Easy Entrées offers full-course holiday dinners for time-conscious families

For some, the holiday season means quality time with family and friends. For others, it means an onslaught of unwanted stress.

Now, on-the-go families are finding that the fast-growing meal-prep industry is making dinnertime less work, especially around the holidays. Meal prep shops allow customers to prepare a variety of home-cooked meals -- about a month's worth -- in the span of about two hours. There are various menus from which to choose with all the necessary ingredients at your fingertips. For those who like the concept but aren't interested in the "do-it-yourself" piece, they can have meals prepared for pick up.

According to the Easy Meal Preparation Association, the industry has grown from just a handful of stores in 2002 to more than 1,100 by the end of 2006. Industry participants say demand for these meals is a sign of changing family dynamics.

"It's become a luxury to have a home-cooked meal," said Bert Vermeulen, former director of the Easy Meal Prep Association.

Easy Entrées, an independently-owned meal-prep store in Lakewood opened its doors in 2004 and co-owner Cassandra Schulz understands firsthand why there is a growing popularity.

"We are able to offer busy, on-the-go people a chance to return to the dinner table as a family," Schulz said. "Our business approach is striving for ease and convenience, but without sacrificing quality ingredients. We inspire family togetherness during mealtime by providing distinctive, gourmet-style meals."

To ease the holiday rush on families, Easy Entrées has made available its popular holiday dinner packages that can serve eight or more people. The holiday meal packages include the main course, various side dishes and dessert.

Easy Entrées also offers a variety of appetizer trays ranging from gourmet cheeses to chili lime chicken satays to pproscuito and provolone stuffed pickled pepper poppers. There are even cookie dough kits available that include everything from frosting to decorations.

"So in reality," Schulz says, "to prepare a complex and classic holiday meal for a large family gathering it won't require much time or effort."

She notes that the entire meal is assembled with fresh, all-natural ingredients assuring quality and better taste.

Easy Entrées is located in Lakewood in the Green Mountain Village Shopping Center. For more information about Easy Entrées, visit www.ezentrees.com or call (303) 238-3279.