Super Suppers in Corona, California Review

This month, I decided to try out a new place I learned about called Super Suppers.

Super Suppers is a new business concept in which clients can go in and assembly hearty, healthy meals from a selection of monthly entrees, or they can stop by and pick up a prepared entree to put in the oven for dinner. It's a franchise started by Judie Byrd, a long time cooking instructor and owner of the Culinary School of Fort Worth. Although Super Suppers has been around for some time, it's new to Corona, California. Sisters, Christine Peek and Brenda Forrester own the local Super Suppers franchise. Although it's a franchise, it has a warm and friendly atmosphere and personal feel of a small mom and pop shop business.

When I first picked up the flier at my son's day care, I was curious about what a place like Super Suppers could offer. I went in not knowing what to expect. If it was going to be a class, would I have to chop my own tomatoes? Would the class have to wait for me to finish dicing onions? Actually, it was a lot easier than I could have ever imagined. Brenda was there to personally assist me with any questions I had, and the staff was very helpful. They directed me to the stations for the entrees I was interested in preparing. The stations are set up like an ice cream parole where you pick up the different pre-diced ingredients and assemble the meal by following the instructions that are posted in a nice picture frame. Each of the items has its own measuring spoon or cup with the right amount associated to it so there is no guesswork or getting it wrong. I went on a Friday evening, which was perfect. That way I had prepared yummy meals for a nice breakfast and weekend dinners. Ironically, when I have more time on the weekend, I choose not to cook because I get caught up on my weekend warrior projects.

I started with the lasagna. I've never made lasagna before, nor would I have ever attempted to make lasagna before if it hadn't been for Supper Suppers. It's just one of those dishes that requires a lot of specialized ingredients that I don't regularly keep in my kitchen. I also don't have a lot of uninterrupted time to sit and plan out my meals and then a trip to groceries to pick up all the ingredients. I didn't know lasagna needed egg.

After my assembly of the lasagna was complete, I moved on to the fajitas. I added spices to precut frozen meat and added the diced chili peppers. Best thing, I can modify the directions to our preference by adding more or less of the ingredients as my family prefers.

Then I went on to make a very, yummy, Breakfast Braided Bread. It's fluffy scrambled eggs, ham, cheddar cheese, mushrooms and onions stuffed inside yummy yeast bread and baked to a golden brown. I was especially curious about making this one because I couldn't figure out how they were going to put the egg in there so that if gets all fluffy in there if you put in the raw egg on the dough. I was having one of those Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson Zoo Lander moments, "Oh, it's in the computer". And I just kind of laughed at myself as I realized that you put the cooked scrambled egg in the bread dough. I became a mom before I ever learned to cook so I've been playing a game of catch up ever since.

The Breakfast Braided Bread comes in two portions. I prepared one and Brenda demonstrated on the other one. On Saturday morning, I woke up early and put one of the Braided Bread in the oven to bake and I went out to go wash my car and watch the kids ride their bikes. I felt liberated that I would be able to give my family a yummy meal and still have the time to get things done in the early morning. I saved the other one for the weekend of my sister's bachlorete party weekend in Vegas to share with the girls when they got here early in the morning. It was absolutely prefect because since I was new at it and nervous at putting it together, it ended up awkwardly shaped. Once it was baked my sisters were asking me if I intentionally made it phallic shaped for the occasion. I laughed and took a picture.

My family also loved the lasagna. And were really surprised by how healthy and filling it was without making us feel overloaded and sleepy. The fajitas came in prefect when my dad came in from out of town and I didn't feel like driving out to get take out or like slaving through the kitchen. What surprised me the most was how handy the meals came in. We had plenty for several different occasions because the portions were generous. The food was a lot lighter and healthier tasting than the frozen foods at the grocery stores as well. In this case, you know what went into it. And you even had the opportunity to add to it or take away. It's restaurant quality food without the restaurant price.

The plans are flexible enough to allow for a portion of an order for smaller families. So you can purchase .5 of a meal instead of paying for the whole portion. Also, they have 101 sessions so if you are on a budget, you can at least go try it out and you get one free entrée to prepare and take home to your family for free. They also have take out available which you can stop by and pick up and warm up in your oven. It's a healthier alternative to fast food. You can browse their website at www.sscoronaca.com and view from their monthly menu.