Submitted by Vicki Lofty.

For Immediate Release – Extension

It is exciting when a child successfully manages to prepare a simple dish. Cooking helps youth develop self-confidence and skills. It requires hands on use of math concepts, planning, thinking and management. It also requires youth to be attentive to details and following directions. Youth can master these skills while having fun participating in the National 4-H Cornbread Cook-Off.

4th grade 4-H Club members are invited to enter a recipe in the National Cornbread Cook-Off Competition. The cornbread or cornbread dish recipe must contain at least one cup of Martha White Cornmeal. It must also be cooked in Lodge Cast Iron cookware.

Recipes should be submitted to Marion County 4-H at 302 Betsy Pack Drive, Jasper, TN 37347 by March 1, 2020. Recipes will initially be judged on the written recipe. For a complete list of guidelines contact your 4-H agent or visit the National Cornbread Festival website.

Ten lucky finalist will be invited to prepare their recipe at the National Competition which will be held on April 26, 2020 at the National Cornbread Contest in South Pittsburg. Their finished cornbread recipes will be judged on creativity, flavor, texture, appetizing appearance, ease of preparation and appropriate use of products.

Prizes are as follows: 1st Place – $500; 2nd Place – $250; 3rd Place – $100 and the other seven finalists will each receive $50. All 10 finalists also receive special gifts from Lodge Cast Iron and Martha White. The 4-H agent or 4-H Assistant and the teacher of the winning contestant will each receive $50. Youth traveling more than 100 miles to competition will receive $100 travel money.

Past winning recipes include Razzle-Dazzle Cornbread, Apple-Sausage and Cheese Cornbread, Country Boy Cornbread and Stuffed Mexi-Melt Cornbread Muffins, to name a few. Creativity is a must for developing a winning recipe.

This activity is an educational way for novice cooks to experience the joys of cooking, master skills and develop a lifelong love of good food and healthy eating.