A Complete Guide to Cooking Classes for Team Building in Chicago

With remote work continuing to rise in popularity, building relationships and collaborating with colleagues in-person can be challenging. If this is something you’d like to prioritize, why not gather your coworkers for a cooking class in Chicago? These workshops are a wonderful way for teammates to engage with each other in a fun and relaxing environment where they can get to know each other outside the office.

Cooking classes can help your team break the ice and boost their communication skills as they work together to prepare a delicious meal from scratch. Keep reading to learn more about some of the best group cooking classes Chicago has to offer. You’ll learn about the skills targeted in each activity so you can make an informed decision about which class will best help your team unwind and improve their relationships. 

The Most Popular Cooking Classes for Team Building in Chicago

When it comes to cooking classes in Chicago, there’s no shortage of group activities that will please even the pickiest eaters. From popular classics like pizza and pasta to international dishes and sweet treats, every group can find something that works well for them. 

Pizza Making Classes in Chicago 

Chicago is famous for its unique deep-dish style pizza, so it’s no surprise that plenty of pizza making classes focus on this regional variation on a classic dish. A pizza making class is an excellent choice for a large group since everyone can choose their own toppings to ensure nobody feels left out. Making your own pizza dough from scratch is much easier than most people think, so it’s also a valuable skill for anyone looking to enhance their cooking skills at home.

Handmade Pizza Group Event

• About: Learn essential tips and tricks for making pizza from scratch at home. Whether you prefer thick crust or thin, the instructor will guide each student through mixing, kneading, and baking their dough and choosing their toppings. 
• Skills Targeted: Baking basics, flavor pairings, culinary terminology
• What You’ll Do: After baking their pizzas under the expert guidance of an artisan baker, everyone will enjoy a glass of wine or beer as they eat together. Students will also leave with a container of homemade sauce and a batch of dough to continue practicing at home. 

Premium Homemade Pizza Party

• About: This class focuses on techniques for kneading and baking balanced pizza dough and methods for selecting the best ingredients for making the perfect pie at home. Students will choose from a wide range of toppings and cheeses as they personalize their dishes.
• Skills Targeted: Baking basics, time management, cultural exploration
• What You’ll Do: In this cooking class, everyone will work together to prepare an Italian meal that includes fried calamari, salad, and a classic Chicago-style pizza. At the end of the class, your group will enjoy a sit-down meal with their classmates, including a tiramisu parfait that has been prepared in advance by your instructor. 

International Cooking Classes in Chicago 

If your group is craving an adventure in the kitchen, an international cooking class could be just what you’re looking for. These classes provide plenty of education about other cultures while allowing students plenty of hands-on practice prepping, cooking, and plating their dishes. From Japanese sushi to Mexican tacos, your palate will be delighted by some of these offerings. 

Sushi & Dumplings

• About: In this Japanese cooking class, you will learn professional techniques for hand-rolling your own sushi. The menu is dairy-free and can be amended to be vegetarian, making it a great option for groups looking to accommodate some dietary restrictions.
• Skills Targeted: Vegan and vegetarian dishes, knife skills, cultural exploration
• What You’ll Do: In this class, your group will prepare an entire Japanese menu. The dishes include various sushi rolls, vegetable dumplings, and complementary dipping sauces. 

Tacos Y Tequila Group Event

• About: Prepare a Mexican feast in this exciting international cooking class. The menu includes fresh tortillas, guacamole, two types of salsas, and a range of fixings for the tacos, including cactus, chicken, pork, and shrimp. The instructor will also share the secrets to an authentic margarita.
• Skills Targeted: Cultural exploration, plating and presentation, flavor pairings
• What You’ll Do: Your group will work together to create a variety of salsas and fillings to complement the scratch-made tortillas. At the end of the workshop, everyone will gather at a communal table to eat, drink, and enjoy their tacos. 

Pasta Making Classes in Chicago 

Making fresh pasta at home appears intimidating on the surface, but it’s pretty simple once you know the tricks. A pasta making class is a great option for those with vegetarians in their group. They’re also excellent for anyone wanting to learn more about Italian cuisine in general since many of these classes teach participants how to make authentic sauces and other Italian dishes. 

Pasta 101

• About: This class focuses on techniques for properly rolling and shaping pasta to achieve classic dishes like tortellini and ravioli. Students will also learn a more advanced technique of making fillings for their pasta.
• Skills Targeted: Culinary terminology, cultural exploration, knife skills
• What You’ll Do: Students will work together to prepare an Italian menu that includes two types of pasta and classic sauces–tomato ragu and Cacio e Pepe. The dinner is rounded out by a side dish of roasted squash that will help students practice basic knife skills.
  
  

Pasta Making Extravaganza

• About: If you’re hoping to learn about classic pasta making techniques, this is the cooking workshop for you. Learn about achieving the perfect pasta, from kneading and rolling to shaping the noodles and boiling them in salty water. Over two hours, your group will create an Italian meal that includes a Caesar salad with homemade croutons and Fettuccine with marinara and authentic meatballs. 
• Skills Targeted: Time management, cultural exploration, plating and presentation
• What You’ll Do: Prepare classic Italian dishes and enjoy a meal with your group at the end, including a lemon-vanilla cheesecake prepared by your instructor in advance. Everyone will leave with a collection of the recipes they prepared in class so they can continue the Italian cooking adventure at home. 

Dessert & Pastry Classes in Chicago 

It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t occasionally enjoy a sweet treat at the end of a meal, so a dessert class is a safe bet if you’re aiming to please a crowd with various palates. Dessert classes also provide valuable skills you can take home and share with family and friends. Who knows? You might even be the new go-to person in your family in charge of bringing dessert to the next family dinner. 

French Macaron Group Event

• About: Macarons are a delicate French dessert made from smooth ganache sandwiched between two slowly baked meringue cookies. It can be challenging to achieve this cookie’s crisp yet chewy texture, but the chef leading this workshop will teach the class everything they need to know to master the macaron.
• Skills Targeted: Plating and presentation, vegetarian cooking, culinary terminology
• What You’ll Do: In this dessert class, students will prepare three different macarons with various flavors and fillings. Along with learning how to whip meringue, you’ll also make a classic buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache to fill your cookies.

Cake Decorating 101

• About: This class is all about taking your homemade cakes to the next level with professional decorations. Students will be provided with professional baking tools and learn essential piping techniques to take their cakes from simple to elegant after just a few hours of practice. 
• Skills Targeted: Baking basics, cultural exploration, flavor pairings
• What You’ll Do: Everyone will get to practice frosting pre-made cakes so they can focus on their decorating skills. You’ll create basic shapes like rosettes, shells, and stars with a classic vanilla buttercream. In the first half of the class, you’ll practice on parchment paper to perfect your techniques before applying them to your cake. 

Baking Classes in Chicago 

A baking class is a great group activity since it often creates a lot of laughter in the kitchen while everyone is encouraged to make a floury mess at their stations. These classes cover a range of well-known dishes that will be familiar to all participants, like cookies, croissants, and pretzels. Baking classes are excellent for those who find traditional cooking overwhelming, since baking requires strict adherence to a recipe and doesn’t often leave much room for improvisation. 

New York Style Pretzels

• About: Learn all about baking this international favorite with high-quality ingredients. This event can also be customized to include a gluten-free flour substitute for anyone who requests it. 
• Skills Targeted: Baking basics, vegetarian cooking, culinary terminology
• What You’ll Do: Everyone will work with pre-portioned ingredients so they can focus on mixing and shaping their pretzel dough. The instructor will show everyone how to properly create that classic pretzel shape, and everyone will be able to top their pretzels with either salt or cinnamon sugar, depending on their preferences. 

Bake Your Own French Croissant Group Event

• About: In this croissant workshop, you will learn the secrets of this flaky French classic. The class will cover all the baking techniques necessary to achieve the perfect buttery croissant texture everyone knows and loves. 
• Skills Targeted: Cultural exploration, baking basics, flavor pairings
• What You’ll Do: Enjoy a demo from a professional pastry chef before settling in to get your hands dirty making your own croissants from scratch. You’ll leave with three varieties of this beloved pastry–a plain croissant, one filled with chocolate, and a savory ham and cheese option. 

Drink Making Classes in Chicago 

If your team is seriously in need of some relaxation (and you’re all over 21), a mixology class is definitely worth checking out. In a mixology class, you’ll typically learn various cocktail recipes that can be customized with different spirits and flavors. These classes are particularly great for groups where people may not feel super comfortable in the kitchen and would prefer to spend their time being creative with flavors and garnishes. 

Mixology Workshop

• About: This mixology class is all about mixology history and creating unique cocktails that suit your palate. Your group will also learn more about essential tools and substitutions for stocking your bar at home. Mocktail options are also available if requested in advance, making this a laid-back option for groups where some folks prefer not to drink alcohol. 
• Skills Targeted: Culinary terminology, flavor pairings, plating, and presentation
• What You’ll Do: After learning the basic building blocks that make any great cocktail, everyone will create three drinks. They will all be made of a spirit of your choice and various seasonal syrups, citrus juices, and fun garnishes like glow sticks and edible glitter. 

What Can You Expect from a Group Cooking Class?

No matter which cooking class you select for your team, there are a few aspects you can count on:

• Experienced instructors: Group cooking classes are led by chef instructors who have extensive experience in both cooking and teaching. They can answer questions and provide hands-on support for anyone who needs extra attention. They can also likely provide additional recommendations for nearby restaurants or other cooking classes for those who want to continue their education.
  
  
• Quality ingredients and equipment: When they attend a cooking class, students can look forward to a well-stocked kitchen. They will be given high-quality ingredients to work with and use professional equipment to prepare their dishes. This allows everyone to learn more about the tools and materials they might need in their own kitchens if they want to continue to practice at home.
  
  
• Opportunities for learning and conversation: Most cooking classes allow time at the end for the group to enjoy their dishes and mingle together, providing more opportunities for teams to bond and get to know each other better. If there’s any downtime during the class, the instructor can also share more information about the history behind the dish or cuisine you’re cooking, or other fun facts about being a chef. 

Why is Cooking a Good Team Building Activity?

Whether you’re hoping to help your team relax after completing a stressful assignment or you want to boost collaboration skills, a team building activity can help strengthen your group and positively enhance relationships. Cooking is a hands-on, creative activity that encourages lighthearted conversation without a lot of pressure, but there are plenty of other options depending on your goals for your group. You can check out a complete guide to team building activities in Chicago to learn more about activities like group trivia, arts and crafts workshops, and escape rooms. 

Boosts Morale

Keeping morale high in the workplace is essential for employee retention and avoiding burnout. A team building activity like a cooking class is a wonderful way for your team to take a break from their typical responsibilities, and it show employees who their well-being is a priority. Giving your team the opportunity to relax, let loose, and be creative in the kitchen can also rejuvenate everyone after meeting a stressful deadline or gear up for a busy season. Allowing everyone to work together and get to know their teammates better can also translate into more positive working relationships, making even the most challenging days at work more enjoyable. 

Builds Rapport Through Collaboration 

In a group cooking activity, everyone will walk into the kitchen with various levels of comfort and experience. This means some individuals will naturally step forward as leaders, guiding their teammates through the process and delegating tasks based on each other’s strengths and preferences. A cooking class fosters an environment where people are encouraged to rely on each other and ask for support if they need it. By working together to achieve a common goal, your team will naturally build trust with one another. This can translate into a more positive work environment where people feel more comfortable trusting each other when confronted with challenges in the office. 

Enhances Relationships

A cooking class is a particularly ideal team building exercise for teams that need to break the ice, perhaps because they’re new to working together or spend a lot of time working remotely. Cooking with your coworkers often leads to conversations about favorite foods and other positive memories in the kitchen, leading to people learning more about each other’s families and cultural backgrounds. People will likely find that they have a lot in common with their colleagues, making it more likely they will continue fostering these relationships once the cooking class is over. Making memories with coworkers builds a strong foundation for positive working relationships, leading to more positivity when you’re all back in the office. 

Identifies Individual Strengths

A group cooking class is also a fantastic way for people to demonstrate their unique strengths to leadership in a more neutral environment. For example, cooking requires excellent time management and organizational skills to ensure each component of a meal comes together at the same time. There are also situations that frequently arise in the kitchen that require creative problem-solving and improvisation to keep moving forward. If an element burns or overcooks, you’ve got to think on your feet and work quickly to complete the dish regardless of any mistakes. Cooking in a group also requires teamwork and positive communication skills. People need to be willing to delegate and listen to others, sometimes putting their preferences aside to work towards the common goal of getting food on the table. All of these are positive attributes that can easily translate to the workplace.

How to Decide Which Cooking Class is Best for Your Team

It can be overwhelming to choose the cooking class that best suits your group when so many options are available. Taking some (or all) of the steps outlined below can help you feel more confident that you’ve done your best to ensure the most enjoyable experience for you and your colleagues. 

Assess Your Group’s Preferences

Asking your team to share their thoughts on a group activity is crucial to making things pleasant for everyone. You can gather people’s opinions through anonymous surveys or have a group brainstorming session. Still, some people are sensitive about their dietary restrictions or cultural requirements, so allowing people to share their thoughts privately is the most respectful option. Getting this information before selecting a cooking class shows your team that their opinions are valued and makes them feel like an essential part of the team. It also allows you to choose an activity that everyone is more likely to enjoy.

While you’re gathering information, you can also ask everyone about their comfort level in the kitchen. You might be surprised to find that everyone is a self-professed foodie, giving you the freedom to lean into some of the more adventurous options available, like sushi or macarons. If there’s a broader range of experience levels, a more straightforward option like pasta or cake decorating might be the way to go. This ensures that nobody feels overwhelmed during an activity that’s meant to be fun and relaxing. 

Consider the Budget

Understandably, cost is a key factor when planning any kind of team building activity, so it’s important to have a general idea of what you’re willing to spend before you make a decision. Most will cost around $150 per person, but some vary in price depending on their length and the types of ingredients provided. For example, the group New York Style Pretzel class costs $70 per person because the ingredients are minimal and affordable, while the Sushi and Dumpling class costs $175 per person. Some group classes that provide a more extravagant experience, like the Pasta Making Extravaganza, cost a flat rate of around $2,500 rather than being priced per person. It’s also important to note any minimum or maximum group sizes since some cooking classes require a certain number of people to book. 

When reflecting on your budget, keeping any extras in the class at the top of your mind is important. Classes on the more expensive side might provide additional perks that are worth the splurge, like complimentary wine or beer while you cook. Other classes provide a tasting session for particular ingredients, allowing students a more educational experience that can translate to other culinary endeavors. These bonuses can greatly enhance the experience for each member of your group and are worth considering as you narrow down your choices. 

Read Reviews

If you’re trying to picture what your cooking class will look like, reading reviews from students who have already participated in the experience is a great way to gather more information. These testimonials often contain crucial insights you won’t find in the course description alone. You’ll be able to learn more about the quality of the materials and ingredients provided, and you can likely locate details about the instructor’s teaching style. Some will focus more on demonstrations, while others give their students more opportunities for hands-on practice. If you’re looking for a cooking class to achieve a particular goal for your team, like helping them reduce stress or improve communication, you can likely find reviews from other groups that had similar goals and see if the class met their expectations. 

Check-In Afterwards

Once the cooking class is over and your group has had some time to reflect on their experience, it’s important to gather feedback from everyone who attended. This can be done during regular one-on-one meetings or through an online survey, but allowing people to share their thoughts is essential to the team building process. It ensures everyone feels their opinions are valuable and demonstrates a commitment to building a positive environment for all employees. This information will also help you learn more about what worked and didn’t work, so you can tweak upcoming events to these preferences, making them easier to plan and helping to establish traditions that will continue into the future.