Community Education

‘Future chefs’ whip up gourmet cuisine while competing in national cook-off

Posted on April 10th, 2025 By: Christina T Henry

Patrick Johnson, a third-grade student at Minter Creek Elementary, wrestled a giant pot of pasta noodles with an enormous spoon on Tuesday in the kitchen of Peninsula High School.

“I’m cooking lemon basil buttered homemade pasta,” said Johnson. “And I got my inspiration from a trip to Italy where I had some of the best pasta in my life, and it looked like what it’s gonna look like today.”

Johnson was one of 13 Peninsula School District elementary students selected to compete in this year’s Sodexo Future Chefs National Challenge. Peninsula contracts with Sodexo for its food services.

The district has participated for 15 years in the competition which, according to Sodexo’s website, “encourages elementary students to learn more about nutrition, healthy food choices and cooking techniques by participating in a good-natured challenge.”

Patrick Johnson, a third grader at Minter Creek Elementary, stirs a pot of pasta during the Future Chefs competition at Peninsula High School on April 8, 2024. The competition is part of Sodexo”s annual Future Chefs National Challenge. Photo by Christina T. Henry

‘Life skills they’ll use forever’

This year, 36 students from Peninsula’s 10 elementary schools submitted recipes. Finalists cooked and presented their recipes to a panel of judges. Their sous chefs, aka “chef buddies,” were members of the district’s food service staff, many of whom have volunteered for the event for years.

These youngsters may not be ready to take on Gordon Ramsay just yet. But “it is so exciting,” said Stephanie Bry, director of nutrition services. “They get to learn how to be in the kitchen, which teaches them life skills that they’ll use forever: Healthy eating, utilizing recipes and also focusing on nutrition. They’ll get to know how to cook and make healthy foods.”

Windstorm delayed event

Hundreds of students across the nation submit recipes each year, according to Sodexo. Recipes are judged on taste, healthiness, kid friendliness, originality, ease of preparation, plate presentation and student chef presentations to the judges.

District winners go on to regional competitions and potentially nationals, where a national champion is chosen.

Alas, Peninsula’s Future Chefs competition was originally scheduled for March 26, when forecasts of high wind, thunderstorms, hail and the possibility of tornadoes led districts around the region to cancel after-school activities. So, Peninsula, this year, missed the chance to send a student to the regional competition.

Family members sample dishes made by students during Peninsula School District’s Future Chefs competition at Peninsula High School on April 8, 2024. Photo by Christina T. Henry

Inspired cuisine

Students took their culinary inspiration from near and far.

Johnson used freshly grated Parmesan cheese in his travel-inspired pasta dish. And yes, he made the noodles from scratch at home the night before.

Others presented favorite family recipes.

“This is my aunt’s recipe,” said Easton Girt, a fifth grader from Voyager Elementary, who made Easton Easy Enchiladas. “It’s been through our family for a few years, and it’s just, my whole family likes it. So I thought it would be cool if I made it because my aunt always makes it.”

Ricky Dunne, a food service employee at Peninsula School District, places a chef hat on Paige Mills during the Future Chefs competition at Peninsula High School on April 8, 2024. Dunne says his title is “lead lunch lady” at Discovery Elementary. Mills is in fifth grade at Discovery. Photo by Christina T. Henry

“This is my grandma’s recipe for Swedish Meatballs,” said Paige Mills. “This is really creamy and the way the noodles go with the creamy sauce is really good.”

Mills won a Best Presentation award by placing little Swedish flags on all the meatballs.

A chef’s signature

Young chefs in the competition put their own signatures on dishes, some more universally familiar than others.

Kaleb Erickson, a fifth grader at Purdy Elementary, made his version of Trenette al Pesto, an Italian linguine dish in a rich basil sauce.

Drew Paffrath, a fifth grader from Artondale Elementary, won the Originality award for his take on poke, a Hawaiian dish of cubed, raw fish (such as tuna, ahi) in a marinade. He was inspired by the poke at Metropolitan Market.

Chef Drew Paffrath, a fifth grader at Artondale Elementary, arranges samples of his Drew’s Poke Stack for judging in the Future Chefs competition at Peninsula High School on April 8, 2024. His sous chef or “chef buddy,” left, is Michelle Biehl, Artondale kitchen lead. Photo by Christina T. Henry

“We used to live right next door to one, and I love their poke,” he said. “So I kind of tried to make a spin off one and it would be my own version.”

His secret: A teriyaki marinade and spicy Sriracha mayo topping.

‘If you can’t stand the heat …’

Students had just an hour and a half to prepare their recipes. They had to make a presentation plate and dozens of bite-sized samples for the judges as well as family and friends who gathered to cheer them on.

“It’s really hard and it gets really hot in the kitchen,” said Lily Robinson, a fifth-grader at Vaughn Elementary. “You just have to have the right recipe and, like, the right ingredients, or else it’s gonna taste bad.”

Judge Natalie Wimberley, school board president, tries a sample of Zane Sharma’s Tomato Soup from Scratch during the Peninsula School District Future Chefs competition at Peninsula High School on April 8, 2024. Sharma is a second grader at Minter Creek Elementary. Photo by Christina T. Henry

Robinson, who won an award for “Easy Preparation” with her Cheesy McBeans, was actually one of the first to get her dish in the oven. She was mopping up the counter while others rushed to put finishing touches on their creations before the deadline.

Judges weigh in

Six judges made the rounds of the chefs’ tables, notepads in hand, before recessing to select award winners.

The judges were: Superintendent Krestin Bahr, school board President Natalie Wimberley, school board member Chuck West, Natalie Boyle, director of teaching and learning, Kelsey Parke, director of career and technical education, and Victor Castillo, Sodexo general manager from Steilacoom School District.

Jana Elagnaf, a fifth grader from Swift Water Elementary, was named grand champion of the the Peninsula School District Future Chefs competition at Peninsula High. Photo by Christina T. Henry

Five notable award winners were announced. Then the grand champion was crowned. Jana Elagnaf, a fifth grader at Swift Water Elementary, is Peninsula School District Future Chefs 2025 champion. She made an inspired version of Shawarma, a Middle Eastern dish with spiced meat and vegetables often served in pita bread. Elagnaf wrapped her spicy chicken and colorful vegetables flavored with cilantro in a thin flatbread, like a tortilla, and served it with creamy dipping sauce.

“I already knew she was going to win,” said her brother, Adam.

Meet the contenders

Finalists by grade and school in Peninsula School District’s Future Chefs 2025 competition were:

Drew Paffrath, 5, Artondale Elementary, Drew’s Poke Stack (Originality Award)

Paige Mills, 5, Discovery Elementary, My Grandma’s Swedish Meatballs (Plate Presentation Award)

Leona Gigrich, 5, Evergreen Elementary, Homemade Spaghetti Noodles

Nora Snyder, 4, Harbor Heights Elementary, Baked & Bubbly Mac n Cheese (Kid Appeal Award)

Zane Sharma, 2, Minter Creek Elementary, Tomato Soup from Scratch

Patrick Johnson, 3, Minter Creek Elementary, Lemon Basil Buttered Homemade Pasta

Thomas Burker, 2, Pioneer Elementary, Thomas’ Stir Fry Noodles (Healthy Attributes Award)

Kaleb Erickson, 5, Purdy Elementary, Trenette al Pesto

Jana Elagnaf, 5, Swift Water Elementary, Shawarma (Grand Prize Winner)

Drew Rolf, 5, Swift Water Elementary, Lemon Chicken

Lily Robinson, 5, Vaughn Elementary, Cheesy McBeans (Easy Preparation)

Easton Girt, 5, Voyager Elementary, Easton Easy Enchiladas

MaryKate Nelson, 4, Voyager Elementary, Chicken Pot Pie

MaryKate Nelson, a fourth grader from Voyager Elementary, displays her chicken pot pie during the Future Chefs competition at Peninsula High School on April 8, 2024. Photo by Christina T. Henry