Our team at No Kid Hungry Michigan has created this resource page with the intent to share resources for FNS Directors and staff to learn and implement fundamental cooking skills and knowledge into their programs. You can view Chef Jenn’s video’s below, as well as view a list of various scratch-cooking focused organizations and resources for your own use.
Chef Jennifer Brower has over 35 years in culinary experience spending the last 22 years as a dedicated chef to K-12 schools around the Great Lakes Region.
Chef Jenn's Training Videos for School Nutrition Professionals!
Add a commercial Air Screen Display cooler to your service lines for food safety, food marketing/merchandising & versatility of offerings.
These upright, reach-in units can be used on serving line to keep items stocked appropriately throughout service. There are even units with a glass door presentation side for students to grab and go!
Keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold has never been easier by utilizing serving tiles.
A sandwich slide is a great way to keep portioned items hot and at the ready for students to grab throughout the service line.
Intro – Equipment Wishlist Investment Series
Meet Chef Jenn and hear an overview of the equipment series. An investment in good kitchen equipment can speed up cooking times and increase student satisfaction.
Hear how the versatile tilt skillet can be used for a variety of cooking applications, including steaming, searing, braising, and much more.
Have an oven in your kitchen but you aren’t sure how to make the most of it? Chef Jenn has a few tips for you! Length – 6:37
A combi oven can be used for steaming baking, smoking, baking bread, and much more!
Steam kettles are commonly found in industrial kitchens and for good reason. Use this to make stock and soups, stews, pasta, and lots more.
For larger school districts that have a main production kitchen, you can utilize a bag and sealing system.
Blast Chillers – High Volume Production Facilities
Need to cool food down to safe temperatures quickly? A blast chiller can expedite the cooling process in a snap.
Steaming is a cooking method that allows nutrients to be retained. You can steam via a commercial steamer, directly on a stovetop, or even in a tilt skillet!
Vertical Chopping Machine (VCM) Food Processor
A VCM is like a larger Robot Coupe – use it to chop, mince, and speed up your prep time.
A Mongolian grill is a fun, circular, flat grill that students will love.
- Check out the Mongolian Grill in action!
Adding a commercial grill to the Front of the House/Serving area is a Game changer! Grill pizza, burgers, fish, chicken, bread, vegetables and more.
This type of oven requires does not require a hood system, so it is a great piece of equipment to place in the serving area for older K-12 students (HS & MS) to create made to order hot/toasty style of sandwiches (Paninis), made to order mini pizzas, made to order baked/crispy fries and so much more!
Allowing students to see how pizza is made in a dedicated prep space is educational, fun, and efficient.
- See an Impinge Oven in Action!
Robot Coupe and Commercial Blender
Want to speed up your prep time? Utilizing a Robot Coupe can dice, shred, grind, and much more. A commercial blender can make purees, dressings, and blending a breeze.
An induction range uses precise heat without sacrificing quality. You are able to control your heat efficiently without using gas or direct flame.
Mise En Place (Kitchen Organization)
Mise en place is a French term for “keeping everything in it’s place.” Learn why this is important and tips and tricks for your staff to stay organized and efficient.
Taking food temperatures is crucial to ensuring proper food safety and reducing food safety risk.
Triple Sink Set up (3 Bay Sink)
Learn how to set up a triple sink set up efficiently.
Thawing foods properly can reduce cooking times and reduce food safety risks.
Seasoned Homemade Potato Wedges
Learn how to make your own potato wedges that students will love.
Roasting vegetables opens up a whole new array of flavors and can brighten up any meal. Length – 5:17
- Learn how to make your own creditable pizza! Once you get started, students will love it.
- With pizza dough, you can also make the following:
Have a catering event or working with deli items? Learn how to present them beautifully for your customers.
Learn the difference in cutting boards and how to set them up for success, as well as general safety tips.
Use the Right Knife for the Right Job
There are a lot of knives out there. Learn which knife works best in different scenarios.
Standing with a strong stance when using a knife can improve knifework and decrease wear and tear on the body.
- For more, you can also view Proper Knife Hold Explained and Knife Motion.
Below are essential knife skills that staff should know:
Additional Resources
Click here to view Georgia’s Department of Education Culinary Resources.
The Lunch Box (TLB) is an online toolkit that provides free step-by-step guides, tools, recipes and other resources to help schools improve their meal programs and convert to scratch-cooking.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) identified a need to provide schools with the training, tools, and resources to prepare student- accepted school meals, thereby increasing student consumption of healthy foods and reducing plate waste. The ICN has over 25 years of experience providing training to school nutrition programs on various topics, including culinary skills, marketing school meals, student engagement, and food safety. The USDA and ICN have collaborated to create the Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition, a division of the ICN, with a principal mission to increase the culinary skills of school nutrition programs by providing culinary training programs and resources to support Child Nutrition Operators to prepare and serve healthy, culinary-inspired school meals from scratch and elevate the cafeteria atmosphere.
Click here to view!
Brigaid supports institutions of all types and sizes in their efforts to serve their community wholesome, nourishing, and thoughtfully prepared meals.
Click here for more!
Wellness In Schools partners with school districts to provide nutrition and fitness education, healthy scratch-cooked meals, and active recess periods. Their approach improves student outcomes and drives systemic, long-term change, shifting school cultures. They believe that the most impactful approach to adopting new behaviors and creating systems change combines education in the classroom and at recess with training in the cafeterias to cement access, interest, and enjoyment in healthier habits for life.
Their Cook for Kids program helps feed kids real food, transforming the cafeteria menu and making the classroom a fun and encouraging space to learn about nutrition. Their Coach for Kids program helps let kids play and be more active throughout the school day. Their Green for Kids program helps get kids green through environmental sustainability education and hands-on gardening experience.
For more, click here!
Inspired and led by the efforts of Chef Charleen Badman of FnB Restaurant, Blue Watermelon Project is a grassroots group of chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, and community food advocates that believe in good food, equal and fair access to it, and that a systemic food systems change starts from the ground up.
Click here for more!
Learn about promising practices from school nutrition teams across the nation that have utilized their creativity and ingenuity to master meal quality.
Click here!