Junior Chef Competition
January 17, 2025
Culinary Arts II students competed in the Junior Chef Competition at the Lowndes County Career and Technology Center on Friday, Jan. 17. Choctaw County was represented by two teams: Team One included Jayla Kirkwood, Laura Brooke Myers, and Nevaeh Wells. Team Two included Aaden Blaine, Davonta Miller, Abby Watson, and Ryan Willmott.
The Junior Chef Competition is conducted by the MS Department of Education Office of Child Nutrition to inspire culinary arts students to use their cooking skills and knowledge of nutrition to create lunch options that meet the dietary requirements of Mississippi public schools while also featuring locally grown products. The teams began working on their dishes in September. They visited farms and farmers markets to procure local ingredients and even tested their recipes with elementary students during AES’s “Good Choices Week.” Team One prepared Chicken and Sweet Potato Enchiladas with Fried Corn and Collard Green Chimichurri. Team Two prepared a Hibachi Meal with Chicken and Broccoli. Each team featured whole grains in the form of whole wheat tortillas and brown rice, a variety of vegetables, and lean protein from chicken and eggs. Local ingredients included Vardaman-grown sweet potatoes and herbs from the culinary class herb garden. Team One came in 4th place and Team Two came in 3rd place. Congratulations!
