Not sure if this is the right place to ask but i did try to look around and google this so hoping someone can help out here 

I'm trying to make a cooking system similar to how cooking in don't starve works for a school project.  Basically I'm looking for an elegant way to determine output based on 4-5 ingredients placed in a cooker.

http://dontstarve.wikia.com/wiki/Crock_Pot

Ingredients will have a generic type such as MEAT or VEGGIE and increase a recipes "meat value" which is what i think will determine the output. 

Recipes such as Meatballs require at least 0.5 "meat value" so usually just one meat item and 3 fillers. 
Kabobs however require 1 meat value and 1 twig and 2 fillers, but adding fish for a filler makes fish sticks.

I'm having trouble thinking of a way to create a cook function or switch statement that would determine an output.
Hoping someone here has played dont starve and knows what I am talking about haha