By Ed Bruskeaka The slow Cook
I tried to interest daughter in this chicken sandwich when I noticed it on the Chartwells menu website. But she was having none of it.
"Those chicken patties aren't any good," she said. "They're dry."
But this was no chicken patty, but a piece of seasoned chicken breast. It thought it was great.
Here's a view of the chicken under the hood.
On the side was what Chartwells called an "ancho chili sauce." Typically, the kids don't know what to do with the sandwich dressings. But I do. I'm building my sandwich the way it was intended with the lettuce and tomato over the chicken and the chili sauce on the bun.
Here's a side view. You can see how thick the breast was--and moist.
Those carrots and green beans did get more than usual interest from the kids. They usually barely touch the vegetables on their trays. But I think the carrots added some interest. The Chartwells menu called for a "garlic and herb vegetable medley with squash, carrots and green beans." I didn't see any squash, but the carrots and green beans were good enough for me.
What the kids really wanted was that plastic cup of canned peaches.
Altogether, I thought this was a terrific lunch--even if my daughter didn't.
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I think this lunch looks wonderful. Sadly, I asked my son who goes to a different DCPS if his lunch ever looks like this, and he said no.
ReplyDeleteThat looks better than and fresher than any chicken I ever had in school. It seems that they're making more of an effort to go towards somewhat fresh (i.e. not processed) foods which is a good sign. Hopefully, the trend continues!
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a very good point, something I am often concerned about, and that is whether the lunches I see at my daugthter's school are representative, or if they get special treatment because of this blog. The kitchen staff at the school has not changed since I arrived on the scene, but the menu Chartwells is serving certainly has. That said, there may be significant differences in the skill level of the kitchens from one school to the next. Otherwise, the Chartwells menu is supposed to be served in all DCPS schools, except those 14 schools that are currently being handled by two independent contractors (D.C. Central Kitchen and Revolution Foods) as separate pilot projects.
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