Northern High School’s Knights of Culinary team, instructed by their Chefs John Rutt, Bridgette Harper-Reid, and John Boretti, has captured first place in the 2025 N.C. Junior Chef competition. They now travel to the Southeast Jr. Chef Competition in Kentucky in May.
The four student team members are Daniel Gomez, Evan Shaddox, Wesley Shaddox, and Samiaya Wilson. DPS School Nutrition Director Jim Keaten served as their central administration advisor.
The winning recipe was a chipotle beef and sweet potato Tex-mex skillet with sautéed North Carolina-grown ground beef, onions, peppers, roasted corn, collard greens, and sweet potatoes topped with cheese and a homemade avocado and jalapeño crema. The students received chef coats, hats, and aprons along with certificates and medals based on their team scores. Northern High receives a first-place plaque to display in their school and has the honor of hosting the N.C. Jr. Chef Competition trophy until next year’s state cook-off.
For the competition, student team members must work with their teachers and local School Nutrition Program to create a school lunch entrée recipe that meets National School Lunch Program requirements, includes at least two North Carolina-grown ingredients and one USDA Foods item, and appeals to students. For the initial recipe round of the competition, teams submitted applications, recipes, nutrient and cost analysis, and recipe photos. Based on a review of applications and recipes submitted, the finalist teams were selected to advance to the cook-off phase of the competition.
For the cook-off, the student chefs submitted their final application with recipe, nutrient and cost analysis, recipe photo, and a video of the team preparing and plating their school lunch entrée recipe.. They also submitted a work plan for how they would prepare their dish within the 90-minute time limit.
The Knights of Culinary team presented their dish during a virtual, live interview with a panel of evaluators. Evaluators asked questions and shared feedback with the teams during the interviews. Teams were evaluated for their ability to work together to demonstrate valuable skills
in recipe development, food preparation, safety and sanitation, organization, presentation, and knowledge of nutrition, farm to school, and local food systems.
One of the competition’s evaluators, Trip Warren, School Nutrition Consultant and registered dietitian, said the Northern High team showed confidence in moving about the kitchen during the video, and that it was like watching a cooking show. He also admired their culinary and knife skills.
“It’s clear that you knew what you were doing in the kitchen,” said Warren, who noted that the dish’s flavor was outstanding and called the avocado topping “a nice complement to a bold, well-balanced dish.”
The Junior Chef Competition was created to inspire the next generation of culinary professionals, stimulate interest in locally produced agriculture, increase participation in School Nutrition Programs, provide nutrition education, and encourage healthy eating habits. The N.C. Jr. Chef Competition was planned by the Offices of School Nutrition and Career and Technical Education at the N.C. Department of Public Instruction in partnership with the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services’ Farm to School Program, Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina, and the School Nutrition Association of North Carolina. More information about the competition can be found on the NCDPI, Office of School Nutrition website.