In a word, 'cheesy': Wayne girl brings right ingredients to wow school cookoff judges

WAYNE — Mackenzie Castaldo could taste victory.

The third grader from Packanack School walked confidently out of the kitchen and made her way toward a table where a panel of judges waited to sample her signature recipe.

For Mackenzie, it was a winning personality that may have helped her Wednesday afternoon as she chalked up first place in a cooking competition among local students.

The staple of her dish was not overlooked either.

“It’s really cheesy,” said a beaming Mackenzie, sharing the not-so-secret ingredient minutes after the contest was called.

Her cheesy chili mac included elbow macaroni, ground turkey, and gobs of shredded cheddar and Colby-Jack. The meat was flavored with all-purpose seasoning, chili powder, coriander and cumin, and the concoction was garnished with avocado slices and served in a bowl.

Mackenzie said she had a lot of practice preparing the meal, noting she learned how to make it when she was 8 years old and that now, she is 9.

“I usually make it when my family comes over for special events,” she said. “I feel like it’s really special to me.”

Wearing a pleated hat and a starched white apron like a real chef, Mackenzie offered that spiel to three judges, who chose a winner based on healthiness, originality, plate appearance and several other factors. The students were rated in all categories.

Michael Schmitt, the general manager of food services for the K-12 district, tallied the results and proclaimed that Mackenzie won by two points. She was awarded kitchen supplies, including measuring cups, mixing bowls and a 15-piece set of nonstick cookware.

Schmitt said the students who participated “should be very proud,” and each of them took home a gift bag.

The Future Chefs National Challenge at Anthony Wayne Middle School on Garside Avenue was sponsored by Sodexo U.S.A. Inc., the food services vendor for the district.

The long-running competition has taught thousands of students about culinary arts and nutrition, but Schmitt said this year marks the first time that Wayne is represented.

Mackenzie’s recipe for cheesy chili mac will be entered in a regional contest with winners from other Sodexo-serviced districts. From there, five finalists will be selected for a national contest in which the public will get to vote.

Thirty-five students from eight elementary schools submitted recipes for consideration in the district contest, and Schmitt whittled down the candidate pool to 11 finalists.

Story continues below gallery.

The theme for the competition was family. Students shared recipes that were handed down from generation to generation, leading to well-established dishes like meatloaf and rigatoni Bolognese.

Others were far more uncommon.

There were shish kebabs skewered with what one student chef called “grilled cheeseburgers.” Another boy prepared chicken breast fillets by coating them with cornflakes, frying them in olive oil and serving them on brioche buns.

Schmitt said the opportunity opened up their eyes to possible careers in the hospitality industry. “There are so many different avenues,” he said. “It just gets them thinking about food — cooking is a life skill.”

Donna Reichman, the assistant schools superintendent, was one of the judges. She complimented the student chefs, telling all of them that their dishes looked like they came from Michelin-starred restaurants.

She said she was impressed by their presentations and by the variety of foods prepared. “It’s a perfect way,” she said, “to explore creativity.”

Among the most exotic dishes to emerge from the Anthony Wayne kitchen was palak paneer by Ishani Napipalli, a fourth grader from A.P. Terhune School.

Ishani said the meal is a tradition in India and that she wanted to share the recipe because “it’s part of my culture.” Paneer is a cheese, similar in taste to cottage cheese. It is diced, and the cubes drowned in a bowl of puréed spinach. Roti, a type of flatbread, is served on the side.

TRANSPORTATION: $6.2M county road project still fraying nerves in Wayne

As far as a future in the industry, she said she has too much on her plate to give it serious thought.

“I want to,” Ishani said about being a chef, “but there’s a lot of other stuff. I don’t know yet.”

Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: devencentis@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Wayne NJ girl wins inaugural school district cooking competition