School cookery, very expensive

[Toomanyblanklooks]

I’ve just checked what DD needs for cookery tomorrow. 8 chicken breasts!
AIBU to thinks it’s too expensive and too much food?

I reckon they bank on half the class not bringing anything. So they do a vague call out and buy the difference (which if they can get people to over buy) means it’s not too expensive for the school. 8 chicken breasts is insane. 🤣

The recipe itself looks in proportion, as it’s definitely the kind of amounts I would make for batch cooking - but surely it’s a recipe that serves 8-10 at least, depending on the size of the chicken breasts!

@idealgift why do you try to take over threads with constant irrelevant questions?

But the spices are the amount you'd use for 2 chicken breasts, or preferably equivalent thigh meat.

Curry needs salt, you can't just miss it out because you think it's unhealthy (it's not in the amounts used in home cooking).

That would be at least four nights worth for the two of us. Assumes you have freezer space and suitable containers ready to freeze into portions.

I know this is beside the point but.. I am so annoyed that my DCs secondary school does not do food tech. It's quite a new school and they have existed on a small, unfinished site for years (covid, building issues have held everything up).
Home economics (as it was called back then) was my absolute favourite subject at school and I have always had a love of cooking / nutrition because of it. I think it's a really important subject.

Oh but I do also think 8 chicken breast is preposterous. You can't be the only one!

Are they actually learning about batch cooking? I don't think this is a bad thing to teach actually, certainly more use than all those lessons we had on designing microwave meals but I don't know if it would make for a good practical lesson.

This is nexts weeks - this looks out of proportion and though I don’t want 10 portions of curry I would be very happy with a cake that serves many!

Ah good point about the spices etc. To be fair I normally just throw stuff in and don’t worry too much about the exact amounts (just feeding my family), and yes I always add a bit of salt!

Maybe it’s a hugely bland curry for 8-10 people?

Maybe if kept properly refrigerated and not with periods of higher temperatures during transport.

When mine were at senior school, so 15 to 20 years ago, the teacher supplied the ingredients and we paid. So sensible when there may be things you just don't use at home and you'd have to buy a full jar/packet.

@WhatNoRaisins they usually cook for 4 and generally cook great meals. It’s just this and next weeks that are out of proportion.

That’s obviously a mistake.
4 chicken breast at the most
or more likely 8 chicken thighs.

I wouldn't be sending in all those ingredients - we are a family of 6 and I wouldn't use 8 chicken breasts in a curry!!

There has been an error somewhere, also it's very strange and potentially dangerous from a hygiene perspective to have kids taking raw chicken into school (and it possibly not being refrigerated properly etc)

year group is relevant

a level - more likely not a typo than year 7 when almost certainly only a typo

@Caterina99 , the ingredients look odd and the balance of the main ingredients and spices are wrong. Why on earth does it have cream and yoghurt in it?

Exactly!

”We’re going to make this with chickpeas/lentils as it’s an excellent economical source of protein, however, you could make it with chicken/beef/lamb”

I can’t believe (except I can really) that Home Ec teachers are still doing this! Apart from anything, do they provide fridge facilities for all this raw meat?

I'm glad DD's is scones today. I'd have to sell my car to fund that curry.

I'm confused.. this must be a mistake, I make Currys for a family of 4 and I use 4 fillets.. one for each person... 8 would feed my whole family for 2 or 3 days

How is the cake out of proportion? That would easily serve four too.

I would baulk at the cost of that! And at that much raw chicken in a non-pro but multi-use kitchen - sorry if I'm doing the teens a disservice. And if they're making that each, the huge amount could be really wasteful and I'd baulk at that as well.

I'd say tweak the recipe to what you think it should be and send her in with a pack of mini-fillets. I snip up a packet of mini fillets very fine to make batches of chicken and tarragon soup. It's never under-chickened. Is this finally a recipe beyond the magical stretching capabilities of the MN chicken?

What kind of school is it? Is cookery a big part of the curriculum?

The costs of cooking in school (and music lessons) have been covered by Scottish Government since about 2021. Before that your son would have had to either pay for ingredients or bring them in himself.

Not the point but do they allow for vegetarians etc? (I agree portions look huge! Appropriate size contained made me laugh… a bit hard to provide a container for a vat or curry!)

The cake recipe is in proportion I think.
The bananas in it will alter the requirement for other ingredients and the oil replaces the need for butter. Chocolate chip and banana cake is a interesting flavour choice though!
As for the curry, on one hand its nice they aren't just making it from a jar and learning to do it properly however that's far too much and they should divide it to 1-2 portions max.
It's far too expensive and most families won't eat what's made after it spends all day bashing around in a school bag!