Manchester Middle School 'Chopped' Offers Super Treats

MANCHESTER, NJ — Manchester Township Middle School students put their culinary skills to the test for the second time this school year in its second Chopped competition!

There were 25 students from across all middle school grades and cooking levels who signed up to test their culinary skills with the help and supervision of five teacher volunteers.

Bella Toto, the middle school consumer and family science teacher, hosted the event, and the students set out to impress an elite panel of tasting judges with Super Bowl-themed cuisine.

The cooking teams faced a list of must-use items for their dishes that included popcorn chicken, sour cream, ranch seasoning, and shredded cheddar cheese. Each team had 40 minutes to plan, cook and plate their dishes. All four mystery ingredients had to be used in the dish they put forth for the judges.

Students presented the judges with variations of appetizers and main dishes featuring the mystery ingredients. Completed meals included loaded french fries, buffalo and ranch chicken taco variations, football-shaped desserts, and even chicken stuffed corn muffins baked in the shape of a football completed with a sour cream football seam!

All of the teams put up delicious dishes and worked hard to compete. Ultimately, the winning team was the Touchdowners,who dazzled the judges' tastebuds with a dish that included a buffalo chicken taco and dessert.