Funny having a smaller staff and it being my own staff family meal and how it was done was something I found myself involved with more then ever this past summer, before I just had my sous handle it. Me and my line cooks take turns making it, and yea when time is short pasta is the fall back. When it's my turn I do pizza a lot as we make our own bread and day old dough works for that. Last night they got a spicy chicken and blue cheese sour dough pizza for staff meal. I also like to make hot dogs, sloppy joes and grill cheeses. Potato scrap is usually around so fries and mash pot is done often. I do a big egg omelet on a sheet pan in the combi-oven and give them egg sandwiches, big hit. Once hamburgers hit 2 days old they go into the family meal pot, as burgers if I have enough or as sad before sloppy joes.
Funny story about the left over ground beef. Earlier this summer I had a new cook victor take ground beef cook it down in heavy cream and tomato paste and serve it over pasta and call it bolognese. I had a few problems with this. one he used the last heavy cream, I don't like them using heavy cream to begin with as it's expensive and tends to make a heavy slow you down meal, not good for a staff that's about to work 8+ hr's before they eat again. 2nd it's slop! Terrible for staff moral to look at there dinner and say " oggg this is going to make me sick" or not eat it at all and go hungry. I yelled at him for using the last cream and for making slop. He told me that's one of the most popular dishes at the last place he worked?????? I asked him what slop house that was and them mumbled under my berth " that's what I get for not checking references". Victor got upset and quit. Now the funny part is about 2-3 weeks ago I had another new cook, Orlando make the same thing! I asked my sous chef were all these guys learn to make this victor sauce?? Orlando also called it bolognese. I then asked every one in the place if they have ever seen bolognese made this way, thought maybe it's a pizzeria place thing? No one seen this slop before so I still don't know were this stuff is made. Orlando quit the next because I would not pay him in cash. Staff all thought it was because of the victor sauce, victor sauce the kiss of death.