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McKenzie Orchards Cooking School: great entertainment and great food.
McKenzie Orchards Cooking School: great entertainment and great food.
What makes these classes so enjoyable is that the technique and the food are so approachable.

McKenzie 
Orchards Cooking School: great entertainment and great food.

It all adds up to an evening of fun and fantastic food that you'll be eager to make again at home.


McKenzie Orchards Cooking School: great 
entertainment and great food.

RESERVE A PRIVATE CLASS FOR YOUR OWN GROUP

A cooking class is great group entertainment for family or friends:
... First everyone is seated in our teaching kitchen learning how our menu is prepared.
... Then you all sit at the cherrywood dining table to enjoy the feast we have created together.

Each menu offers a full restaraunt style meal with wine and dessert. Browse our menus to plan your own private cooking class. Most menus can be adapted to meet dietary requirements such as gluten or dairy free.

The classes are great fun and informative. Not to mention the food is so mouth-watering you can hardly wait for the meal to be served.

Make it a Cooking/Stayover Package

Since you're here, make it even more fun, turn it into it an overnight! Why drive home when you could have another glass of wine, retire to your supremely comfortable room for a blissful night's sleep and a great breakfast in the morning with your friends. What's not to like?

Details ...

The classes are held in the evening from 5:30 to 7:30 pm with dinner to follow, but you may modify the hours to meet your personal schedule.

Six or more participants* are required to book a class, the maximum is 12 .

Cost is $65 per person and includes a glass of wine and of course, a full dinner. Additional wine may be purchased at winery prices.

Call your friends. Pick your date(s) and call Karen at 541-515-8153 to discuss your menu choice and to reserve a date.

* Smaller groups may be allowed on request for overnight guests -- call us!

CHOOSE YOUR MENU . . . Click on the name to see the full menu.

Holiday and Entertaining Menus
... great for low-stress entertaining or a special family meal.


Everyday Fun Fare
... Make weekday family favorites easier and with less work.

  • Menu # 6: Make your own pizza, fired in a wood-burning oven
    ... Homemade pizza is easier than you think.
  • Menu # 7: Bring Home the Bacon
    ... Everyone loves bacon, all ways!
  • Menu # 9: Nuts About Food
    ... Peanut sesame noodles, nut-crusted fish and more.
    Technique Classes
    ... Breads, Pastas, Grilling, Master Sauce

  • Menu # 11: Pitas, Pizzas, and Panini
    ... Bread Making for Everyone.
  • Menu # 13: Mexican Grilling
    ...Game Hen, Poblano-Tomatillo Sauce, more.
  • Menu # 14: Chevy's Fresh Mex and More.
    ... Cooking with a Master Sauce from Chevy's Cookbook.

  • Holiday and Entertaining Menus

    The eye appeal and flavors of this meal are wonderful.

    1. Elegant But Easy

    Here is a meal that will tempt you to entertain. Each item is truly "elegant, but easy", and a treat for your guests or your family. Everything looks beautiful on the plate and tastes extra-special, like you fussed over it for hours, but is actually made in minutes. An added convenience, everything can be made, prepped or assembled ahead of time.
    Crisp chicken breast cutlets breaded with crumbs and crushed macadamia nuts, with your choice of two delicious, easy pan sauces
    Pepper jelly-wine sauce
    Pomegranate juice and shallot reduction pan sauce
    Pan-browned potato galette
    Leek and carrot tagliatelle
    Avocado, sweet onion and orange salad with tangy orange dressing
    Dessert: Luscious ten-minute fruit tart made with seasonal fruit, served with softly whipped cream

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

    Back to list of menus.

    Game hens always make a splendid presentation.

    2. Intimate Gathering

    This is a marvelous menu that works for a cozy "tete-a-tete" for two up to a big dinner party of 12. All it takes is a little bit of planning, because the meal is very easy to fix. This menu looks and tastes fancy but comes together very quickly. The golden-brown hens are served on a bed of buttery couscous, with a delicious, zippy sauce made from the pan juices, spooned over. The beautiful salad complements the meal perfectly. Pan-roasted green beans are a delectable side dish. The rich tasting, dense apple cake is so simple to prepare, and is paired with homemade hazelnut ice cream. This meal is too good to serve only at the holidays.

    Spice rubbed game hens, roasted in an oven bag
    Pepper jelly/wine pan sauce
    Buttery couscous with toasted pine nuts, currants and dried cranberries
    Pan-roasted green beans
    Composed salad of orange slices, sweet onion, and avocado on a bed of baby spinach, with tangy orange dressing
    Dessert: Easy Italian apple cake with a scoop of hazelnut ice cream

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    The meal begins with a scrumptious salad.

    3. French Bistro Meal

    This is an incredibly satisfying, delicious, classic meal of Lyon, France. Lyon is "the City where the French go to eat". Neighborhood restaurants called "bouchons" serve generous portions of homey, delicious and satisfying foods. Bouchon cooking is straightforward, not fussy or overly complicated and usually especially good prepared ahead of time. In this meal, the combination of succulent chicken in a creamy, tangy sauce, crusty macaroni gratin, mellow chard and the complex flavors of the salade lyonnaise are irresistible. The dessert is one of the most justly famous of French desserts, and is not difficult to prepare. Bon appetit!

    Chicken in Vinegar with cream (Poulet au Vinaigre)
    Macaroni Gratin (Macaronade)
    Steamed chard with nutmeg (Bette a cardes cuit a la vapeur avec la noix de muscade)
    Salade lyonnaise (mesclun greens with salty bacon, garlic croutons, soft cooked egg, vinaigrette dressing)
    Housemade French baguette (Tom has perfected this staple of the French table)
    French apple cake with homemade vanilla ice cream

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    The eye appeal and flavors of this meal are wonderful.

    4. Restaurant Meals at Home

    This meal, which would be a standout in any fine dining restaurant is easy to make at home. The salad hits all the right autumn notes with its combination of delectable textures and flavors. The Sicilian pork chop, cooked entirely in the oven, has a crunchy coating of garlic/lemon bread crumbs and parmesan cheese; the mashed potatoes are low-fat and delicious. If you've never liked brussels sprouts, you've never had them this way, nutty and sweet, with delicious shards of pancetta and shallot. The dessert looks and tastes fancy but is extra easy: a warm bittersweet chocolate sauce spills out when the cake is cut open.
    A great feature of this meal, if you're making it for guests, is that all of the prep, and a lot of the cooking can be done well ahead of time, making your last minute time in the kitchen not so frantic.

    "Autumn" salad with roasted pears, toasted pecans and crumbly Gorgonzola cheese
    Sicilian pork chop, served with apple compote
    Buttermilk mashed potatoes
    Brussels sprouts caramelized in the pan, with pancetta and shallots
    Flourless "molten" chocolate cakes, served with homemade vanilla ice cream

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    Bones of the roast turkey make the most flavorful soup ever.

    5. The Day After Thanksgiving, Deliciously

    You bought a 20-lb. turkey and want to use it up in a fashion that is as delicious as the Thanksgiving feast itself, without all the work! Here are some truly out-of-the ordinary suggestions I've developed over the years. Lots of hints to make the day after cooking quick and easy. Come sample and judge for yourself.

    Incredible Turkey-vegetable soup with broth made from the bones of the turkey.
    "Superior" Turkey salad with wild rice, cranberries and hazelnuts served in pita pockets. We invented this while camping at Lake Superior; the recipe was published in Gourmet magazine.
    "Lazy day" stove-top turkey and vegetable deep dish pot pies with a no-fail crispy crust.
    As a bonus, we'll make pita bread from scratch.

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    Everyday Fun Fare

    Your pizza ready to cook. Slide it into the wood burning oven. The wood burning oven creates an outstanding crust.

    6. Make your own Pizza -- cook with a wood-burning oven!
    A "hands on" class

    Everyone loves pizza. Don't be afraid to make it at home from scratch, including the crust. A homemade crust is so much better than store-bought. It's fun and easy, and so delicious. All you need is a hot oven. Breadmaster Tom will show you how to make a crust that has the perfect combination of crusty and chewy and is deliciously brown on the bottom, yet much lower in fat than commercial pizza. The same dough makes excellent focaccia and flatbreads or pitas.

    In this class, we'll give you a ball of dough for you to roll thin, brush with olive oil and tomato sauce, and top with everything that looks tasty. Bring it outside to Tom and he'll cook it in the wood-burning Ooni oven in under 2 minutes!

    You will also help make the tasty apple cake and churn the home made ice cream.

    Pizza toppings, pick and choose:
    Traditional: Italian sausage, sweet onion and red bell pepper
    Classic Hawaiian: ham and pinapple
    Vegetarian: olive, fresh tomato and feta

    Green salad with Italian accents
    Dessert: French apple cake with home made ice cream

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    Bacon makes almost everything taste even better!.

    7. Bring Home the Bacon

    Here's another class that showcases this absolute favorite ingredient in every dish (except the dessert). Who can resist because they are all standouts on their own and also work well together in this wonderful menu. The dessert (from the current issue of Fine Cooking magazine, is absolutely the best bar cookie ever), and can be paired with ice cream for a fabulous dessert.

    Salad: Classic lyonnaise salad with garlic croutons, salty bacon, soft-cooked egg and walnut oil vinaigrette on mesclun greens
    Main course: chicken whole legs (thigh-drumstick combos), wrapped in pancetta (that's Italian for bacon) and roasted
    Side dish: Twice baked potatoes with bacon, cheddar, sour cream and chives
    Vegetable: Toasty broccoli and walnuts stir fry, with bacon bits and hot bacon dressing
    Dessert: (no bacon): Honey-nut bars

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    Nuts give zest and crunch to so many foods.

    9. Nuts About Food

    Nuts are a powerhouse of good nutrition, packed with protein, fiber, monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium, copper, and antioxidants. What's more they taste delicious, especially if fresh and toasted . So why not a whole menu where every dish incorporates at least one of these fabulous morsels. What a meal!

    Peanut sesame noodle salad (the one you've dreamed of!), with julienne carrots, celery, daikon and scallion
    Pecan- crusted fish fillets (think halibut, salmon)
    Vegetable stir-fry with cashews
    Dessert: Macadamia nut lace cookies served with toasted almond ice cream

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    .

    11. Pizza, Pitas, and Panini -- cook with a wood-burning oven!

    Tom is offering a class based on his master techniques for producing perfect breads at home, all made from one simple dough. These flat breads bake great at your home but they are super fast in our wood-burning oven -- pizza in 2 minutes! See how easy it is to make wonderful breads that complement any meal.

    Pizza (topped with nicoise olives, sweet Italian sausage and 3 cheeses)
    Pita breads (sampled filled with grilled vegetables and tangy tahini sauce)
    Focaccia with Italian herbs
    Grilled Tuscan panini sandwiches (using focaccia bread), filled with grilled chicken breast, provolone cheese, baby spinach and sun-dried tomato pesto

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    Cooking Technique Classes

    13. Mexican Grilling

    Want some Mexican food that is out of the ordinary? Perk up your taste buds with this combination of grilled game hens with a dry rub and a zesty salsa, colorful rice flavored with annatto, black beans and a crisp, bright Pico de Gallo salad. Mellow creme caramel (flan) for dessert.

    BBQ Cornish game hens with Tomatillo/Fresh Pasilla (Poblano) Chile Salsa
    Achiote/garlic rice
    Black beans
    Warm corn tortillas
    Pico de Gallo Salad (cucumber, sweet onion, avocado, tomato, red pepper, lemon-lime/olive oil dressing)
    Flan

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    .

    14. Chevy's Fresh Mex and More

    This class shows you the secrets to flavor everything from chile rellenos, to beans to slaw, by using the fabulous master sauce, chipotle puree, developed by the wildly successfully Chevy's chain of Mexican Restaurants.

    Chipotle puree
    Pasilla chile paste with a chipotle kick (use on quesadillas, to flavor pozole or tortilla soup, or to give a Mexican zesty flavor to tomato sauces, stews)
    Best and easiest Chile rellenos (low-fat)
    Mexican-style rice
    Big flavor black beans
    Smokin' chipotle slaw with sweet chipotle dressing
    Warm corn tortillas

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    scrumptious vegetarian meal on the grill.

    15. Let's Grill Mediterranean Style

    This delicious and totally satisfying vegetarian meal will make you forget the meat isn't there. Tom shows you easy-to-follow techniques for getting perfect results every time on your backyard grill.

    Perfect succulent eggplant on the grill (with olive oil and garlic)
    Puffy pita breads on the grill
    Kebab vegetables (sweet onion, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes)
    Tangy tahini sauce
    Classic Mediterranean salad (cucumber, red onion, kalamata olive, tomato, bell pepper with lemon/olive oil dressing)

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    everything grilled to perfection -- you'll see!

    16. Grilling Technique Class

    Come join us for a great grilling sampler. Grillmaster Tom will demonstrate how a variety of grilling techniques on a gas grill produces perfect results for everything from lamb chops, to chicken, to vegetables, to bread. Then go home and grill anytime and impress your friends and family. (Class offerred April through October only).

    Pick two (2) of the meat options:

    * Juicy lamb chops (controlling flare up)
    * Pork satay with peanut sauce (direct)
    * Perfect barbecued chicken (indirect cooking)

    Vegetable kebabs marinated in garlic and herbs
    Chewy flatbreads on the grill
    Fragrant jasmine rice
    Cucumber, sweet onion and tomato salad, with toasted spices yogurt dressing
    Dry rubs

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    Asian Food

    everything grilled to perfection -- you'll see!

    17. Chinese Favorites

    This menu brings together several of our favorite Chinese dishes. My own rendition of the classic chicken salad -- shredded chicken, Napa cabbage, julienne carrots, red bell pepper, toasted sesame seeds and peanuts, scallions, cilantro, crispy noodles on top and a sublime sweet and vinegar dressing. We often make this a complete meal in itself. The beef and leek dish is a variation of a dish made popular by Barbara Tropp in the 1970's: tender beef with leeks and carrots in a hoisin and garlic sauce on a sesame oil flavored crispy noodle cake. The batter coated shrimp in wine sauce is a great combination. Toasted almond ice cream is a delicious spin on the traditional Chinese restaurant dessert of almond cookies.

    Chinese chicken salad with crispy noodles, toasted sesame seeds, cilantro and tart-sweet dressing
    Stir-fried beef and leeks on pan-browned noodle cake
    Crispy batter-coated shrimp and vegetables in wine sauce
    Steamed jasmine rice
    Homemade toasted almond ice cream

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    mouth-watering Asian fusion dishes!

    18. Asian Feasting

    This Asian-inspired menu will delight your family or guests with a wonderful combination of textures and flavors. A rich coconut/lemon-grass curry naps the tender chicken. A wok-seared eggplant gets a bath of mellow hot bean sauce, and the fragrant rice and crunchy colorful salad are perfect foils for these dishes.

    Mouth-watering chicken in coconut and lemon-grass curry
    Succulent eggplant in a hot bean sauce
    Fragrant steamed jasmine rice (perfect every time)
    Crunchy salad of julienne of cucumber, daikon radish and carrot dressed with rice wine vinegar and toasted sesame oil dressing.

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    mouth-watering Asian fusion dishes!

    19. Dim Sum

    You will learn to make three basic dim sum: siu mai, potstickers, and won tons. We will make won ton soup made from your won tons and serve a few fried on the side.
    Get ready for Hands On and have fun! Watch trays of beautiful dim sum appear as if by magic!

    Siu mai (pork dumpling)
    Pot stickers (pork and napa cabbage) served with hot chili oil and rice wine vinegar
    Won tons (great deep fried or in soup .. we do both!)
    Won ton soup (rich broth with greens, chicken, Chinese BBQ pork, and won tons)

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    mouth-watering Asian fusion dishes!

    20. Asian Bites Party

    Here's a "hands on" class that will teach you to make a variety of delicious appetizers for the enjoyment of your family or guests. Together they make enough for a complete meal. Have you hankered for the "secret" recipe for P.F. Chang's famous lettuce wraps and their special dipping sauce. Not so secret anymore after you try Karen's rendition. Sate sticks with peanut sauce are a restaurant favorite and simple to make for a home party.

    PF Chang's restaurant style "secret" lettuce wraps
    "Secret" all-purpose dipping sauce
    Pork pot stickers with hot chili oil and rice vinegar
    Crispy fried won tons with sweet/sour dipping sauce
    Chicken sate sticks with peanut sauce

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    An explosion of flavors!

    21. Vietnamese Street Food

    Have you ever wanted to learn how to make those yummy, Vietnamese summer rolls served on rice noodles in Pho restaurants, or how about succulent lemongrass pork on skewers? All served on a bed of cool rice noodles and crisp vegetables. It is easy and the result are spectacular. These dishes make great party food, especially if your friends join in assembling the summer rolls and threading the skewers. So roll up your sleeves, and get ready to party.

    Vietnamese summer (salad) rolls filled with fresh vegetables, rice noodles, chopped peanuts, mint, cilantro
    Asian style peanut dipping sauce
    Cool rice noodles
    BBQ lemongrass pork skewers
    Nuoc cham dipping sauce
    Vegetable garnishes
    Homemade vanilla ice cream with fresh berries

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    Delicious, plump pot stickers An explosion of flavors!

    22. Chinese Stir Fries and Sauces

    Learn to make some of your favorite stir fries with their delicious sauces and achieve the "wok hai" or "breath of a wok" special seared goodness you get at a top-notch Chinese restaurant, right at home.

    Appetzer: Homemade pot stickers (pork, cabbage, scallion) -- we make the wrappers too!.
    Main Course
    Succulent Asian style baked chicken wings with a sticky glaze
    Dry braised shrimp in chili sauce.
    Mixed vegetable stir fry in a clear sauce.
    Steamed jasmine rice
    Homemade toasted almond ice cream

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    sweet and sour spareribs So good with balsamic!

    23. One Magic Ingredient

    Aged balsamic vinegar is the magic ingredient in everything from delicious Asian entrees to vegetables to a classic dessert

    Lip-smacking good sweet and sour spareribs
    Yummy kung pao chicken
    Steamed jasmine rice.
    Maple glazed balsamic carrots.
    Green beans with bacon, sweet onion, and balsamic
    Dessert: Cream scones shortcake with balsamic strawberries and homemade ice cream

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    More Seasonal Menus

    Bring a good appetite to this one

    25. Fourth of July Anytime

    It's a celebration whenever you can fix a perfect "All-American" meal like this. Karen's succulent pork ribs finished on the grill with her signature sweet/fruity barbecue sauce. All the classics are here and each one so good it will become a staple of your home repertoire.

    Succulent pork ribs with sweet/fruity barbecue sauce
    Classic potato salad
    Tangy cole slaw with sweet/tart horseradish dressing
    Fresh corn pudding with green chilies and jack cheese
    Blueberry pie squares
    Homemade vanilla ice cream

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    Bring a good appetite to this one

    26. Late Summer Harvest

    Learn to use the bounties of late summer: vibrant peppers and ripe, juicy tomatoes, in easy and delicious ways. You'll enjoy Karen's many technique tips for roasting and preparing vibrant peppers into a soup and a main course, and ripe, juicy tomatoes into a sauce and a delectable salad. The dishes also freeze and can well so you can enjoy well into the days when the local summer market produce is long gone. Peach crisp is a classic dessert made special by our wonderful Willamette Valley peaches. (Class offerred July-September only)

    Roasted red bell pepper soup
    Easy stuffed peppers, filled with Italian sausage, rice and sweet corn, topped with fresh tomato sauce
    Late summer salad of ripe, juicy tomatoes with fresh mint, basil, crumbled Cotija cheese and sweet onion
    Peach tart served with homemade vanilla ice cream

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    An easy and lovely meal for those crisp fall days

    27. Memorable Fall Supper.

    Ahh. October in the Willamette Valley. Cool, pleasant weather, mostly blue skies, autumn leaf color. Crisp apples of every variety peeking out of trees and brimming over in the local markets. Plump, ripe winter squashes and pumpkins beckoning from the garden. The aroma of toasted hazelnuts coming from your oven. There isn't a better place to live or a better place to enjoy a fine and easily prepared autumn meal, using some of our local, seasonal ingredients. (Class offerred year-round).

    Herbed lamb patties on a bed of spinach, with yogurt sauce on the side
    Fragrant couscous with pine nuts and currants
    Acorn squash with maple syrup and orange
    Italian Style Apple Cake (a dense apple cake with lots of apples)
    Homemade hazelnut ice cream

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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    Delicious ideas for those succulent shellfish

    28. Wonderful Ways With Shrimp.

    Here are some great options for those little beauties of the ocean. Many great sources here in the Eugene area.

    Tom yum soup with shrimp (most delicious Asian soup ever!)
    Luscious shrimp cake on a composed salad (greens, tomato, egg, cucumber, avocado)
    Roasted red pepper remoulade sauce
    Fresh French baguette
    Classic linguine with shrimp
    Bonus dessert: Easy lemon bars

    Call Karen Reid 541-515-8153 to reserve this class

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