Chris O'Brien and his mom, Julie Arnold pre-sold take-and-bake Easter Dinners on Saturday, April 19. Star Eagle photo by Ben Revermann
The Willow’s take-and-bake Easter Dinners well received
Wed, 05/07/2025 - 8:13pm
The Willow’s Restaurant offered a solution for area residents who preferred to have their holiday celebrations at home, but did not want the fuss and bother of preparing a homemade meal: take home, ready-to-bake dinners for up to four adults. Customers were asked to place orders in advance and were able to pick up their mostly cooked, oven-ready food on Saturday, April 19. On the menu for the day were two full racks of ribs, slices of ham, cheesy hash browns and scalloped corn. The cost was $60.
Chris O’Brien, youngest son of the owner, did most of the hard work for the customers. “We got all our orders on Wednesday the sixteenth. I had everything ordered by Thursday. Then, while keeping up on the day-to-day operations of the Willow’s, I had everything thawed and set up by Friday. The Saturday before Easter, I started around 10 a.m. with the hash browns, then the ribs, then the corn. By two o’clock I had the first batch done. By three I had the next batch done and so on. We had 15 separate meals to fulfill.”
Owner Julie Arnold said, “This sort of started when Covid hit. We didn’t do it last year. 2024 was just the buffet. Next year we are doing the take-and-bake again for sure, on both Easter Sunday and Mother’s day.” While O’Brien was still cooking and handing the meals out, they only had a little time to cool, “They weren’t like hot hot, just a little warm, they didn’t need oven mitts or anything.” The meals were served in two twin trays, not too big, that slid right into the oven for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees, said O’Brien, “All the food was separated with parchment paper; Serving size was for four adults or a small family.”
Although they are usually closed on Mondays, The Willow’s will offer a limited menu on Memorial Day, May 26. After the veterans’ breakfast and program at the NRHEG school in New Richland, there will be a post program lunch at The Willow’s; all are welcome to come and enjoy the limited menu of $11 BBQ pulled pork sandwich and potato salad.