A Denver group cooks up a clever meal-sharing plan

Dinner co-op
A Denver group cooks up a clever meal-sharing plan.
By Laura Daily

What's for dinner? For a quick and easy answer that's more satisfying than dialing up Domino's, consider starting a dinner co-op. By exchanging home-cooked, frozen meals, members can enjoy tasty dishes with minimal hassle.

"I was worn out by the idea of cooking every night," says Jana Miller, who founded Denver's Highland Dinner Co-op in February. She contacted like-minded pals to gather monthly and swap healthful dishes like coq au vin and crab cakes. There are up to 14 co-op cooks who prepare meals at home, making whatever they choose. The only rules: Use organic ingredients whenever possible, shop locally and freeze portions in zip-lock bags. Each participant brings two frozen servings per person (in Miller's group, that's 28 servings), plus extra for "tasting" during a freewheeling social hour.

Members dish out $80 to $95 per month, depending on the recipes. John Skrabec, known for his gourmet Greek-style salmon, is happy to participate in a little culinary one-upmanship. "There is always something interesting in the freezer," he says.

Inspired to start a dinner co-op? Miller's recipe for success: Keep the group small, seek participants without limited palates, and set portion size to avoid skimpy meals. "Dinner used to be a spirit-buster," she says. "Now it's a spirit lifter."