A lot of hard work goes into making the annual holiday dinner at the College of Saint Benedict a success.
But for those involved in the preparation, it’s truly a labor of love.
The event, which is always held in December before the semester break, dates back over 36 years. It follows the Thanksgiving Dinner at Saint John’s University, which is traditionally held the week before Thanksgiving break.
“It’s so worth it,” said Carmen Welinski, the director of culinary services at CSB, in advance of this year’s dinner, which took place Thursday night (Dec. 5) upstairs in the Gorecki Dining and Conference Center.
“It’s amazing to experience the energy the students bring when they come into Upper Gorecki with smiles on their faces. Everyone is dressed up. It’s a chance for everyone in our community to come together.”
It takes a small community in itself to get it all ready.
Welinski said around 50 culinary staff members and student employees were expected to assist in one capacity or another, as well as a group of volunteers – including several sisters from Saint Benedict’s Monastery.
In all, the team was expected to prepare:
- 350 pounds of prime rib
- 180 pounds of salmon
- 200 pounds of chicken
- 200 pounds of sweet potatoes (which need to be peeled and cut)
- 300 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1,200 dinner rolls
- 2,400 cream puffs
- 480 cookies
- 200 pounds of strawberries
- 80 pounds of chocolate for use in a chocolate fountain
“We have a chef team downstairs, and they’ve already been working on getting everything ready for days,” Welinski said. “Marinating the chicken, cutting the salmon fillets and so much more. They take great care to get this meal ready.”
In all, Welinski expected to serve a total of around 1,000 students Thursday.
Among that group was Rachel Weber, a sophomore nursing major, who came with her teammates on the CSB dance team.
“It’s kind of like a team-bonding thing that we do,” she said.
“This was actually my favorite thing I did here all of last year, and I’ve been really looking forward to it this year.”
Gael Manzi, a sophomore exercise science major, was attending the dinner for the first time.
“It feels like this is an event that brings the whole school together,” he said. “I came with a group of three, and they sat us with everyone else, so it’s a great opportunity to meet new people.
“People get dressed up. It’s just a lot of fun.”
