Dominique Tucker, a participant in the C-Tran program through Lawrence Public Schools, adds some of the ingredients for the chicken tortilla casserole he’s making at Blue Plate Dinners, 4931 W. Sixth St. C-Tran teaches skills such as cooking to students with mild to moderate disabilities.

A group of young adults through the C-Tran program at the Lawrence Public Schools have been spending time learning about food preparation. Kenny Beard holds his container of food while he chats with teacher Jenny Rovel Jones.

Austin Dillon, a participant of C-Tran, prepares breakfast burritos at Blue Plate Dinners.

It’s late morning at Blue Plate Dinners, 4931 W. Sixth St., and five young adults are huddled around bins of ingredients.

With frequent glances at a recipe list, they carefully measure out the right amounts for two dishes: chicken tortilla casserole and breakfast burritos.

“This is stuff we’re going to have to do when we’re on our own,” says Dominique Tucker, 19.

These are participants of the Community Transition program of Lawrence Public Schools, commonly referred to as C-Tran. The 10 participants are 18 to 21 and have mild to moderate disabilities that would hinder their transition to the working world following high school graduation.

The members learn about a variety of life skills, including laundry, money management and personal health and safety.

But for the past six months, the participants have looked forward to most Thursdays, when they spend about half an hour at Blue Plate Dinners, where customers prepare meals that can be cooked later at their homes. The opportunity is funded through a grant from the Lawrence Schools Foundation.

They call it Cooking Club, and it’s popular.

“I like it,” says Carl Amaro, 20. “Basically, we’re working as a team to make our recipes. Everybody works pretty well.”

Learning to cook is an essential part of C-Tran, says Misti Copas-Thomas, a social worker with the program, “so they’re not always just buying a frozen pizza and sticking it in the microwave.”

“And it’s fun,” she says. “They can see cooking doesn’t have to be a chore.”

Jenny Rovel Jones, the C-Tran teacher, says group participants make menus and go grocery shopping for cooking at home each week, learning skills such as using a microwave, stove and oven, as well as safety techniques. They also eat at restaurants on Fridays.

“This is hands-on learning students can then apply if they are going to be on their own or in a group home,” she says.

So far, Cooking Club members have made such meals as manicotti, lasagna and Dijon chicken.

“We make a lot of recipes,” Tucker says. “We can make anything.”

But their hands-down favorite?

“Mainly I like the calzones,” Amaro says.

Rachel Wydeven Oliverius, co-owner of Blue Plate Dinners, says she’s enjoyed watching the young adults cook.

“I love these guys,” she says. “They’re very enthusiastic — very playful.”