Whether you’re a Summer 2014 Staff, an adult leader or student just returning from an awesome week, or an Alumni who thinking back fondly, we’re sure that the one thing you can’t stop thinking about is the food.   Yes, we know, especially for you staff who eat the same meals every week, sometimes the amazingness that is YouthWorks meals can sort of lose their shine.  Don’t worry, this happens with all great food establishments, which is why we’re letting you in on our Secret Menu.  That’s right, it’s time to #hackthemenu with YouthWorks! At the bottom of this post we have provided recipes for some of our favorite #hackthemenu items so be sure to check them out.

 

 

First up, beverages.  Tired of the same ol’ lemonade and water from a giant water jug? It’s time to mix it up.  Remember all that coffee you have on site, well it’s time to turn it into something special.  Brew an extra strong pot, mix in a little bit of sugar, and set it away in the fridge.  Add some ice and whatever else you like and enjoy delicious Iced Coffee.  Or perhaps you don’t need all that caffeine.  Set aside a pitcher of tea before you add the sugar on Sweet Tea night.  Mix with some of that lemonade you can’t seem to get enough of and enjoy an Arnold Palmer.  But let’s be serious for a moment, in the Western Region they have a saying that “Hydration Starts Today,” so let’s talk about water.  If you’re struggling to stay hydrated, it’s time to turn your water into spa water.  Add a couple slices of cucumber, or some orange slices.  Pretty much any fruit can take your water to the next level.

 

Now that you’ve successfully upgraded your drink, it’s time to move on to some snacks and appetizers.  Remember how great Taco Tuesday was?  Well you can revisit that excellence with a stellar taco dip, a mixture of sour cream, corn, salsa, and cheddar cheese.  You might like it so much you start eating it on taco night instead of tacos!  With the extra purchase of some crackers, YouthWorks has everything on site to make a delightful cheeseball; cream cheese, garlic powder, and shredded cheddar.  Or what about those Lit’l Smokies you had for breakfast?  Give the leftovers new life with some crescent rolls, and you’ve got pigs in a blanket.

 

The real winners of hacking the YouthWorks menu are the new meals you can make with ingredients you already have.  Every Sunday night, there’s bound to be some left over mac and cheese.  Let’s be honest, if you put that in the microwave, you’re going to have a sad congealed mess.  But take that mac, mix in some shredded cheddar and add some croutons on top, bake it in the over for a real gourmet treat.  Speaking of ovens, Taco Tuesday really does have the best leftovers and with them, you can make the ultimate nachos.  But maybe you want something completely different.  It’s time breakfast for dinner (or for breakfast if you must.)  Omelets in a bag are the amateurs way to make a delicious meal.  Crack a few eggs in a zip lock bag, add in all your omelet ingredients, and set in a pot of boiling water until cooked.  We love to add some salsa on top!

 

This list wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t finish it off with something sweet.  With a couple of extra ingredients, you can make some delicious treats for your sweet tooth.  With the addition of marshmallow fluff, mixed in with some cream cheese, you have a great fruit dip to use with your apples and bananas. We know how much some people love their peanut butter, so we’d be remiss to leave off a peanut putter recipe.  Take some of those crackers you bought for your cheese ball (preferably Ritz style) slather on some peanut butter, top with a marshmallow, and pop in the oven to create Bubba’s Southern S’mores (somewhere out there is an adult leader named Bubba who taught this recipe and we are still grateful.)  And last but certainly not least, the real crowd pleaser of all the desserts, fried Oreos.  All it takes is a little bit of pancake batter, a pan with a thin layer of oil and all those left over Oreos for you to make the heavenly treat found at State Fairs everywhere.

 

We hope all this hacking has you salivating for your own taste of the special menu. We want to see the ways you #hackthemenu this summer. Post it on Instagram and use hashtags #hackthemenu and #yw2014. Happy hacking!

Recipes

Drinks:

Ice Coffee

o   Strongly Brewed Coffee

o   Ice

Instructions

o   Use any left over coffee you have from the morning and put it in a pitcher. Refrigerate it for the day and pour it over ice when you are ready to drink it. If you want ice coffee for the morning brew a strong pot at night and then cool it over night and it will be ready to go for the morning. Add cream and sugar for desired taste.

Fruit/Cucumber in water

o   Fruit or Cucumber

o   Water

Instructions

o   To add a little flavor to your water put fruit or cucumbers in it. Strawberries are a great fruit to choose, but feel free to experiment your favorite fruit.

Arnold Palmer’s

o   Ice Tea

o   Lemonade

Instructions

o   Brew some regular tea and chill it. After it is chilled mix it with lemonade to create a tasty Arnold Palmer.

Starters:

Cheese Ball

o   1 Cup Cream Cheese

o   1 Tsp. of Garlic Powder

o   Handful of Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

o   Soften a cup of cream cheese. After it is softened you can mix in the garlic powder and shredded cheese. Form it in a ball for presentation. Also feel free to coat the outside with shredded cheese if desired.

Taco Dip

o   1 ½ Cup of Sour Cream

o   ¾ Cup Corn

o   ¾ Cup Salsa

o   ¾ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

o   Tortilla Chips

Instructions

o   Mix all ingredients together and serve with tortilla chips.  I gave exact amounts, but usually, I just mix ingredients together until I get a dip consistency that I like and tastes good.

Pigs in a Blanket

o    Little Smokies

o   1 Package of Crescent Rolls

Instructions

o   Preheat your oven to 350. Wrap the Little Smokies with the crescent rolls. Check after baking them for 10 minutes. Once they are completely cooked serve them with a dipping sauce (ketchup is a great option.)

Main Dishes:

Omelets in a Bag

o   2 Eggs

o   ½ Cup Shredded Cheese

o   Desired Veggies/Meats for Omelet Fillings

Instructions

o   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Crack eggs into Ziploc freezer bags. Seal and shake or squeeze to beat the eggs. Open the bag and put the cheese, veggies, and meat in. Squeeze out as much air as you can and seal the bag. Place up to 8 bags at a time in the boiling water. Boil for 13 minutes. Open the back and the omelet will easily roll out onto a plate.

Nachos

o   Tortilla Chips

o   Shredded Cheddar Cheese

o   Tomatoes

o   Onions

o   Left Over Taco Meet or Shredded Chicken

o   Black Beans

o   Salsa

o   Corn

o   Shredded Lettuce

o   Sour Cream

Instructions

o   Lay out tortilla chips on a cookie sheet.  Cover them with cheddar cheese, meat, black beans, and veggies (except lettuce.)  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  Add shredded lettuce and serve with sour cream and salsa.

Baked Mac

o   Mac and Cheese

o   Shredded Cheddar Cheese

o   Crushed Croutons

Instructions

o   Heat oven to 350. Place already cooked mac and cheese in pan. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on the top and coat with the crushed croutons. Bake until the cheese is melted.

Deserts:

Fruit Dip

o   1 Cup Cream Cheese

o   1 Jar Marshmallow Fluff

Instructions

o   Let cream cheese soften. Once softened mix with marshmallow fluff. Serve with fresh fruit.

Fried Oreos

o   Oreos

o   Pancake Batter (just add water type)

o   1-2 cups of Vegetable Oil

Instructions

o   Mix up enough pancake batter for about 8 pancakes (you can always mix up more.) Heat oil in a pan on medium.  There should be enough oil to more than coat the bottom of the pan, but not so much the Oreo would be completely submerged.  Coat your Oreos in pancake batter then use tongs to place them in the heated oil.  When the side that’s in the oil has turned golden brown, flip the Oreo over to the other side to cook.  You should be able to cook 3 or 4 at a time once you get comfortable cooking them.  Place them on plate with a paper town to soak up the excess oil.

Bubba’s Southern S’mores

o   Ritz Crackers

o   1 Bag of Campfire Marshmellows

o   Peanut Butter

Instructions

o   Put a slather of peanut butter on the top of the Ritz crackers.  Then place a marshmallow on top of the peanut butter covered cracker.  Place in the oven for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees.  Keep an eye on them, the marshmallow will get a little bit bigger and will toast.

 

Kryn and Stephanie have been apart of 16 YouthWorks summers combined. Their love and passion for the kitchen developed as they lead countless meal crews and provided fun snacks for their staff and adult leaders. When they are on site you can usually find them thinking of new creations to make with all the leftovers in the fridge.