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Amish Chicken Cornbread Bake Wins 2005 National Cornbread Cook-Off
SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. - Amish Chicken Cornbread Bake was named the grand prize winner of the 2005 National Cornbread Cook-Off, sponsored by Martha White® and Lodge® and held in conjunction with the ninth annual National Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg, Tenn.
First place winner Sandi Klingler from Auburn, Ala., has been cooking cornbread as long as she can remember. A former flight attendant, she fostered her love for food by eating different cuisines as she traveled around the world. Now that she is a full time mom, she combines her favorite worldly tastes with local flavors of the south to create winning recipes like the Amish Chicken Cornbread Bake. The rich creamy chicken filling accented with dried cranberries, mushrooms and Parmesan cheese is rich and delicious. But, the crowning glory is the moist cornbread topping, made with Martha White® Extra Rich Buttermilk Cornbread Creations™, delicately flavored with baked sweet potatoes. The entire dish is reminiscent of Thanksgiving dinner.
Klingler's original recipe earned her the top prize of $4,000 cash and a FiveStar stainless steel range from Brown Stove Works of Cleveland, Tenn. As her family cheered with excitement, she was crowned with a specially designed Lodge® "Cast Iron Tiara" during the award ceremonies.
"This year's recipes were all excellent, but the creativity of the Amish Chicken Cornbread Bake could not be matched," said Linda Carman, Martha White baking expert. "I am thrilled so many people entered the competition. It's wonderful to see how creative folks can be in turning traditional Southern cornbreads into delicious main dish meals!"
The 10 finalists were chosen from more than 600 entries from across the country. Entrants were asked to submit original, main dish recipes prepared with Martha White cornbread mix and cooked in Lodge® cast iron cookware. Cheered on by festival-goers, the 10 finalists cooked their original recipes under a big tent on FiveStar gas ranges. A panel of food experts judged the prepared dishes and selected the winners.
Traci Mitchell of Dothan, Ala. won second place and a $500 cash prize for her South-of-the-Border Chicken Fiesta recipe. The creative dish combined southwestern seasoned chicken strips, pepper jack cheese soup, canned black beans and green chilies all baked under a moist topping made with Martha White® cornbread mix, shredded cheese and cream style corn.
This year's third place prize and $300 was awarded to Lorie Roach of Buckatunna, Miss., for her Beef Fajita-Stuffed Green Chile Cornbread with Avocado Pico de Gallo. Classic fajita ingredients - beef, onion and bell peppers - along with Monterey Jack cheese, were layered with moist green chile cornbread and baked up in a cast iron skillet. Adding the perfect touch, Lorie made Avocado Pico de Gallo to serve over wedges of her fajita cornbread.
Other National Cornbread Cook-Off finalists were Kevin Ray West, Bloomington, Ind.; Dennis Deel, Wooster, Ohio; Rebecca Reece, Henderson, Nev.; Pamela Sanford, New Market, Tenn.; Miriam Mobley, Merrimac, Wis.; Sue Stidger, Lacey's Spring, Ala.; and Jennie Flake, Gilbert, Ariz.
The National Cornbread Cook-Off is held each year during the last full weekend in April in conjunction with the National Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg, Tenn. Contest rules and entry requirements for the 2006 National Cornbread Cook-Off will be available in December and can be found after the first of the year on the Martha White® web site - www.marthawhite.com
A leading manufacturer of Southern baking mixes and ingredients, Martha White® was founded in Nashville, Tenn., in 1899.