Need an Idea or two?

I used to run a couple of restaurants. Whenever I ran out of ideas I would go back to the basics.
You could go cultural... or americana - regional
Cajun, Philly steak, Clam Chowder...
Ukrainian - perogies, cabbage rolls and kubasa, tossed salad and apple pie
Italian - manicotti, pizza, spagetti, veal parmesan ect... ceasar salad, gelati or biscotti, canoli
Irish - Stew, soda bread, tomato/cucumber salad, bread pudding
Tex/Mexican - Taco salad, burritos, chili,
English - Fish n Chips, Shepards Pie,
Chinese, Japanese, Indian and so on.
Women love soups especially cream soups ie. mulligatawny, potato, broccoli and cheese.
I love to fiddle with salads, here are some favorite ideas - Thai, spinach, tomato and feta, fruit or noodle.

Why not go back to the basics for deserts too, Chocolate Cakes, brownies, pumpkin pie, key lime, banana creme, pound cake and ice cream.

Hope this helps.

Shiver - I take it vegitarian wouldn't go over too well there, huh?

What about variations on pasta dishes? Bow-tie pasta (or ravioli/tortalini) with pesto, for example, is quick and easy and could prepared in advance. Pizza to be sold by the slice? Sandwiches? I worked at a coffee shop and we made 2 kinds of sandwiches. We used olive tapenade on one and pesto on the other - I can't for the life of me remember what else we put in those sandwiches!

I agree with Ceili that soups are a good idea, stews too. How about Shepherds Pie? Casseroles?

Can desserts be things like lemon bars and brownies, or do they have to be pies and cakes?

Well, let's see ...

How about meatloaf, with green beans and mashed potatoes

Macaroni and cheese with a salad

Reuben sandwiches (with corned beef or roasted turkey), fries, coleslaw and pickles

BBQ pork sandwiches, shredded/pulled pork served on rolls with potato wedges and coleslaw (either on top of the meat or on the side)

Chili with garlic toast and some kind of salad

Beef brisket with mashed potatoes

Chicken enchiladas. You can pre-cook and shred the chicken and chop up the veggies and grate the cheese beforehand. Great with a salad. Since it's lunch, probably no beer ... too bad!

Wraps of all kinds

Stuffed pitas

Gyros with Greek salad

I just re-read your post shiver,,,
I see why it's taking you 4-5 hours in prep time.

Your menu choices were great. If you simplified the meals you'd save time. I don't know where you live or what your budget is, but when fruit, vegetables and fish and so on, come into season, I'm sure... the good quality - fresh food will inpire you. Search out local markets and buy a lot, and use it as a running theme throughout the menu.
eg. Strawberry season...
Salmon grilled and glazed in spicey strawberry glaze, slices of baked yams, green beans and grilled zuchini - little olive oil and sea salt.
Spinach salad with strawberry vinegrette
Strawberry pie, or shortcake, flan, upside down cake or simply sliced with a little vanilla icecream.

Ham ...denver sandwich, baked, grilled, open faced,
Peppers - grilled, stuffed, baked, greek salad, natchos, thai or chinese salads, chow mein, curries,
The list is endless, but for the love of all that's holy, individual chicken pot pies are waaaaay above the call of duty.

Thanks Ceili.....great ideas.

Thanks everyone for that fact.

To some extent, I don't really have a budget. I do try to keep each meal within a certain price range.

I don't mind the prep time involved. But I'm trying to save me time. I am the jack of all trades there, and its killing me doing this, that and all the others too.

I have done the Chicken Enchilada's.....
Beef Enchilada's
and other variations on mex.

Cajun food.....UMM, Have done that too.

Italian......I have done different variations on it.

I try to watch my starches.....colors.....hot and colds..etc. But like Little K mentioned....vegatarian food wouldn't go over well there.

What I'm dealing with is mainly men....that are blue collar workers, that prefer meat, bread and potatoes. LOL Throw them something new and they run backwards. ITs a lil like trying to coax bad tasting medicine down a childs throat. The day I served Dirty Rice , we were tired of explaining what it was....lol. But they are becoming game...after finding out that I'm not poisoning them.

I went back through my menues that I have kept and would like for your opinions on that too. See if it makes sense what I'm serving....and what you might do different. All help......is appreciated.

The first week....

Grilled Chicken breast that had been marinated.
Baked Beans
Macaroni Salad
Deviled Eggs
Yeast Rolls

Cheese Cake

Tues:

Grilled Ham
Fried Green Beans
Scalloped Potatoes
CornBread

Upside Down Pineapple Cake

Weds:

Chicken Enchiladas
Rice
Beans

Banana Pudding

WE sold out of the special by 2 that day.....it went like hot cakes.

I have also done the lemon bars.....brownies....Giant Chocalate Chip cookies...etc.

So.............anymore ideas? lol

PS..There is another lady that is in the kicthen..on Thursdays....its her day. She sticks with Meatloaf, mashed potatoes...gravy, Green beans...and yeast rolls. I make her dessert for that day. On Fridays....its fish...and all the fixings. Down south...its hush puppies....coleslaw and Pinto Beans.

The day I cooked the "Dirty Rice"...I served it with Fried Okra...Creole Corn and French Bread.

As you can tell....lol, I'm still looking through my past menues. I have done the fruit desserts....which go over well.

I need to add here....that along with the majority being men.....its a rural area. But I need to add, that the money that is made through the whole business is unbelievable for our area.

LMAO...I had to read your post again Ceili....it was two GIANT POT PIEs.....that involved about 25 pounds of chicken breast. And no telling how many pounds of veggies, along with my soups...lol.

I did make the mistake of making individual pecan pies ONE TIME....learned a lesson well after that one. After an hour of hand rolling out dough to fit muffin tins....I said, "never again!".....lol