TX District’s Challenge puts Pulled Chicken to the Test

When school nutrition teams are given one ingredient and the freedom to have a creative competition, it’s the students who win! Bryan Independent School District in TX created a culinary competition that spurred 23 original pulled chicken recipes, all while giving students a voice in choosing what dishes would make the the school menu.

Last spring, the district launched its first-ever Recipe Challenge to find appealing way to use its commodity dark-meat chicken. Cafeteria teams from across the district developed recipes ranging from Cheesy Chicken Nachos and Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches to Chicken Bacon Ranch Bake, Green Chile Chicken Spaghetti and Buffalo Chicken Pasta.

“We needed a dark meat option that our students would eat, and the recipe challenge gave our teams an opportunity to get creative with the pulled chicken while developing new options for our menus,” said Sandra Baxter, MS, RD, LD, Director of School Nutrition Services for Bryan ISD

The challenge gave nutrition staff an opportunity to showcase their creativity while developing recipes around an ingredient they needed to use. It also brought students into the menu development process.

Twenty-nine student ambassadors from four district schools gathered to taste and judge all 23 entries in a blind tasting. Students rated each recipe on taste, texture, appearance and student appeal and were encouraged to share comments.

“Because they are our customers who will be eating, students need to be the judges for what foods shall be on the menu,” Baxter said.

After the scores were tallied, Chicken Flamingo earned the top spot. The dish combines sautéed onions and peppers with pulled chicken, spices and diced tomatoes, served with tortillas and shredded cheese.

The recipe will be added to the district’s cycle menu for the 26-27 school year and promoted as the Recipe Challenge Winner.

Bryan ISD plans to make the competition an annual event, using a different key ingredient each year. The challenge is proving one ingredient can inspire creativity, engage students and bring fresh ideas to the school menu.