{"id":43442,"date":"2025-08-12T17:02:29","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T22:02:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/?p=43442"},"modified":"2025-08-29T13:18:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T18:18:10","slug":"part-one-und-catering-and-bakery-serve-pure-joy-on-a-platter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/2025\/08\/part-one-und-catering-and-bakery-serve-pure-joy-on-a-platter\/","title":{"rendered":"Part One: UND Catering and Bakery serve \u2018pure joy on a platter\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Close-knit UND Catering and Bakery teams deliver heart, hustle and homemade excellence for little and large events all across campus<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"UND
In a real-life game of culinary Tetris, the chefs of UND Catering \u2014 Mitch Vervalen (from left), Micheal Longwell and Matt Fashingbauer \u2014 keep irons in multiple fires as they work against the clock to plan, prep and cook dishes for events all across campus. It\u2019s no easy task, but they have a system and a team that make it work. \u201cWe look at the week\u2019s worth of events, and then we prep as much as we can as soon as we can \u2014 but not too early,\u201d Vervalen says. Below, Vervalen makes a notation mark on one of multiple work orders for the day. Farther below, every dot, checkmark, highlight and notation speaks a special language in the kitchen. Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It doesn\u2019t matter whether it\u2019s a scrumptious 400-burger grillout with all the fixings, a fancy lemon cream cake luncheon for 115 or a swanky <\/em>reception featuring a charcuterie masterpiece whorled with more sweet and savory dainties than you can count \u2014 never mind, name.<\/em><\/p>\n

Every day, a small but mighty crew is working quickly and quietly behind the scenes to create that melt-in-your-mouth magic for hundreds of guests all across campus.<\/em><\/p>\n

Come along with us into the shared kitchen of <\/em>UND Catering and the UND Bakery<\/em><\/strong><\/a> to meet the masters of flavor and flair.<\/em><\/p>\n

* * *<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Mitch
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s early \u2014 6 o’clock early \u2014 and Executive Chef for Retail Dining Mitch Vervalen<\/strong><\/a>, Lead Catering Chef Matt Fashingbauer<\/strong><\/a> and Catering Chef Micheal Longwell<\/strong><\/a> are gathered in the belly of the Memorial Union, looking up at a wall of papers plastered on a stainless steel panel.<\/p>\n

To the naked eye, the 20 or so papers \u2014 scribbled and Sharpied, highlighted, dotted and checked \u2014 may look like complete chaos in the kitchen. But to these experienced chefs, the detailed work orders affixed with hastily torn masking tape represent a foolproof plan for delivering dozens of delicious dishes.<\/p>\n

\"Close-up
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThis is the heart of the UND Catering operation,\u201d Vervalen says with a smile as he presses another sheet to the print-smeared steel. \u201cWe can see our whole day right here. This is how we keep everyone on task, and how I try to stay two steps ahead of these guys to keep everything moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

The trio admit the day\u2019s lengthy to-do<\/em> list \u2014 along with the pile of recipes pulled from a fat binder on the counter below \u2014 may not look pretty, but it\u2019s hard to argue with the team\u2019s execution.<\/p>\n

\"A
Part-time catering server Cale Stoltenow holds out a plate prepared for a full-service luncheon in the Memorial Union. The plate features the Thick-Cut Turkey on Wild Rice Cranberry Bread Sandwich<\/em> with fresh fruit and a locally sourced pasta salad. Dessert was lemon cream cake. UND Catering and Bakery \u2014 separate departments within UND Dining Services \u2014 share a kitchen and work closely together in the lower level of the Memorial Union. Most of the food is prepared there, but finishing touches \u2014<\/em> such as adding final garnishes and plating on pretty dishes and in swirly cups \u2014 <\/em>happen in separate behind-the-scenes spaces on the second floor. UND Catering\u2019s service team also delivers and sets up food for events all across campus. Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lead
Lead Catering Chef Matt Fashingbauer and Catering Chef Micheal Longwell (partially hidden) put together sandwiches for bag lunches ordered for a Forensic Science student field trip. Below, Executive Chef for Retail Dining Mitch Vervalen demonstrates his technique to make a tight wrap on the Lumpiang Shanghai<\/em> spring rolls being prepared for a Filipino student organization event. The kitchen isn\u2019t afraid to try new things, Vervalen says, and often does so for many international student organizations. Also on the menu for the Filipino event was Mango Bango<\/em>, a coconut tapioca dessert. And at last, UND Catering is no longer in a pickle because the pickle slices finally have arrived in time for student worker Ross Veselsky to fill up the pickle bowls for the hamburger feast. Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Culinary choreography at its best<\/h2>\n
\"Mitch
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each and every mark on the work orders speaks a universal language. A rough translation goes something like this \u2026<\/p>\n

Dot:<\/em><\/strong> \u201cThat means it\u2019s prepped but not cooked yet.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Checkmark:<\/em><\/strong> \u201cThe ranch dressing is bowled up and on the cart. Once something is checked, we don\u2019t have to look at it again.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Highlight:<\/em><\/strong> \u201cWe still need to put that together. Maybe it\u2019s something that needs to be made super-fresh \u2014 like the strawberry bruschetta so it doesn\u2019t get soggy \u2014 or we could be waiting for an ingredient to arrive. Hey, did the Cuties or the hamburger pickles come off the truck yet?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Ross
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And what about that scrawled \u201cAndy\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (as in President Armacost) \u2026 what does that mean? <\/em><\/p>\n

Oh, that\u2019s code for \u201cKeep the berries out of the salad. No tomatoes on the turkey sandwich.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Throughout the day, Vervalen keeps one eye on his ovens and one eye on the board to keep the demanding workflow steady and sure.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, we work on getting all of today\u2019s orders out of the way so we can focus on prepping for the next day \u2014 or next two days if time permits,\u201d Vervalen says. \u201cWe\u2019re always thinking ahead and getting as much of the next day\u2019s orders as oven-ready as we can and then staged on carts in the cooler. So when it\u2019s even busier tomorrow, we still can keep everything working like clockwork.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Guests
Eyes get wide as guests start to fill their plates with sweet and savory treats from the charcuterie table at the Creative Works Celebration Reception in the Chester Fritz Library. Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Mitch
Executive Chef for Retail Dining Mitch Vervalen steps outside midmorning to grill 400-some hamburgers for the Staff Senate Recognition Picnic for all UND employees. Vervalen creates and writes the recipes used by UND Catering, as well as the self-branded concepts in the Memorial Union. Below, Catering Chef Micheal Longwell puts the final flair on the lemon cream cake for the Be Bold: Women in Leadership Luncheon (also shown tableside farther below). Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Missing not a cue nor a peppercorn<\/h2>\n
\"Catering
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

UND Catering Manager Andrea Green<\/strong><\/a> says it\u2019s that attention to detail and meticulous prepwork that\u2019s necessary for a kitchen that feeds the masses.<\/p>\n

And that kind of high-level coordination is even more critical on days like today, when some of those masses will be treated to an Italian soda bar, a smorgasbord of 25 fussy and time-consuming appetizers (think Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Almonds & Cream Cheese<\/em>, Balsamic Glazed Caprese Picks<\/em> and Beef Tenderloin Asparagus Rolls<\/em>), along with that mind-blowing charcuterie board \u2014 or should we say gargantuan grazing table \u2014 with 40-plus ingredients of its own.<\/p>\n

\"A
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Add to that the staff burger feast and the full-service luncheon, along with two smaller receptions, plus an order of 125 soft pretzels with cheese dip for another event, a breakfast buffet, a taco bar \u2014 \u201cthere\u2019s always a taco bar\u201d \u2014 three coffee-and-cookie affairs, 16 assorted pizzas and 36 ready-to-go lunches for a student field trip.<\/p>\n

The sheer volume of the work, plus the UND community\u2019s high expectations, might be enough to make celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay throw in the towel. Yet this kitchen does it all with only three full-time cooks, a couple of part-timers and the help of a handful of students who work three or four hours at a time between classes.<\/p>\n

\"Bakery
Bakery Manager Caylie Salge spaces buns out on the pan. \u201cI always say when UND Catering is busy, we\u2019re busy. When Wilkerson\u2019s busy, we\u2019re busy. And when they\u2019re both busy, we\u2019re really busy,\u201d Salge says with a smile. \u201cWhen the rest of campus is sleeping, we\u2019re working.\u201d Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Bakery
It\u2019s on to the cupcakes and muffins. UND Bakery Manager Caylie Salge and a student scoop batter into the tins. Muffins are popular at UND and are made in 50-pound batches. Below, baker Tayun Jones dips frosted cupcakes into a bowl of nuts, and Salge shares some Monkey Bread<\/em> tips with a student worker. Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Keeping it rolling on the bakery side<\/h2>\n
\"Tayun
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And we\u2019ve yet to mention what Bakery Manager Caylie Salge<\/strong><\/a> and baker Tayun Jones<\/strong><\/a> are mixing, scooping, sprinkling, frosting, rolling, punching and Kaiser-stamping on the kitchen\u2019s 12-foot butcher block table just a few feet away.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone has a job to do, but we all help each other out,\u201d Green says. \u201cThat\u2019s the only way we can get everything done and out on time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Director of UND Dining Services<\/strong><\/a> Orlynn Rosaasen<\/strong><\/a> offers an enthusiastic second to that.<\/p>\n

\"Bakery
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI always can count on this team to get the job done. They don\u2019t need any supervision or direction from me,\u201d Rosaasen says. \u201cI may be a little biased, but I think we have the top catering and bakery team in the entire region. The food they produce, the presentation and the customer service are all second to none.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this isn\u2019t even their biggest<\/em> day. I\u2019ve seen them juggle 20 different events going on all over campus. The organization it takes to pull that off is absolutely amazing. They\u2019re not only preparing a ton of top-quality food on time, they also need to make sure it all gets packed up and going to the right place. They do that every day, and they do it with a smile.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Bakery
Bakery Manager Caylie Salge gets the carts ready to roll over to the Wilkerson Dining Center. Below, a tray of Smoked Salmon Cucumber Cups<\/em> is ready for guests to devour. Executive Chef for Retail Dining Mitch Vervalen says the biggest compliment UND Catering can get is to see those trays come back empty. Farther below, Salge works with the fresh Monkey Bread<\/em>. Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The little kitchen crew that could<\/h2>\n
\"Close-up
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rosaasen has got something there. When a UND Today writer asked to visit the kitchen one day during this spring\u2019s peak banquet season, the cooks already had a lot on their plates, yet they remained as cool as the Smoked Salmon Cucumber Cups<\/em> they were prepping for that evening\u2019s reception.<\/p>\n

By the time the writer had arrived at 6 a.m., Salge already had four large carts of fresh baked goods racked and ready to roll over to the Wilkerson Dining Center<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Did we mention that the UND Bakery produces all of the baked goods for UND Student Dining and UND Catering, as well as for UND\u2019s retail sites on campus?<\/p>\n

\"Bakery
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To start off, that means 24 dozen cookies, 10 dozen each (chocolate chip, lemon poppy seed and blueberry) muffins, eight pans of monkey bread, two huge trays of brownies, fruit-filled pastries and quick breads in three flavors: blueberry, pineapple and pina colada.<\/p>\n

And if none of that sounds good with your coffee, there\u2019s also raspberry crumble, lemon cheesecake and thick-frosted cupcakes in chocolate, vanilla and marble.<\/p>\n

\"Baker
Baker Tayun Jones scoops tasty whip onto the Chocolaty Delicious Cake<\/em>, also shown directly below in all its glory. Below, colleagues write words of praise and thanks on sticky notes to post on a staff recognition wall. Farther below, a student squeezes a generous swirl of chocolate frosting onto a batch of chocolate cupcakes. Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A passion for cookies and pastries<\/h2>\n
\"The
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With a baby at home and a husband who works nights, Salge says she\u2019s learned to make good use of her naptimes. That\u2019s a must when five days a week you\u2019re up and at \u2019em before 3 a.m. to commute from your Hatton, N.D., home to start your workday by 4 or 4:30 a.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t mind the hours because I absolutely love my job. It\u2019s 100% passion for me,\u201d Salge says. \u201cI\u2019m one of those weirdos who can talk about the difference between baking soda and baking powder for half an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n

(In case you\u2019re curious, \u201cBaking powder activates twice \u2014 once when you mix it and once when you bake it,\u201d Salge explains. \u201cBaking soda activates just once when it hits the heat of the oven.\u201d)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"A
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re definitely a big family down here. Everybody kind of plays their role, but we do a lot of joking around,\u201d Salge adds. \u201cWe share what\u2019s going on in our lives. We\u2019re all very close, and we celebrate each other\u2019s accomplishments together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some proof of that covers a large section of wall in Salge\u2019s office. That\u2019s where workers share \u2014 in sticky-note style \u2014 their random words of encouragement, thanks and praise for each other. Words such as \u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cJacob, thanks for always doing a great job and having fun at the same time. We\u2019re lucky to have you on our team.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"A
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMatt, thank you for always having such a good mood and keeping the kitchen positive.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cTayun, thank you for all your hard work this summer on pizza dough and cookie production. Because of you, we\u2019re set up well for the school year.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a small way for us to show recognition,\u201d Salge says. \u2018And once someone gets a couple of notes, they can turn them in for a candy bar, a coffee or a pop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"UND
UND Dietetics student Kari Kanable counts out the number of strawberries she\u2019ll need to dip in dark chocolate as Lead Catering Chef Matt Fashingbauer shows her the ropes. Below, student Jacob Wright shows a finished tray of Berry Tarts<\/em>. Farther below, another UND student worker fetches ingredients from the cooler. Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Close-knit crew has plenty to celebrate<\/h2>\n
\"Student
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The notes are nice, but members of the UND Catering team have been recognized in more formal ways, too.<\/p>\n

Last year, Green was honored with UND\u2019s Meritorious Service Award<\/strong><\/a>, which recognizes individuals who best honor the University\u2019s mission and values through their dedication, performance and relationship with associates.<\/p>\n

\"A
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

UND Catering won Gold and Bronze Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards in 2022 and 2023, respectively, for its extensive 44-page online catering menu<\/strong><\/a>. The awards represent the ultimate tribute in culinary arts from the National Association of College & University Food Services.<\/p>\n

And just this year, UND Dining Services<\/strong><\/a> received a Silver Loyal E. Horton Dining Award for its Dining Services Student Leadership Program.<\/p>\n

That was an especially proud moment for the whole crew. After all, Green, Vervalen and Salge say the kitchen and its service staff team wouldn\u2019t be able to run as efficiently without their rock-star students.<\/p>\n

\"UND
UND Dietetics student Kari Kanable carefully twirls a strawberry in dark chocolate. Once the chocolate is cooled and set, she will drizzle the strawberries with white chocolate to create an irresistible platter of sweets. Other inset photos below include a close-up of Kanable in action, student Jacob Wright adding berries to the tarts, baker Tayun Jones dipping frosted cupcakes into a bowl of nuts, and veteran Catering Supervisor Karen Bushaw (left) and student manager Amelia Acker prepping for a full-service plated event. Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Students learn leadership with yummy perks<\/h2>\n
\"UND
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cOne of my favorite parts of the job is working with all of the students,\u201d Green said.<\/p>\n

Added Vervalen: \u201cIt\u2019s rewarding to see how much they learn and grow independently after working in this environment. On Day One, you\u2019re holding their hand and showing them everything, but after four years, they\u2019re doing things without any direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

It certainly didn\u2019t take long for UND Dietetics<\/strong><\/a> junior Kari Kanable to get the hang of making dark chocolate-covered strawberries with white chocolate drizzle.<\/p>\n

After Fashingbauer demonstrated the perfect stick-dip-and-twirl technique, she was well on her way.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s routine for Dietetics students to rotate through all areas of UND Dining Services as part of their internship requirement, Kanable explained.<\/p>\n

\"Student
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s really valuable to see just the vastness and interconnectedness of the whole food service system at UND,\u201d she said. \u201cFor example, I was in the Culinary Support Center in Wilkerson earlier, and I actually sliced up some of those tomatoes that ended up on the turkey sandwiches we put together over here today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Besides the built-in perk of being able to create and taste the fruits of their labor, the students who work more regularly with the kitchen say there\u2019s other value-added incentives to the job.<\/p>\n

Aerospace Engineering<\/strong><\/a> student Ross Veselsky and Business<\/strong><\/a> student Jacob Wright, cited great flexibility \u2014 they\u2019re always students first, Vervalen stressed \u2014 and tuition assistance as key benefits. The students also agreed that the good humor of the kitchen crew probably makes the work more fun than a job should be.<\/p>\n

\"Baker
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cJust like any workplace, there can be occasional tension,\u201d Vervalen acknowledges. \u201cBut for the most part, we\u2019re a pretty solid team that likes to joke around and harass each other on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a good time, and I think that\u2019s because we all enjoy what we do. It makes it nice when people come to work smiling and with good attitudes because they really care about the food they produce.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amelia Acker, a Nursing<\/strong><\/a> student who\u2019s also a new student manager with UND Catering\u2019s service team, says her role in staging events and delegating duties also has been good practice for the important people skills she\u2019ll need in her future health care career.<\/p>\n

\"Veteran
Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI love being able to confidently go out there and say, \u2018Yeah, I did this. I was part of setting up this beautiful event,\u2019\u201d Acker said. \u201cI\u2019m learning how to take charge in difficult situations and how to direct people in an assertive, but very kind way. I know I\u2019m going to go into the world with more confidence than I would have if I didn\u2019t have this leadership position.\u201d<\/p>\n

Veteran Catering Supervisor Karen Bushaw<\/strong><\/a> says she\u2019s heard similar comments from many of the students she\u2019s supervised over the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudent supervisors are already starting to supervise, so when they graduate and get their new jobs, they know a little bit more about what to expect and how to handle different situations,\u201d Bushaw said.<\/p>\n

>> Part Two (with a bonus slideshow):<\/a><\/strong> Their food is so good, it deserves a second helping.<\/p>\n

\"UND
UND Bakery Manager Caylie Salge goes about her work while being interviewed at the same time. Visitors to the shared kitchen of UND\u2019s Catering and Bakery departments quickly will learn that there\u2019s no time to pause work to chat. Photo by Janelle Vonasek\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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