Thank you to all of our young chefs and the grown-ups who helped them explore cooking with fresh ingredients.
It was not easy choosing just four contestants to win the
8th GROW Kids Cooking Challenge.
The prize winners are:
Advanced Teen:
Chef Reba
Lentil Bowl with Cranberry Vinaigrette
Advanced 12 and under:
Chef Lucy
Butternut squash soup with lentil crackers and roasted Brussels sprouts and cranberry rosemary artisan bread
Beginner 12 and under:
Kira's Kitchen
Lentil Veggie Soup with Fancy Cranberry Dessert
Beginner 12 and under:
Daniella's Food Haven
Cranberry-Yogurt Glazed Ribs on Silky Glass Noodles
Team Category:
West Salem Boys and Girls Club Chefs
Lentil Cranberry Wrap with Yogurt Sauce
Team Category:
Skogen Boys and Girls Club Chefs
Green Goddess Soup
Congratulations to our winners and all of the young chefs who took on this challenge with amazing results!
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A note from the judges:
Each year our judges have the biggest challenge of all - choosing the winners! All of the cooking challenge participants put so much thought, creativity and talent behind their dishes. Every young chef has so much to be proud of. We appreciate our judges taking time to comb through the results and share their impressions of your creations. Here are some reflections from this year's judges:
The ECE program had a great time getting to look over everyone’s submissions and their hard work, and getting the opportunity to judge their creations. The air was charged with intensity over being able to judge the dishes we were shown. It was fun! It was really fun; We loved the scoring process and the categories of which we had to judge. Specifically, and especially the “appetizing/appearance” and “creativity” categories.
Everyone was super creative with what they made and how they went about it too, and I’m very proud of everyone. We saw so many different kinds of food, even with the limited ingredients they had at their disposal. We saw soups, tacos, noodles with ribs – and to you, chefs, we tip our hats. Noodles and ribs have different cooking times, being able to balance both so neither ended up at a different temperature from the other was likely a challenge. We are very proud of these chefs. Everyone was so creative with what they made. We had a blast, and we hope the students involved had fun as well.
- Western Technical College Early Childhood Development Class
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It was super fun and challenging, but, I figured it out and had a great time. I really enjoyed eating my dish when it was all finished! - Chef Ethan
We loved it - it was so much fun! - The Sister Crew
Anders is a natural. This boy was making waffles from scratch at age 3. He came up with the recipe, chopped everything and waited for his soup to be ready to enjoy !! - Chef Anders
Rhodes is a creative guy full of ideas! Bacon and maple syrup are a must have for him. He’s a capable 6 year old who can chop and even safely use the stove. - Rhodes's Rowdy Kitchen
We turned tacos into a rainbow of flavor! Our Lentil Tacos feature all mystery ingredients, including a zesty cranberry salsa and a garden-fresh microgreen garnish. We loved mixing sweet and savory—and had a blast cooking together! - Chef Ellie
We had a blast! - The Tanner Special
I really liked this cooking challenge. My dad said, "I had two of these and I didn't expect that" he also said "save this recipe!" I got a bit frustrated, but it turned out really fun!! - Chef Emelia
The Cooking Challenge was Fun! I enjoy having the opportunity to be creative in the kitchen! - Chef Reba
It was really hard, but it was worth it! It tasted AMAZING! - Chef Everett
I liked cutting everything and plating it up fancy, I felt like a real chef! - I & F Cook
Who knew lentil tacos would actually be good?! Fiona said she felt like a contestant on the Kids Baking Championship 😃 - Chef Fiona
I had fun cooking a more complex meal. My sisters did the challenge separately, and it was fun, but now we need a break from lentils! - Chef Sophia
It was wonderful to help my kids think about what they could make that they might like and to step out of the way and watch them cook a meal for the family! - Sophia's Mom
It was fun to play around with new food - Chef Kayden
I have done every GROW Kids Cooking Challenge, but this was my first time working with Advanced Ingredients. It was the hardest challenge yet. I hope next year I'm a bit more familiar with the ingredients. I love this event and look forward to it every year! - Gourmet Gus
I had so much fun using new ingredients and cooking healthy food with my mom. I brought it all to my grandparents house for everyone to try and they liked it too!! I look forward to doing this again sometime! - Chef Kayli
I enjoyed being able to cook something new, especially because I love cooking with my mom. We like to make new recipes and love the challenge of coming up with something creative. - Chef Nightengale
It was a fun experience overall. 6-year-old Lily got to participate in every step of the process. She chopped green beans, made the sauces, cooked the lentils, and sautéed the green beans and celery, got mad at her sous chef (me-mom) for adjusting stove temperature without her permission. Lily enjoyed cooking with me and was so proud of how well the final dish looked on the plate. We were upset when Lily's 3-year-old sister got into the cranberry sauce and smeared some over kitchen counter, dining room table, and the floor. Lily wasn't a fan of some of the unfamiliar flavors and textures of her final dish. But I thought the dish tasted good and we look forward to participating in this challenge again next year if it's offered. - Chef Lily's Mom
I had a lot of fun cooking with my family. Teamwork made the food taste better! - Chef Javier
I had a great time reviewing ideas to see how to use the ingredients. I like soup, so I decided on this idea. The bacon and vegetables were very good in the soup. - Chef Mia
We had a blast thinking of what we were gonna do with the secret ingredients and how to make it our own, in the end the twins decided to showcase some of their Hispanic heritage with this recipe while keeping it fun and tasty! - Team Super Twins
We loved learning how to use new ingredients, practicing using the stove/oven, and chopping veggies. It was fun to make a new creation! - CJ Forray
Landon wanted to make sushi, so trying to turn these ingredients in to sushi was a fun challenge, but we were up for it. We created some unique flavors! - Landon's Table
This was a fun challenge, proving you don’t need a “perfect” recipe and that simple can be delicious and nourishing. - Chef SiSi
This was our first attempt and we couldn't have enjoyed it more. Although we received beginner ingredients, we don't typically eat lentils so it was a "new to us"'ingredient to explore.
My oldest read the instruction page and immediately said "wow this is going to be healthy". Introducing them to the power of certain foods and that cooking can be as creative as you want made this experience one that we hope to participate in again. - Team Chef Wes
The Kids Cooking Challenge was a wonderful experience for my daughter. She enjoyed creating a Filipino dish using healthy ingredients and felt so proud to showcase her heritage. She was happy to represent the Philippines through her cooking. It was a moment that truly celebrated both her creativity and her roots. - Daniella's Food Haven
I had fun cooking with new ingredients and the challenge of making a recipe with only the limited amount of ingredients I was given and it was fun to cook and taste new things. - Chef Roy
It was a fun, joyous bonding experience for both myself and granddaughter! She was so thrilled and eager to try this cooking adventure. She learned so much and I loved sharing this time together. - Grace and Gama Team
It was really fun and my food tasted SO GOOD! I learned how to time out doing so many things all at once so everything could be ready at the right times. I already made the dessert another time and I’ll be making the soup again when the leftovers are gone. It was a lot of work but I loved it! - Kira's Kitchen
It was tons of fun! It was fun talking about the ingredients and how they help our bodies stay healthy. The kids had some hesitation when seeing a few of the ingredients, but after helping search for a fun recipe that hesitation turned into excitement. This recipe is definitely one we’ll make again this fall and winter! It’s hearty, tasteful, and perfect for a cool fall or winter day. - Love Cafe’
We had a fun time cooking! Everything turned out delicious. It was empowering for littles to cut vegetables and use the big mixer. Kids were proud of their work and thus ate it all (no fussing or negotiating!). - The Kroegers Cook
Mariel liked making the decisions and deciding what to do. Once she had her ingredients prepped, the ideas started flowing and she made a wonderful meal that we ate for lunch. I just encouraged her to taste so she could change if she wanted. We had fun! - Mariel's Morsels
It was pretty cool and fun to turn the ingredients into a cool meal! - Chef Lucy
Nolan was going to make soup, but when he saw how good the Sauté looked at the beginning of his soup, he decided to taste it and keep it a sauté instead of adding more broth. It was great for dinner and he really enjoyed prepping the veggies and learning how to safely use the food processor. - Nolan's Nosh
I liked the experience because I learned how to cook new things. - Chef John
A challenge was upon the group as we needed to experiment with ideas to bring together a creative and balanced dish. The experience was fun, messy, fast-paced, and brought out the team’s inner chef’s. With the flexibility, collaboration, and communication the team pulled together our final dish. - Skogen Chefs
Our Stuffed Bell Peppers are bursting with flavor—and mystery ingredients! From whipped cottage cheese to a tangy cranberry drizzle, this dish was a delicious challenge. We loved layering textures and colors to make it mouthwatering and memorable! - Chef Maddy
I got to make a recipe out of mystery ingredients with my sister and my cousins. We each made our own dishes and they were all really good. I didn't want to eat the food I made at first because I wasn't used to the ingredients we used but my step-mom said I should try it - even if it was just a small bite so I did and it was really good! I ate a bunch more! I had a lot of fun making this recipe. - Remi's Delightful Creations
I had a lot of fun. It made me push my creative limits and cook with ingredients I am not used to. I think it helped me become a better cook. I liked the recipe so much, I made it for my family for dinner but swapped the cottage cheese for a non-dairy option. Thank you for letting me be a part of this event! - Cadence's Cooking Kitchen
Zealand and Eden are ready for anything so a cooking challenge was right up their alley. They’re a great team in and out of the kitchen. - Team Twins
The master chef was excited to use the cranberries because that is one of his favorite fruits ever! Apples are hard to core with a kid save knife, but there was a little extra for the chef to snack on while the soup cooked. The chef added one tablespoon of maple syrup and tasted the salad dressing, but it took three tablespoons (and taste tests) to get it just the right sweetness. He thought the microgreens would be good in the chopped salad, but after tasting the peppery flavor he added them to the top of the soup instead. The color of the soup made him think of radioactive goo, but the bacon enhanced both dishes for a cozy fall taste. - Master Chef Walden
The kids at The Good Fight LOVED, this cooking challenge! It gave them a chance to learn some skills in the kitchen, and a chance to make some food for others! There may have been a few stolen bites along the way, but the kids had a blast coming up with a meal out of the mystery ingredients! - The Good Fight Chefs
It was fun to cook together and see joy on the kids face participating. Also seeing them try something they made. - Chef Oliver and Clara
At the start, they were a little concerned when looking at the ingredients. It wasn't until we put on the good tunes (Christmas music) and our thinking caps that we really started cooking. From the prep, to the cutting, to the cooking, everyone was very eager to get involved every step of the way. They were very inclusive to everyone's ideas and in the end, they were all so proud of what they made. - West Salem Boys and Girls Club Chefs
This was my first time trying the Kids Cooking Challenge, and I had an absolute blast! It was very exhausting work, but in the end it was so worth it. - The Mad Chef
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Everyone wins when young chefs explore fresh, healthy ingredients.
Thank you to all of our participants for sharing your smiles and talents!
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Special Thanks to the Western Technical College Early Childhood Development students for sharing their expertise and time as the judges for this event.
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Thank You to our Event Sponsors:
Vicki Miller
