gravy, strain to cups 9 Oven / range
6:31 Cool-down: shallow-pan everything, blast toward <40°F (passive); wash-down 10 Chill
6:41 Portion & pack: dinner trays, soup cups, gravy cups separate from protein 22 Pack line
7:03 Label every item · photograph · send to Morgan 12 Pack line
7:25 LOAD — coolers, cold packs, delivery Van

Slack ≈ 20 min inside the window for the passive bake and chill. Toast is never sent toasted — bread packed separate.

Tuesday

Hands-on ~92 min
Mise: swordfish tempered 20 min · red potatoes halved, rosemary · spinach washed, shallot minced · lemons juiced/zested · chicken breasts (1¼ lb) for Caesar poach · romaine chopped · grapes washed · oatmeal station: banana, walnuts, brown sugar.
Time Task Min Station
5:00 Red potatoes: oil, rosemary, salt — roast 425°F (35 passive); poach chicken for wraps (passive) 10 Oven / range
5:10 Creamed spinach: sweat shallot, wilt, cream, nutmeg, hold 14 Range
5:24 Lemon butter cream: reduce white wine, cream, mount butter, lemon — to cups 12 Range
5:36 Swordfish: season (white pepper), sear/roast to just-done; cool on rack 16 Sauté / oven
5:52 Breakfast: creamy oatmeal built to order-style cups; toast packed untoasted 10 Range
6:02 Lunch: chicken Caesar wraps (cooled chicken), garden side salads dressed-separate, grapes 16 Cold board
6:18 Potatoes out; cool-down all hot items (passive); wash-down 10 Chill
6:28 Portion & pack: fish trays, sauce cups separate, sides 22 Pack line
6:50 Label every item · photograph · send to Morgan 12 Pack line
7:25 LOAD — coolers, cold packs, delivery Van

Fish cools fast — pack it last of the proteins so it rides coldest. ~23 min slack in the window.

Wednesday

Hands-on ~95 min
Mise: soffritto diced fine (onion/carrot/celery) the night before if possible · ground beef filet out · San Marzano open · red wine measured · brioche sliced thick · kaiser station: roast beef, Comté, horseradish cream base · zucchini coined · Costco potato salad portioned to cups.
Time Task Min Station
5:00 Bolognese first: brown filet, soffritto, paste, wine, tomato, milk — to bare simmer (90-min passive simmer) 20 Rondeau
5:20 French toast: custard, dip, griddle; chicken sausage on flat-top; maple butter cups 22 Griddle
5:42 Horseradish cream (very mild) to cups; build roast beef & Comté kaisers; fruit cut 16 Cold board
5:58 Zucchini: olive oil & Parmesan, roast (passive); garlic bread butter on baguette (light hand), wrap for reheat 12 Oven / board
6:10 Stir Bolognese, season check; pappardelle blanched 1-min short, oiled, trayed 13 Range
6:23 Cool-down: griddle items, zucchini (passive); wash-down 8 Chill
6:31 6:50 sauce off — cool shallow; portion & pack all; sauce cups separate from pasta 30 Pack line
7:01 Label every item · photograph · send to Morgan 12 Pack line
7:25 LOAD — coolers, cold packs, delivery Van

The sauce owns the morning: on at 5:00 sharp, off ~6:50, shallow-panned hot into the blast. Everything else works around it.

Thursday

Hands-on ~80 min + passive braise
Mise: chicken breasts for Divan · broccoli crowns cut · Gruyère + Parm grated · sherry out · tuna salad built (tuna, mayo, celery) · mushroom base staged · breakfast potatoes diced · short ribs seasoned for the Friday braise — mirepoix cut, wine and stock measured.
Time Task Min Station
5:00 Short ribs (for Friday): hard sear, deglaze red wine, mirepoix, stock — covered, 300°F oven (3+ hr passive; out at pack time, chill in liquid) 15 Rondeau / oven
5:15 Divan: poach chicken (passive); blanch broccoli crowns, shock 12 Range
5:27 Sherry Mornay: roux, stock/milk, Gruyère & Parm, sherry; assemble Divan, bake (25 passive) 18 Range / oven
5:45 Breakfast potatoes roast (passive); egg-cheddar-ham sandwiches griddled 15 Oven / griddle
6:00 Mushroom soup: finish base — cream, white pepper, cups; tuna melts built (Havarti, packed for home-toast) 14 Range / board
6:14 Biscuits: bake-off (passive); Divan out, rest; cool-down starts 6 Oven
6:20 Portion & pack: Divan trays, soup cups, biscuits separate; sandwiches wrapped 22 Pack line
6:42 Label every item · photograph · send to Morgan 12 Pack line
7:25 LOAD — coolers, cold packs, delivery · ribs stay in the oven; pull at return, chill in braising liquid Van

Lightest hands-on day of the week — that headroom is exactly what the braise is spending. Do not add tasks here.

Friday

Hands-on ~87 min
Mise: Thursday's chilled short ribs + jelled braising liquid out · carrots peeled, honey out · egg noodles + butter · parfait line: yogurt, honey, seasonal fruit, granola · club station: ham, turkey, Swiss, brioche buns, Dijon cream base · Costco coleslaw portioned.
Time Task Min Station
5:00 Gravy: reduce braising liquid, mount butter — ribs back in, gentle reheat (low oven, passive) 18 Range / oven
5:18 Carrots: honey-roast 425°F (passive); noodles boiled, buttered, trayed 16 Oven / range
5:34 Breakfast: parfaits layered (granola packed separate to stay crisp); toast & jam packed 10 Cold board
5:44 Lunch: ham-turkey-Swiss clubs on brioche, Dijon cream cups, coleslaw cups, fruit cut 18 Cold board
6:02 Ribs out of gravy, portion; gravy strained to cups; cool-down (passive) 13 Range / chill
6:15 Portion & pack: rib trays, noodle trays, carrot sides, gravy cups separate 22 Pack line
6:37 Label every item · photograph · send to Morgan · week’s wash-down 15 Pack line
7:25 LOAD — coolers, cold packs, delivery Van

Friday inherits zero raw work — the ribs improved overnight in their liquid. Largest slack of the week (~30 min); use it for the deep clean.