The Value of Ingredient Versatility

A variety of ingredients spread across a tabletop

From do-it-all kitchen gadgets to “goes on everything” spice blends, there are countless shortcuts that claim to help your back of house craft delicious flavors quickly and effectively. But what if we told you the answer to more efficient, cost-saving menu planning was already in your kitchen?

We understand the back-of-house can be chaotic –– cooking, cleaning, prepping, ordering and organizing, so taking every opportunity to help control the chaos is crucial. By streamlining the necessary ingredients featured across your menu and across dayparts, you can not only ensure that chaos is controlled but that each dish is delivered with optimal consistency. 

Standardized procedures for kitchen operations contribute to a smoother, more efficient restaurant operation. Ensuring staff are confident in their roles and how each ingredient is prepared leads to better teamwork and predictability, which is crucial for planning and scaling your menu and business.1 This means that the more consistency there is in ingredients across your menu, the smoother your entire restaurant will operate.

Chef cooking at a restaurant and flaming the food
Overhead shot of honey guajillo glazed pork ribs with chipotle mashed potatoes on a patterned table top

Combat Food Waste and Save $$$

Cutting back on food waste is another way ingredient versatility can play a huge role in your operation. Take the time to review sales of your entire menu to determine which ingredients you can cut back on and which you can further incorporate throughout your menu. Cutting back menu items that contain rarely ordered ingredients not only consolidates your offerings to fan favorites but also helps reduce food waste, which in turn can help save you money. 

According to the National Restaurant Association, many operators are tracking food waste as a waste prevention method, but there’s an opportunity to positively impact your bottom line. With food costs representing 28% to 35% of sales in restaurants, preventing pre-consumer food waste boosts profitability. For every dollar invested in food-waste reduction, restaurants could realize approximately $8 in cost savings.2

Cheeseburger topped with WHOLLY guacamole

Unlock Menu Creativity & Consistency

Utilizing the same ingredients across your menu also allows for more consistency and improved quality. This encompasses everything from the freshness of ingredients to the presentation of dishes. Consistent quality control ensures that every plate served meets your operation’s standards and customer expectations, reducing the likelihood of complaints and negative reviews.1 

Reviewing your menu for trends in item popularity is also a great way to find inspiration for new menu items or LTOs. Is guacamole your top-selling appetizer? Try adding guac to your next burger special for a Tex-Mex spin. Or if your customers always seem to be craving your breakfast tacos, try using the same salsa for something like shakshuka. The truth is, even just one ingredient can be stretched across the entire menu and the whole day.

We Can Help

MegaMex works to develop delicious Mexican flavors and products that can elevate the quality of your menu items and help ease any stress in your kitchens. Explore menu inspiration from our TRES COCINAS® Authentic Pepper Pastes, DOÑA MARIA® Mole and WHOLLY® Avocado lines to see how seamlessly MegaMex products can work across a full day’s menu.

TRES COCINAS® Authentic Pepper Pastes

Breakfast: California Benedict 

Lunch: Chicken Torta Sandwich

Appetizer: Wings tossed with Guajillo & Tamarind Sauce

Dinner Entree: Glazed Pork Ribs

Dessert: Brownies

DOÑA MARIA® Mole

Breakfast: Mole Chilaquiles

Lunch: Chopped Chicken Salad with Mole Vinaigrette 

Appetizer: Mole Cheesy Tots

Dinner Entree: Mole Roasted Pork Loin

Dessert: Churros with Mole Mocha Sauce

WHOLLY® Avocado

Breakfast: Avocado Toast

Lunch: Adobo de Guajillo Shrimp Tostadas

Appetizer: Avocado & Smoked Chicken Egg Roll with Verde Queso Dip

Dinner Entree: Grilled Red Snapper with Avocado & Tomatillo Salsa

Dessert: Tropical Green Avocado Smoothie

Looking for more innovation and menu inspiration? Partner with us, and we will help make it a little easier. All MegaMex Foods ingredients are authentically and thoughtfully crafted to save you time and labor without sacrificing quality.

1 Tripleseat 2024, “Why Consistency is Vital for Restaurant Operations”
2 National Restaurant Association 2024, “Working to Reduce Food Waste”