On Thursday, May 7, our Student Nutrition Services Department hosted the 3rd Annual Buccaneer Junior Chef competition! This year, the kitchen heat moved to McKinley Elementary.

Following the success of our previous competitions held at Arrowood and Cox elementary schools, this year’s event continued our new tradition of rotating hosts. Our goal is to move the competition to a different elementary school each year until students across the entire district have had the chance to compete on their home turf!

The contestants — all McKinley 4th graders — were selected after submitting original, healthy salad recipes. They prepped and plated their signature dishes live for a panel of hungry judges.

The winning dish, “Exquisito Ensalada”, was created by Morgan Ewry and will be featured on the menu of their school during the coming school year. In a bold display of culinary creativity, this Junior Chef dazzled the competition with this vibrant dish featuring an unexpected citrus whipped cream topping. His masterpiece blends crunchy beets and juicy mandarin oranges to prove that young chefs aren't afraid to take big risks for big flavors.

The other contestants, whose dishes were all well-received by the judges, were:  
🧑‍🍳 Owen Day - Taco Salad
🧑‍🍳 Teralee Herl - Asian Cucumber Salad
🧑‍🍳 Janice Lomundu - J-Nice's Zesty Mediterranean Salad
🧑‍🍳 Daniella Stiles - Dani's Fiesta Bowl

See additional photos in the online photo gallery.