Thyme Management

Would you like to prepare healthy gourmet style entrees for your family in two hours or less? This is the question posed on the home page of the Thyme Management Supper Club. My friend Sara decided to give this a try and asked if I was interested in joining her. I was. So last night, we drove out to NW Portland, tied on our aprons, and made some meals.

Here’s how it works: The chef and her staff prepare all of the Ziploc freezer bags in advance, individually labeling each one with the meal name, preparation methods, and cooking instructions. Tables in the main room, where the meal construction takes place, are stocked with the ingredients for each meal, along with the measuring utensils and bowls (for mixing, if needed). The recipe is typed in a large, easy to read font, which is great if there is any level of alcoholic consumption (yes, I was drinking). You find the Ziploc bag for the recipe that’s on the table and begin preparing the meal. In minutes, you’ve whipped up an entree that can then be thrown into the freezer to be taken out and enjoyed at a later date.

Sara and I used the buddy system when creating our meals, charging through the recipes with lightning quick speed as ingredients were thrown into one bag and then the other. But it worked well and we clearly kicked the asses of the two other girls in the room that were super slow, even though they’d participated in the club before.

Oh, you have the option to get the Standard Meal Plan (4-6 generous servings per entree) or the Metro Plan (2-3 generous servings per entree). Sara and I both opted for the Metro Meals. Good thing, too. With as much crap that is already stacked in my freezer I wouldn’t have had room for all of that food. Our menu included the following:

Apple Rum Marinated Pork Chops
Apricot Glazed Chicken
Bourbon & Brown Sugar Glazed Beef Kabobs
Caesar Marinated Chicken Breasts
Homestyle Macaroni & Cheese
Pork Chile Verde
Southwestern Taco Pot Pie
Stuffed Shells Florentine
Tilapia Mediterranean Style
White Bean Chicken Chili

Here’s what my husband should know - I used almost every ingredient that was offered, this includes dry mustard and anchovies. However, when it came time to slap some yellow condiment nasty Dijon mustardness grossosity (my word, pronounced “gross-ah-city”), I declined to add this ingredient to the mix. As the great thinker Bobby Brown once said, “It’s my perogative. I can do what I want to do. It’s my perogative.” Words to live by, for sure.

I should probably report that when I got home Darr and I were both a little curious and a tad hungry so we whipped out one bag, the Caesar Marinated Chicken Breasts, and started cooking ourselves a late night dinner.

Initially, there was some concern from Darr because the cast iron pan seemed to just be burning the marinade but it actually turned out really good. The meat was tender and juicy with a very noticeable Caesar-like taste - garlicky, lemony goodness. This particular dish gets a two-thumbs up from this gal. Next up on the list to try - Stuffed Shells Florentine.