Class in Session: Dream Dinners
By Carrie Becker in Food on Apr 29, 2010 8:20PM
When it comes to stepping foot in a kitchen, there seems be a growing great divide on who actually cooks. We seem to be in a the minority among our friends since we actually like cooking and enjoy putting a home cooked meal on the table. Our friends put up the fight and the excuses of “too little time” or “not knowing or liking to cook” but we try to reason that they can find the time to cook and they can cook. So, when we stepped foot in Dream Dinners on Belmont Avenue one evening last week, we were happy to have a solution that our friends may actually accept.
Dream Dinners is that helping hand that gets you through the fuss of deciding what to make, get to the grocery store and through the tedious job of prepping a meal. Prior to our arrival, we completed a simple online form to choose from a series of meals for either a small family (3 servings) or a large family (6 servings). Our fear was this list would be a series of casserole-type dishes, layered with too much fat, starches and sodium but we were welcomed to see dishes like Thai Fusion Shrimp and Greek Chicken and Penne Pasta with Kalamata olives and feta cheese. Sure, we wish these were packed with more veggies but you can pick-up some from the ready-to-go freezer or, our preferred route, grab some fresh produce at the farmers market or your local grocer. Nutrition was another concern knowing how many pre-made meals are packed with calories and are high in sodium, but store manager, Leigh Fish, offered us a thorough list of nutritionals for each dish and revealed that most meals net around 300 calories per serving and sodium falls inline or lower than daily intake maximums per meal.
So what did we think about the class itself?
Upon your arrival, you are whisked into their well-oiled machine of neatly, organized workstations filled with pre-measured ingredients, directions for assembly and freezer bags for storage. If you are packing six meals, you can easily get out of there under an hour. On our visit, the place was packed and mostly with regulars. One regular and his wife visit about once a month and noted it's a huge time saver, especially since they don't like to cook.
We were really impressed with the experience and quickly understood the appeal for our non-cook friends. When we got home from work and the gym Monday night, we really appreciated the ease and quick cook of the Coconut Crusted Chicken then when dinner hit the table, we were happy with how moist that chicken was. The flavorful Greek chicken and pasta was another hit on our list. However, when we did take our leap of faith on the one casserole dish, the Arroz Con Pollo bake, we felt confirmed that bakes and casseroles are just not our thing. It was just too much rice and not enough vegetables.
If you are looking for a quick way to get a homemade dinner on the table, while avoiding speed-dial of your favorite delivery, check out Dream Dinners for fully prepared meals that will save you time and keep you healthy.
Dream Dinners, 2124 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, IL 60618, 773-697-4289