“Build Your Own” Style Dinners

Written By Judy Doherty

Since the theme for Nutrition Month (R) is “Food Connects Us” we wanted to show how to do a cooking demo for a “build your own” style dinner. Family meals have been shown to have so many benefits and yet they are super chaotic when you try to meet so many taste preferences, schedules, and the amount of time needed to cook and clean.

One of the most engaging types of meals you can serve is a “build your own” where you put out all the ingredients for an entree and people build their own. Pasta, tacos, chili, burgers, soup and sandwich, and ethnic meals come to mind.

You might end up prepping a little bit more food, but then you have leftovers for other meals, and everyone loves “building their own” to accommodate for taste preferences and less food waste.

Here are three excellent meals that can be served family style and “build your own”

Burger board - using a grazing board for burgers. You can have turkey burgers, beef burgers, and veggie burgers, all made on an induction stove, while the rest of the items are just cut up. An air fryer makes great French Fries, too. And for added engagement, members of the audience can come up and help prep!

Family Salad - a large platter makes a great way to serve salad so everyone can help themselves, but there is minimal cleanup.

Sheet Pan Dinners - allow for many things to be roasted and for family members to take what they want to eat.

Step one - list what you want to demo and how you will serve it. If you get audience members to help, you must buy the ingredients. If you are making a TV-style presentation by yourself, then you should buy enough items to show the prep and to show the cooked items. Get handouts ready and practice the dishes a few times.

Step two - Shop for the demo the day before. Look at our photos and see how the items are presented - do you need to get a large board, pan or platter? Make sure you have everything. Organize all the ingredients so the audience can find them and help or prepare them in advance.

Step three - arrive early to your demo and get your table organized. Place handouts on all the chairs or at the front so people can pick them up.

Burger Grazing Board

Burger Grazing Board

Yield 4
Author Judy Doherty
Prep time
10 Min
Cook time
20 Min
Total time
30 Min
Grazing boards are a fun way to serve a family dinner. Here is one we made with burgers and fixings.
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Ingredients

  • 4 3-ounce lean turkey burger patties
  • 4 small burger buns
  • 2 cups lettuce
  • 2 tomatoes sliced
  • 1/2 onion sliced
  • 2 carrots peeled and cut in sticks
  • 1 sweet potato, cut in strips and air fried
  • 1 apple
  • 4 strawberries
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium ketchup
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise

Instructions

  1. Cook the burger patties according to package directions. We used quinoa veggie burgers for this dinner.
  2. Prepare all the fixings: lettuce, sliced tomatoes, air-fried sweet potatoes, apple slices, carrot sticks, condiments, and buns.
  3. Arrange everything on a large board and serve family style.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

492

Fat

19 g

Sat. Fat

4 g

Carbs

56 g

Fiber

6 g

Net carbs

50 g

Sugar

22 g

Protein

23 g

Sodium

550 mg

Cholesterol

67 mg
copyright foodandhealth.com
Dinner, Burger, Kids
American
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Chicken and Acorn Squash Sheet Pan Dinner

Chicken and Acorn Squash Sheet Pan Dinner

Yield 4
Author Judy Doherty
Prep time
10 Min
Cook time
40 Min
Total time
50 Min
By placing chicken, winter squash, veggies, and seasonings on a sheet pan you have an easy dinner that is ready to go any weeknight.
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Ingredients

  • 4 each chicken thighs skinless
  • 2 tsp garlic pepper
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 each acorn squash cut in half, seeded, then cut in wedges
  • 3 cups cherry tomatoes stems removed, rinsed
  • 1 bunch of asparagus, tips cut and rinsed. reserve stems for soup
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 2 cups raw carrot and cucumber slices use these at the end for a garnish do not bake
  • 1 each pomegranate arils from one pomegranate - put on at the end

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken on a sheet pan with a rack or with paper on the bottom.
  2. Place the cut wedges of acorn squash around the chicken.
  3. Arrange the asparagus around the chicken and squash.
  4. Sprinkle the cherry tomatoes on the tray around the chicken and veggies.
  5. Top all with olive oil, garlic pepper, and red pepper.
  6. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees.
  7. Top the tray with the carrots, cucumbers, and pomegranate arils. Serve at once.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

268.68

Fat

7.41 g

Sat. Fat

1.58 g

Carbs

26.73 g

Fiber

6.6 g

Net carbs

20.12 g

Sugar

7.98 g

Protein

26.86 g

Sodium

163.2 mg

Cholesterol

107.35 mg
copyright foodandhealth.com
sheet pan meal
Main course, Entree, Dinner
American
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Family Size Salad

Family Size Salad

Yield 6
Author Judy Doherty
Prep time
15 Min
Cook time
30 Min
Total time
45 Min
This big salad serves up many choices for everyone and it is attractive and fun with minimal effort. Try it for dinner!
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Ingredients

  • Ingredients:
  • 8 cups ready-to-serve kale or other greens
  • 2 cups cooked farro or brown rice
  • 1 sweet potato, microwaved to done (4 minutes), peeled, diced
  • 2 avocados, peeled and diced
  • 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
  • 1 cup grated carrots
  • 1 cup sliced fennel
  • 1 cup sliced radishes
  • 1 tomato, cut in wedges
  • 1/2 cucumber sliced
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half
  • fresh chives
  • Variety of dressings and oil and vinegar

Instructions

  1. Prepare all the ingredients. Arrange on a large platter as shown with the lettuce on the bottom and the ingredients on the top.
  2. Chill until ready to serve.
  3. Let every one gather their own salad and provide a variety of dressings.
  4. Leftovers make a great lunch the next day.
  5. Chef's Tips:
  6. The work becomes very easy when you use a Japanese mandolin, available affordably online at Amazon or in most cooking stores.
  7. The idea is to use greens, veggies, roasted squash or sweet potato, a protein item like eggs, and whole grains. Feel free to use what you like or what is seasonal in your area.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

331.21

Fat

17.81 g

Sat. Fat

3.08 g

Carbs

36.05 g

Fiber

8.75 g

Net carbs

27.33 g

Sugar

5.25 g

Protein

9.96 g

Sodium

112.78 mg

Cholesterol

124.33 mg
copyright foodandhealth.com
Family Meal
Salad, Family
American
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Make Your Own Taco - Family Meal Night Idea

Make Your Own Taco - Family Meal Night Idea

Yield 4
Author Judy Doherty
Prep time
20 Min
Cook time
20 Min
Total time
40 Min
Arrange a few favorite healthy ingredients in bowls in the center of the table. Watch the creations and conversations begin.
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Ingredients

  • 8 ounces chicken breasts 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 8 ounces tilapia fish
  • 2 tsp garlic salt
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 15 ounces pinto beans (1 can) drained and heated
  • 2 each avocadoes pitted, peeled, and sliced
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 each lime cut in wedges
  • 2 ounces cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups sliced cabbage
  • 1 tablespoon Ranch dressing
  • 12 each corn tortillas heated

Instructions

  1. Season the fish and chicken with garlic, paprika, and a little Italian seasoning. Bake the fish and chicken in a 375 degree (F) oven until done.
  2. Heat the beans and get all of the other ingredients ready. Place each ingredient in a small bowl. Place all of the bowls on a tray or platter. Heat the tortillas and place them in a basket. Place the cheese on a plate with a grater or grate it ahead of time whichever you prefer.
  3. Toss the sliced cabbage with the ranch dressing and place in a bowl. Cut the limes into wedges and arrange them with the fish and chicken.
  4. Serve family style and allow everyone to make their own tacos.

Notes

You can also add rice or lean beef to this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

708.38

Fat

26.89 g

Sat. Fat

6.33 g

Carbs

79.84 g

Fiber

23.93 g

Net carbs

55.91 g

Sugar

5.27 g

Protein

44.09 g

Sodium

1437.58 mg

Cholesterol

79.78 mg
copyright foodandhealth.com
budget, family, make your own
Family Meal
Mexican, Southwestern
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Judy Doherty

I am a food, beverage, and CPG product photographer specializing in photos, stop motion, and video, with over 90,000 photos and motion graphics delivered. Clients hire me for my eye, creative direction, and passion for taking their idea to the next level.

My strength lies in a nimble and lean creative process. Clients love getting creative content at a reasonable cost since my studio can art direct, style, and shoot their images quickly and on budget. My studio features an extensive surface library and prop house with a fully equipped kitchen and two shooting studios.

My experience as a chef, stylist, and photographer has earned many awards, including APA Top 100, ACF Gold Medal, and a juried fine art photo exhibit at Art Basel Miami. I was Executive Pastry Chef for two Hyatt Hotels and Resorts before completing two post-baccalaureate certificates for Visual Art and Graphic Design at U.C. Berkeley Extension in San Francisco.

https://judydohertyphotography.com
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