Jill Nerney is a vegetarian. Her husband goes on and off the South Beach Diet. Her college-age kids snack on foods she and her husband would never dream of eating. Moreover, both Nerney and her husband are full-time professionals who work all day outside their Villanova home. No one has time to cook.

Enter Allison Coia, a personal chef who comes to their home once a month and makes magic happen. Six hours of cooking produces 30 gourmet entrées that last the whole month. From salmon Provencal to curried tofu sauté to chile basil sesame chicken, Nerney selects dishes from a limitless menu.

“I had gotten to the point where cooking was such a chore, I didn’t want to do it anymore,” said Nerney, a training development officer at a local company. “I didn’t want a cook living in my house, but I thought, ‘There just has to be someone who can help me.’ This was a lifesaver. I come home and have something cooked and fresh — something I’d never find in a frozen food section.”

Nerney isn’t alone. After commuting back and forth all week, traveling around the country on business, or just shuttling children from soccer to ballet, the last thing many families want to do is worry about what’s for dinner.

Instead of grabbing take-out or heading to the grocery store, they’re turning to a local crop of personal chefs who offer more than mundane meatloaf and so-so potatoes. They don’t live in, yet in one or two visits per month, they do all the shopping, cooking and clean-up — and leave customers raving about the quality. With services like specialized vegan and diet menus, dinner party preparations and suggested wine pairings, these chefs have found a niche with health-conscious and food-savvy families, singles and professionals.

We searched the Main Line to find the most talked about, most in-demand chefs — and snagged a few of their most popular recipes.

Chef Allison Coia

Allison Coia has been working in family-owned restaurants her entire life. Now, she caters to Main Line clients looking for hearty comfort food fixes — favorites like lasagnas, Indian curried chicken or spicy Thai noodles. She creates menus from scratch based on clients’ specific requests and favorites, then buys groceries and prepares the foods in their kitchens, cooling and freezing the dishes before she leaves. She’s also in demand for her soup-to-nuts holiday dinner preparation, which can include fully cooking the turkey or brisket, plus all the side dishes and, best of all, cleaning up: Clients simply heat the meal and accept the compliments.

The Bill: 20 packaged entrées for $395 including groceries, or up to $900 for 70 individually packaged entrées and side dishes. Holiday packages vary.

The Dish: Butternut Squash Gratin with Rosemary Breadcrumbs

1⁄8 cup (or 1⁄2 stick) unsalted butter

15⁄8 cups (or 1 lb.) thinly sliced onions

11⁄2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes

3⁄8 tsp. sugar

1⁄4 tsp. salt

1⁄4 tsp. ground black pepper

1⁄3 cup canned low-salt chicken broth

3⁄4 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from soft white bread

3⁄4 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese

5⁄8 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1⁄4 tsp. dried thyme

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. Butter 13×9x2-inch glass baking dish. Melt butter in heavy, large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until onions are light golden, about 8 minutes. Add squash; sauté 4 minutes. Sprinkle sugar, salt and pepper over vegetables; sauté until onions and squash begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Spread vegetable mixture in prepared dish. Pour chicken broth over. Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. (Squash mixture can be made one day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat in 350° oven until heated through, about 10 minutes.) Increase oven temperature to 400°. Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, rosemary and thyme in medium bowl. Sprinkle over gratin. Bake uncovered until top is golden brown and crisp, about 30 minutes. Serves 4 as a side dish.

Ask the chef:

Q. Where do you go to get the absolute freshest vegetables off-season during these next few months?

A. The Ardmore Farmer’s Market (Suburban Square, Ardmore). “Shop­ping at farmer’s markets will mean you get the best, freshest produce available, while at the same time you are supporting local farmers.”

Cook-A-Doodle-Do: 610-331-6231; ezchef.net/cookadoodledo

Chef Mark Balasa

Balasa, a former restaurant chef turned personal chef, has long been studying nutrition and healthy cuisines, especially vegetarian and vegan. He uses his knowledge to work with clients to create weekly menus based on their favorite foods, only healthier versions. When Balasa’s making the typical chicken and vegetable stir fry, he’s also making sure that his ingredients balance the proper amounts of phytochemicals and nutrients. “People are aware of needing to eat better, but they’re frustrated with the amount of time they have to prepare the food, and they’ve gotten away from knowing how to cook certain healthy things.” Weekly or monthly, Balasa will grocery shop, come into the home to prepare items, then store dishes in the refrigerator. He believes in vacuum sealing items to retain freshness during the week, instead of freezing them, which extracts nutrients.

The Bill: In-home service weekly or every two weeks, or 20 entrees servings, ranges from $170 to $360. He includes suggested wine pairings with each entrée on his menu.

The Dish: Sesame-Crusted Tofu with Ginger-Shoyu Sauce

14 oz. tofu, firm, sliced 1⁄4-inch thick

2 tbsp. plain soy milk

1 tsp. cornstarch

1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt

1⁄4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

4 1⁄2 tbsp. plain bread crumbs

3 tbsp. white sesame seeds

1 1⁄2 tbsp. black sesame seeds

1⁄8 red bell pepper, sliced thin and tapered to enhance presentation

3 scallions, sliced thin and on a bias

1 tbsp. canola oil

3⁄8 tsp. sweet rice flour

1 tsp. water

1 tsp. garlic chili pepper sauce, Vietnamese

2 tbsp. Aji-Mirin

3 tbsp. shoyu

1 1⁄2 tsp. sesame oil, toasted

3⁄8 tsp. Thai fish sauce

3⁄16 tsp. fresh ginger root, grated

Directions: Dry the tofu slices and sauté in non-stick pan over medium heat until lightly colored, about 5 minutes on each side, then allow to cool. While the tofu cooks, blend the soy milk and corn starch in bowl. Then on a plate, blend the bread crumbs, sesame seeds, kosher salt and black pepper.

When the tofu has cooled, dip the tofu slices in the soymilk-cornstarch mix and then coat with sesame seed mix.

Heat the canola oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the tofu until each side is golden. Add the red pepper slices as the second side of the tofu cooks. Sauté the peppers until just tender. Remove tofu and peppers from pan, and cover with foil to keep warm.

Combine the sweet rice flour and water in a small bowl. In a small pan, combine all the remaining ingredients, including the rice flour mixture and bring to a simmer over medium heat to thicken.

Fan the tofu slices on plates and drizzle the sauce around the tofu. Scatter the red pepper and scallion slices on the tofu and around the plate as an delicious garnish. Makes 3 servings.

Ask the chef:

Q. Where do you go for the freshest, never-frozen seafood during the winter months?

A. “I’ve been using FoodSource in Bryn Mawr recently.” The store flies in fresh seafood daily. (663 W. Lancaster Ave.; 610-581-7209)

E! Cuisine: 610-310-6514; e-cuisine.net

Chef David Salvatore

Culinary Institute of America graduate Salvatore spent five years doing in-home personal chef services on the Main Line before launching a full-scale catering and home delivery company this fall. Customers can choose from dozens of entrées, salads, vegetables, starches and soups, which Salvatore makes fresh, then delivers to clients’ homes. Entrees are sophisticated, ranging from crab and baby spinach enchiladas to American kobe beef with rosemary Cabernet gravy.

He finds clients like the convenience of having the next week’s worth of lunches or dinners delivered right to them without the hassle of a messy kitchen or weekly in-home appointment. He packages his meals for refrigerator storage, intending that they be eaten fresh that week. “I want people to avoid freezing or microwaving my food,” said Salvatore. “It’s all fresh, made to be eaten in three to five days.”

The Bill: Five-day menu for 2 people, $350, or up to 8 people, $525. Three-day menu for 2 people, $210, or up to 8 people, $365. Individual purchases include items like soups at $6 to $7 per quart, or salads at $9 for a 4-person serving. Desserts range from $3 pastries to $17 for tarts.

The Dish: Pan-Roasted Chicken with Thyme

4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

One 3-lb. organic chicken, separated into 2 boneless breasts and

2 leg joints with thigh attached

Sea salt and freshly milled pepper to taste

4 whole garlic cloves, peeled lightly, smashed with the back of knife

4 sprigs fresh thyme, rosemary or sage

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

1⁄2 cup chicken broth, homemade

Juice of 1⁄2 a lemon

Directions: Remove chicken from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before cooking, as proteins cook much better at room temperature. Place 2 medium-size sauté pans over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, divided equally between them. Give the pans a minute or two to get hot, but not smoking. If they start to smoke, pull them away from the heat for a minute.

Season your chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper, then carefully add the 2 breasts to one pan and the 2 legs to the other, all skin-side down. Cooking the breast and legs separately ensures both will be tender and juicy, as the breasts will cook faster than the legs. Cook for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the skin is crisp and golden-colored, about 15 minutes. Do not touch the chicken during this time, do not turn them or move them. If the chicken appears to be cooking too fast or smoking, reduce heat.

When the skin is golden, turn the chicken over. Divide the butter and thyme between the pans and add 2 garlic cloves to each. Continue cooking. Baste the chicken with pan juices, until juices run clear rather than pink when pierced with a fork — about 20 minutes for the breast and 25 minutes for the legs. When cooked, remove chicken pieces to a serving platter.

Add chicken broth to the pan, raise the heat to high and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, scraping up the caramelized drippings on the bottom of the pan. Add a squeeze of lemon, to taste, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the juice over the chicken and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Steamed asparagus, carrots or green beans make a great accompaniment.

Ask the chef:

Q. Where would you go for last-minute gourmet take out on the Main Line?

A. “Thomas’ Kitchen in Wayne (362 W. Lancaster Ave.; 610-225-0480) because his food’s excellent. He’s a professional chef doing really good food.”

Small Potatoes: 610-525-2394; mainlinechef.com

Chef Gretchen Raichle

For the past three years, Raichle has built an impressive Main Line clientele by offering a limitless menu, last-minute service and customized options including in-home dinner and cocktail parties and meals to fit special dietary needs. But what makes her really stand out is her commitment to the Slow Food Movement and to local farmers, who provide much of the produce and dairy she uses to make her meals.

“Seasonal availability of ingredients from local suppliers, when possible, and organic, when available, is a priority,” Raichle says. Raichle doesn’t require that clients sign a contract, and she prepares meals in-home, either weekly, every two weeks or at the customer’s last-minute request.

The Bill: Packages can be customized, and customers can call Cheffery Fare on an as-needed basis, but generally, for service weekly or every two weeks, five entrees and side dishes, is $300 per week, or $315 for a week’s worth of meals prepared once a month. There is a $25 research cost for each week she prepares meals for special diets such as Atkins, Weight Watchers, South Beach or other specific dietary requirements.

The Dish: Waterzooi (Belgian chicken soup)

2 tbsp. butter

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 leeks, chopped, rinsed and dried

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

Salt and white pepper

6 cups organic chicken stock or broth

1 whole fresh bay leaf or 2 dried

4 sprigs fresh parsley, plus chopped for garnish

4 sprigs fresh thyme

4 whole free range organic chicken halves, skinless, 8 oz. each

1 cup heavy cream, or substitute half-and-half

1 large egg yolk

1 loaf crusty bread

Directions: In a Dutch oven, over moderate heat, melt butter and sauté vegetables for 5 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper. Tie together the bay leaf, parsley and thyme sprigs and add to the pot with the stock or broth. Cover the pot and raise heat to bring liquid to a boil. Add chicken to the pot, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Poach the chicken 10 minutes. Uncover the pot. Remove chicken and slice. Whisk cream and egg together in a small bowl. Add a ladle of cooking broth to the mixture to temper it, stirring it constantly. Stir cream and egg mixture into the pot and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Add chicken back to the pot along with chopped parsley. Adjust seasoning. Serve with crusty bread. Serves 4.

Ask the chef:

Q. If you didn’t have time to make dessert for a special occasion or dinner party, where would you go to buy it on the Main Line?

A.“I have to say La Dolce Bakery on (1-B West Ave. and North Wayne Ave., Wayne; 610-341-0012). Traditional Italian and American baked goods, family run in the traditional way. Wonderful pastries, tarts and cakes. Do not miss the sfagiotelle or pasticiotte!”

Cheffery Fare, Personal Chef Service: 610-583-6322