Servings of the recipes were prepared and dropped off at the Trigg County Extension Office. The judging took place around 3 p.m. The judge was Vicki Wynn who is a Family and Consumer Service Agent for Marshall County.
Numbers were down slightly from last year. This year there were 10 entered in the casserole category and 9 entered in the appetizer category. Last year there were 27 entries in 3 categories. The categories were appetizers, casseroles and main dishes. Norma Martin who helps run the contest said that with some of the dishes it was hard to determine if it was a main dish or a casserole, so this year they just combined the two into the casserole category.
Last year Kentucky Cattlemen's Association helped sponsor the event and donated money to the prizes. The prize for each category last year was $50. This year the prize for each category was $25.
The Beef Cooking Contest has been taking place for years, but has recently gotten more popular with the public. Martin said, "Since we started publicizing more of the homemakers in the community have been participating. It's been nice to have more entries."
There were a wide variety of appetizers available. There were several varieties of Swedish Meatballs, beef stuffed cherry tomatoes, taco and pizza puffs. The winner of the appetizer category was Caroline Sivells of Cadiz. Her taco salad cups were little tortilla cups filled with beef, cheese, beans and other taco fixings.
The casserole category featured 10 entries. Some of the entries had a Mexican theme while others contained varieties of vegetables. A large number of the entries contained green peppers to enhance the flavor of the beef. The winner of the category was Clouds of Beef, also prepared by Caroline Sivells. This casserole featured stew meat mixed into a casserole with potatoes, and vegetables.
Judge Vicki Wynn said,"I was impressed with the variety of dishes that have incorporated different cuts of beef. Yet they are all very tasty and would fit into any meal plan."
The winner was announced at the Fall Far Tour on the evening of September 23. Sivells was a repeat winner from one of the categories last year.
First Place
Casserole Category
Clouds of Beef
Take stew meat and season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, then shake off excess flour. Brown the beef on all sides using a small amount of oil. Drain the oil on a paper towel. Chop a medium size onion and sauté in the leftover oil.
In a Dutch oven add one can on Cream of Mushroom Soup and two soup cans of water. Stir the mixture and add enough Kitchen Bouquet to make the liquid the desired browness.
Add drained beef and onions to the soup mixture.
Braise the beef in a 350-degree oven until the meat is tender. This mixture can be made ahead and saved for the casserole.
Using mashed potatoes take a lightly buttered mold and form potatoes to the mold. Add a layer of the beef and gravy from above. Add desired vegetables such as peas, carrots, green beans and corn. Top with another layer of mashed potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees until the casserole is warm throughout and the potatoes are brown on top.
First Place
Appetizer Category
Taco Salad Cups
Flour tortillas
Ground beef
Chopped onion
Taco seasoning
Refried beans
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Ripe olives
Picante sauce
Chopped tomatoes
Oil
Using a biscuit cutter cut tortillas into 2 1/2 inches round. In an open wire strainer, place a tortilla and place another strainer on top to make the shells. Deep fry in oil until puffy and lightly browned. Drain on paper towel.
Brown the hamburger and chopped onion and add taco seasoning. Follow seasoning directions to prepare the taco meat.
In the fried tortilla add a teaspoon of refried beans. Top with taco meat and cheese. Add lettuce and sour cream. Drizzle with picante sauce and top with olives and tomatoes.
