Iron Chef Breakfast Competition in NY School

Hosting Iron Chef-style competitions has become an anticipated special event for Mechanicville City School District students in New York. Deborah Mackey, Food Service Director in the district, helps to put on about four each year, typically giving student teams a specific ingredient to include for a lunch dish. Past competitions have featured locally grown beef and apples, but the focus has never previously been on breakfast.

Mackey introduced the idea recently and held a breakfast competition to lead up to National School Breakfast Week (NSBW), a great opportunity for students to try new menu items and focus on the importance of breakfast.

The competition was open to five teams, each team could have as many students on it as they wanted. The teams’ meals had to meet USDA school nutrition guidelines, with each including either two whole grains or whole grain and a protein along with fruit, milk and juice. The students had to submit their recipes beforehand and Mackey ordered the necessary ingredients. 

“Instead of telling the students a must-use ingredient, the instructions were that the meal had to be something that was not already served,” said Deborah Mackey, Food Service Director, Mechanicville City School District. 

Student recipes included yogurt parfaits served in waffle cones and homemade pancakes topped with blueberries and served with scrambled eggs. Students also made homemade sausage gravy over whole-grain biscuits and eggs; homemade strawberry toaster pastries with smoothies; and grilled cheese and bacon stuffed french toast with hash brown patties. Each day during NSBW, a different team served their breakfast recipe to classmates.

“I’m hoping the students who take part in this competition will talk up their meal to their friends and classmates in a way to help increase breakfast participation,” said Mackey.

At the end of the week, students voted for their favorite new breakfast recipe. In a tight race, the grilled cheese and bacon stuffed French toast won by one vote. It was made with whole-grain bread and served with hash brown patties and fresh strawberries. Sixth graders Melanie Wood, Nayeli Morales-Torres and Alyssandra Amann submitted the winning meal.

The second-place breakfast was created by ninth graders Ash Christie and Claire Meehan. It was a homemade taster pastry with cooked-down fresh strawberries as the filling. The puff pastry was served with strawberry fruit smoothies, yogurt, fresh berries and almond milk.

Mackey says she’s very lucky to have an engaged student body who enjoy sharing their ideas for breakfast and lunch recipes. Mackey meets twice a month with students for feedback on what they want or want to see less of on the school menus and has a suggestion box in the cafeteria for feedback. Recently, a student suggested avocado toast for breakfast.

Mechanicville City Schools is a smaller district, Mackey oversees two schools.  She says the size of the district and her background working in restaurants and catering allow her the opportunity to serve students meals they would get in a restaurant.  She bases menus on the local foods available each season. One of the most popular lunches she serves is beef from a local farm and scalloped potatoes. French toast casserole, waffles with berries and egg sandwiches are often found on the breakfast menu.

Mackey says she also has a special ingredient in the kitchen that makes the nutrition program at Mechanicville City Schools so incredible – head cook, Helen Rose. This year, Helen is celebrating her 40th year with the district and celebrating her 80th birthday. She arrives at the school every morning at 5:15 for a full day of meal preparation and serving. Helen knows the students by their first names, and knows many of their parents and grandparents as well!