Chelsea Herbert's plate is pretty full! This wife, mom and longtime Flagler County resident is the founder of Poppy's True Market, president and operations manager of the complete site work development company 4C’S Trucking and Excavation and a partner at The Landing Strip, a popular family-friendly restaurant in Palm Coast.
Chelsea knows a thing or two about making mealtime magic happen. As we gear up for a new school year, I asked Chelsea to share her secrets for getting family-friendly dinners on the table even (and especially!) when life is hectic.
Chelsea, thanks for taking time to answer a few questions.
1. How has being in the restaurant business influenced your approach to cooking at home for your family?
Well, honestly, sometimes it makes it harder! Haha! Because now we all depend on the restaurant to be an option! Our kids love the landing strip!
2. Can you share any behind-the-scenes insights on how restaurant kitchens handle busy times that parents can apply at home?
Prep! I feel much better about our weeknight routine when I sit down on Saturday or Sunday and prepare a menu for the week and develop a grocery list. I also save money on groceries doing this because I’m shopping with a purpose!
3. Can you share a few of your go-to meals that are quick to prepare for busy weeknights?
Yes! Here are some of my family’s favorite recipes!
-Lasagna Rolls
-Crockpot Chili
-Pull Apart Cheesy Biscuits
4. Do your kids help with the cooking? Can you share some tips on how parents can get their kids involved in meal preparation?
Yes! They enjoy helping in the kitchen – recently, they’ve taken to washing dishes, which I’m not upset about at all!
They are really good at cracking eggs! Remember, the memories are worth the mess! They also take turns running the vacuum and wiping off the table from breakfast, lunch and snack time.
5. What trends are you seeing in the restaurant industry that parents might find interesting or useful for their own meal planning?
Experiment with the classics! We have a great “grown-up grilled cheese” at the landing strip, which is super easy to recreate at home or even put your own spin on!
We love any combination of a jam, bacon and cheese in our house!
6. How do you balance offering nutritious meals while still accommodating picky eaters?
I like to give our kids the choice of their fruit or vegetable with their meal. It makes them more excited about it when they get to be a part of the decision.
We also don’t make separate meals for our kids - they eat whatever we eat every night. The rule is, you don’t have to finish it, but you have to try it - at least one bite! Sometimes that’s the only bite of something they take, and other times they discover they like it!
We always offer a healthy alternative to something they don’t like.
7. Finally, it’s a little off-topic, but something I think is important. What is bringing you joy lately?
We have been working outside at our home quite a bit this spring and summer. Being able to go outside with our kids in the afternoons to feed our animals…(we have a small farm!) And just enjoying our garden area has been one of my favorite things to do in the evening after it has cooled down a bit and usually just gets done raining!
Thank you for sharing, Chelsea.
Lasagna Rolls
An easy weeknight friendly version of a classic favorite!
*I make the entire thing and then freeze half or share with a friend!
Ingredients:
1 package of lasagna noodles
1 24 oz jar of marinara sauce (Rao’s Marinara is a fav)
1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese
1 8oz bag of shredded mozzarella
1 egg
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning blend
3 cloves of fresh minced garlic
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
Parchment paper
Directions:
1. Bring salted water to a boil
2. Preheat oven to 400
3. Mince garlic finely
4. Warm pan and drizzle with olive oil
5. Add garlic to pan of oil (you don’t want it so hot it browns!) and cook until soft and fragrant (you can substitute this step for garlic powder to save time!)
6. Add garlic, ricotta, parm cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and egg to a bowl and mix
7. Cook lasagna noodles in batches following directions on the box and laying them out on parchment paper to cool
8. Pour 1/3 of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan
9. Spread cheese mixture onto lasagna noodles (the whole length in a thin layer)
10. Roll each one individually and add to the 9x13 pan standing up, repeat this step until you have used all of your lasagna noodles.
11. Pour remaining marinara sauce on top and add shredded mozzarella.
12. Cook in oven until cheese browns!
Cheddar Bay Monkey Bread
I found this recipe from Hayden Delishaas’ instagram and I’ve made it several times to accompany soups, pasta and more! Everyone always raves about this one!
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
2 tbsp butter melted
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp old bay
1 tsp onion powder
3 tbsp grated Parmesan
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella pearls
1 package grands biscuits, cut into quarters
Fresh or dried chives
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Coat a medium casserole pan or Bundt pan with cooking spray
3. Combine all ingredients (except the chives) in a bowl and toss together
4. Add the ingredients to the pan making sure the cheese is equally distributed.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, checking for doneness after 30 minutes.
