Winter warmers: 3 seasonal recipes for school canteens

Cook up a storm and keep your little ones fueled until spring with these hearty winter-warming seasonal recipes from Utility Rentals!

Stacey
Author
Stacey
Published: November 30, 2020

It’s chilly outside! This means it’s time to tuck into some hearty seasonal recipes to give you a temperature boost and put a smile on your face!

We’ve put together three of our favourite winter-warmers to keep your little folks fully energised until spring rolls around again.

Delicious seasonal recipes for schools

1) Butternut squash and sage risotto

Serves four

How to make it:

1) Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Mix 1kg peeled, chopped butternut squash with 1tbsp olive oil and a bunch of roughly chopped sage (optional). Scatter the squash into a roasting tin and cook for 30 mins, or until soft and brown.

2) Meanwhile, bring 1.5l of vegetable stock to the boil and simmer on a low heat. Melt 25g butter in a separate pan on a medium heat. Stir a finely chopped onion into the butter and cook for 8-10 mins until soft, stirring occasionally. Add 300g risotto rice to the onions and stir until the rice is glossy and translucent.

3) Add in the stock, a ladle at a time, and stir the rice on a low heat for around 30 mins until it’s al-dente.

4) Fry the sage leaves in some olive oil until crispy, then set aside. When the squash is cooked, leave half of it whole and mash the other half. Stir the mashed squash into the cooked risotto rice, then add 50g parmesan and 25g butter to the pan.

5) To serve, add some chunks of squash on top of the risotto rice with a sprinkle of crispy sage leaves. Et voilà!

Source: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes

2) Dorset apple cake

Serves eight

How to make it:

1) Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a deep 20-cm cake tin with baking parchment.

2) Mix 225g self-raising flour and 2 tsp ground cinnamon into a large bowl. Add 115g diced, chilled unsalted butter to the flour and rub until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add 115g light brown sugar and stir. Beat in a large egg then 6-8 tbsp milk until the mix looks like smooth, thick batter.

3) Add 225g peeled, cored and diced Granny Smith or Bramley apples and 100g sultanas to the bowl, then stir to combine. Put the batter mix into the cake tin and level out. Sprinkle 2 tbsp demerara sugar on the top, then bake for 30-40 mins until golden. (To test if the cake’s ready, push a skewer into the middle and check it comes out clean.)

4) Allow to cool for 15 mins in the tin, then put onto a wire rack to cool further. Serve warm with custard – mmmm, tasty!

Source: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes

3) Slow-cooked sausage and onion casserole

This one-pot wonder couldn’t be easier to make!

Serves four

How to make it:

1) Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4.

2) Put 8 chopped sausages, 3 sliced onions, 2 tbsp plain flour, 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp chutney or pickle (of any type), 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp black pepper and 500ml beef or chicken stock into a casserole dish and stir to combine the ingredients.

3) Put the lid on the dish and cook for 1-1.5 hours.

4) Remove from the oven and serve with veggies or creamy mash potatoes!

Source: https://www.netmums.com/recipes/slow-cooked-sausage-and-onion-casserole-for-kids

You’ll get the best results from these seasonal recipes if you’re using school cooking equipment that’s up to the job.

We have a fantastic range of cookers, fridges and freezers, and dishwashers for schools, all of which are available on our flexible leasing agreements. Our equipment is robust and reliable, so you can be sure it will cope with school use!

 

If you want to upgrade your school cooking equipment to make the most of these seasonal recipes, talk to us today!

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