For large families
Many large families use Dinner Elf in creative ways. 👍
Background
Chefs cook three nights of dinners in a single cooking appointment. Each night of dinner includes a main and side in a size of '2 persons' or 'family size' (2x).
More food
Our portion sizes are large, but we're sometimes asked, "Can you cook more than your standard family size portions?" Sort of.
Please read the below notes before making special requests.
Our constraint
To help our Elves set online availability (e.g. 1pm and 4pm), we standardize how much is cooked in an appointment. This helps them anticipate their time in your home and keeps them on schedule for other customers. Keep in mind that they're not paid for extra work or time in your home.
Some solutions
We don't offer the option to cook extra nights of dinner in a single cooking appointment (only 3 nights), but the below solutions can help.
- Order from our casserole menu (they're ginormous).
- Plan to use your menu for two nights instead of three nights. Mix-and-match "nights" into a single dinner.
- Book more than one appointment per week (e.g. Monday and Wednesday).
- In an appointment note, request extra pre-cooked meat (e.g., rotisserie chicken, fully cooked bacon, cooked shrimp, cooked shredded pork) for quick prep time.
- If you request extra protein for a main, order cold-prep sides to provide extra space in your oven or on your stove.
- Pick "complicated" mains (e.g., casseroles, pot pies) and sides that can stretch into breakfasts or lunches (e.g., muffins, pasta salads).
- Supplement Dinner Elf dinners with your own "easy" items (e.g., bagged salad kits, bakery bread) to make your menu go farther.
💡Your chef will highly appreciate an extra tip for special requests with shopping and/or cooking.
For more creative ideas, read this guest blog article from a mom with four big kiddos.
