California Culinary Centers Standardized Recipes
A collection of standardized recipes to support schools across California in creating menus to meet the National School Lunch Program meal pattern.
This collection of school district culinary center recipes reflects a variety of strategies for scratch cooking, including using locally grown California produce and multicultural flavors that students love.
Use the list of recipes below to build your menu and increase variety and options.
List of Recipes
School Lunch Recipes
Each recipe provides a kid taste test rating, nutrient analysis information, meal pattern contribution, and an ingredient list portioned for school food service yields.
This collection includes the top kid-rated recipes on a scale of one to five forks. Five forks kids rating: Love it, great flavor. Four forks kids rating: Like it, taste good. Three forks kids rating: It’s ok—needs something. Recipes with ratings below three forks are considered unacceptable or undesirable by students, and are not included in this collection.
Recipes are listed in the following menu categories:
Breakfast
| Recipe | Kid Rating (out of 5 forks) |
Culinary Center |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn Spice Muffin |  |
Lodi Unified School District (USD) |
| Chilaquiles with Eggs | |
Conejo Valley USD |
| Turkey Bacon and Egg Burrito |  |
Natomas USD |
| Vegetable Frittata | |
Conejo Valley USD |
Global Cuisine
| Recipe | Kid Rating (out of 5 forks) |
Culinary Center |
|---|---|---|
| Carnitas Tacos | |
Vista USD |
| Caribbean Turkey Pita | |
Monterey Peninsula USD |
| Chicken Adobo | |
Davis Joint USD |
| Chicken Pad Thai | |
Chico USD |
| Creamy Cilantro Chicken Soft Tacos | |
Irvine USD |
| Cuban Picadillo | |
Centralia Elementary School District |
| Ham Fried Rice | |
Monterey Peninsula USD |
| Jalapeno Polenta | |
Manteca USD |
| Orange Chicken with Vegetables | |
Conejo Valley USD |
| Persian Beef Kotlet and Potatoes | |
Irvine USD |
| Pork Afritada | |
Davis Joint USD |
| Rockin' Moroccan Stew | |
Monterey Peninsula USD |
| Vegetarian Fried Rice with Edamame | |
Conejo Valley USD |
Hot Plates
| Recipe | Kid Rating (out of 5 forks) |
Culinary Center |
|---|---|---|
| Baked Pasta with Marinara Sauce | |
Centralia Elementary School District |
| Barbeque (BBQ) Pulled Pork | |
Centralia Elementary School District |
| BBQ Chicken | |
Riverside USD |
| BBQ Chicken Pizza | |
Conejo Valley USD |
| BBQ Slugger Chicken with Rice | |
Natomas USD |
| Buffalo Chicken and Sweet Potato Bake | |
Irvine USD |
| Chicken Pasta Parmesan | |
Natomas USD |
| Crispy Baked Chicken | |
Centralia Elementary School District |
| Fish Sandwich with Jalapeno Tartar Sauce | |
Manteca USD |
| French Bread Pizza | |
Centralia Elementary School District |
| Mac and Cheese | |
Centralia Elementary School District |
| Pasta Parmesan with Vegetables |  |
Conejo Valley USD |
| Pasta Pesto with Beans | |
Irvine USD |
| Popcorn Chicken and Mashed Potato Bowl | |
Natomas USD |
| Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich | |
Riverside USD |
| Ranch Grilled Chicken | |
Riverside USD |
| Rotisserie Chicken | |
Riverside USD |
| Sandy's Seasonal Vegetarian Lasagna | |
Irvine USD |
| Spaghetti and Mighty Marinara Sauce | |
Conejo Valley USD |
Plant-based Options
| Recipe | Kid Rating (out of 5 forks) |
Culinary Center |
|---|---|---|
| Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili | |
Woodlake USD |
| Chana Chawal | |
Alameda USD |
| Edamame Noodle Bowl | |
Irvine USD |
| Fresh California Style Tabbouleh Salad | |
Woodlake USD |
| Pico Hummus Gyro | |
Manteca USD |
| Tofu Teriyaki with Vegetables | |
Davis Joint USD |
| Vegetable Chili | |
Manteca USD |
| Veggie Enchiladas | |
Monterey Peninsula USD |
| Wheat Berry and Black Bean Salad | |
Lodi USD |
Salads
| Recipe | Kid Rating (out of 5 forks) |
Culinary Center |
|---|---|---|
| Cantina Black Bean Taco Salad | |
Natomas USD |
| Chicken Curry in a Hurry Salad | |
Conejo Valley USD |
| Chicken Caesar Salad | |
Clovis USD |
| Fresh Apple and Pear Chicken Salad | |
Manteca USD |
| Kidney Bean Salad | |
Centralia Elementary School District |
| Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad | |
Riverside USD |
| Power Up! Caesar Salad | |
Monterey Peninsula USD |
| Rainbow Chopped Salad | |
Irvine USD |
| Snappy Peach Salad | |
Monterey Peninsula USD |
Wraps and Sandwiches
| Recipe | Kid Rating (out of 5 forks) |
Culinary Center |
|---|---|---|
| Beef Torta Sandwich | |
Riverside USD |
| Buffalo Chicken Wrap | |
Monterey Peninsula USD |
| Chicken Veggie Wrap | |
Irvine USD |
| Curried Chicken Quinoa Salad Wrap | |
Irvine USD |
| Fiesta Burrito | |
Riverside USD |
| Thai Chicken Wrap | |
Conejo Valley USD |
| Turkey Bacon Wrap | |
Irvine USD |
Chili and Soups
| Recipe | Kid Rating (out of 5 forks) |
Culinary Center |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken and Sausage Gumbo | |
Natomas USD |
| Chicken Tortilla Soup | |
Natomas USD |
| Chili Con Carne | |
Centralia Elementary School District |
| White Bean Chili with Chicken | |
Irvine USD |
Background
California Culinary Centers
The California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division sponsored the California Culinary Centers and the Fresh, Regional, Education-Supportive, Healthy Meals at Schools (FRESHMeals@Schools) program from 2013 to 2015. The FRESHMeals@Schools program provided leadership and promoted professional culinary development among school nutrition staff in California. The CDE selected 16 leaders in school nutrition as FRESHMeals@Schools Ambassadors for going above and beyond in recipe development, menu planning, student engagement, and marketing. The ambassadors conducted annual peer-to-peer trainings for other school districts to share their successes, problem-solving strategies, and best practices. The program also formed 16 culinary centers throughout the state where teams of chefs, dietitians, directors, cooks, and students developed 140 flavorful, nutritious, and economical standardized recipes to meet the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 meal pattern regulations. Learn more on the CA Culinary Centers Standardized Recipes web page Resources tab.
Student Engagement
The CA Culinary Centers conducted taste tasting with student culinary clubs and leadership groups to ensure each recipe has a flavor profile that students enjoy. This model of student-driven recipe and menu development is a best practice for student engagement and supports a healthy school environment while increasing students’ connection with caring adults. School districts large and small have demonstrated that when students have input in their food choices, participation increases. Learn more on the CA Culinary Centers Standardized Recipes web page Resources tab.
California Flavor
California’s ever-growing multicultural population influences the variety of the CA Culinary Centers’ recipe collection. In addition to having flavors from all corners of the world, from French to Mediterranean to Southeast Asian, the recipes include a large variety of locally grown fruits and vegetables, items from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foods program, and plant-based meal options. Learn more on the CA Culinary Centers Standardized Recipes web page Resources tab.
Contributing Culinary Centers
The CA Culinary Centers include the following school districts:
- Alameda Unified School District (USD)
- Centralia Elementary School District
- Chico USD
- Clovis USD
- Conejo Valley USD
- Davis Joint USD
- Encinitas Union School District
- Hayward USD
- Irvine USD
- Lodi USD
- Manteca USD
- Monterey Peninsula USD
- Natomas USD
- Riverside USD
- Woodlake USD
- Vista USD
Resources
Menu Planning Resources
The following resources can assist you in creating standardized recipes, engaging students, and preparing menus for your child nutrition programs (CNP).
Creating Recipes
You can find food yields and nutrient analysis information to build your own standardized recipes on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Buying Guide (FBG) for CNP Interactive Web-Based Tool web page
. The USDA FBG for CNPs with interactive tools is also available as a mobile application. Download it today on your iOS and Android device from the Team Nutrition FBG Mobile App web page
.
Support your teams’ culinary skills with a free Standardizing Recipes online course, now available on the California Department of Education (CDE) CNP Course Catalog.
Looking for more recipes? Try searching the USDA collection of recipes on the What’s Cooking USDA Mixing Bowl web page
.
Engaging Students
You can learn more about engaging students, promoting your nutrition program, and creating healthy school environments on the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement of California web page
.
Are more students and parents asking about vegetarian meal options? Educate your staff and school community by sharing the CDE Plant-Based Meal Options in Child Nutrition Programs web page.
Preparing Menus
Make menu planning easy to organize and track using the CDE Standardized Recipe Form (PDF) and forms available on the Menu Production Record Forms web page.
Become familiar with the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program meal patterns available on the School Menu Planning Options web page.
To find free, online trainings and resources for School Nutrition Program (SNP) directors, managers, and staff, designed to prepare participants to meet the challenges of day-to-day operations, visit the Institute for Child Nutrition’s E-Learning Portal web page
.
You can also access training opportunities from a variety of sources; searchable by the following key areas: (1) nutrition, (2) operations, (3) administration, and (4) communications and marketing on the USDA Professional Standards for SNP Professionals web page
.
Contact Us
These recipes are just a sample of the delicious school meals created in California. To find more of the latest
California Department of Education (CDE) nutrition news and information, visit the CDE Nutrition web page. To share photos of your recipe results, taste testing events, or favorite standardized recipes, follow us on Twitter @CDENutrition
.
For questions regarding the content of this web page, please contact the Nutrition Services Division by phone at 800-952-5609 or by email at HHFKA@cde.ca.gov.
