On Nov. 16, the culinary arts kitchen at the Jefferson College Area Technical School (ATS) in Hillsboro was filled with the smells of sweet and savory vinaigrettes and the sounds of high school students scurrying about with sizzling pieces of marinated pork, shouting, “Hot pan!”
The chefs-in-training were practicing for the upcoming Holiday Dinner, a sold-out event sponsored by Leader Publications and the Jefferson College Foundation that showcases the students and the skills they have been learning.
The students, under the guidance of their instructor, Chef Garrett Miller, will prepare a six-course meal for about 150 diners at the Jefferson College Student Center on Friday, Dec. 1, featuring pork tenderloin with a mushroom vinaigrette sauce and the five winning recipes from the 25th annual Leader Holiday Recipe Contest: Smoked Salmon Pinwheels, Chicken Enchilada Soup, Broccoli Crunch Salad, Cheesy Hot Cauliflower and Pumpkin Crunch Cake. (See recipes at the bottom of this article.)
The dinner serves as a fall semester final exam for about 30 high school students, said Miller, who leads the culinary arts program. College students also are enrolled in the culinary arts program, but they aren’t required to be at the holiday dinner.
Miller said a good selection of recipes were submitted for this year’s contest and he judged them on originality, taste, appeal and ease of preparation.
“We just took two of (the chosen dishes) around to the whole building here to try them and there were a lot of people that were like, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize it was going to be that good.’ Like the salmon. A lot of people don’t like salmon, but (the Smoked Salmon Pinwheels appetizer) is good.”
Aiden Caby, a De Soto High School senior and first-year culinary arts student, was one of about 10 students practicing demonstrations that will be featured before the start of the holiday dinner. One will demonstrate how to make correct knife cuts. Another will show how to make vegetable decorations and another will demonstrate how to make hard candy. Students also will demonstrate how to use a variety of student-made vinaigrettes and marinades to add flavor to a dish.
Other students were practicing how to make the recipes for the dinner.
Doris Selendic, a Northwest High School senior, was gathering ingredients to make the Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe. Just a couple months into her first semester, she is still working on mastering knife cuts.
“I’m still sort of slow at them but it’s better than what it was,” she said.
The students aren’t just learning cooking skills and earning college credit, they are learning life skills and overcoming fears.
“At first (the class) was kind of scary because I’m socially anxious so it was scary to meet new people,” Selendic said. “But as we’ve progressed, the class has gotten really fun … but we have to be serious at times.”
Haley Morgan, a Herculaneum High School sophomore, said the program has forced her to communicate better.
“I’m always a quiet talker,” she said. “I don’t talk much … but being in this program made me realize I need to be more aware and talk more or else you’re not going to know what’s going on and you’re just going to get lost.”
Morgan got to spend an afternoon with culinary arts students last year at Jefferson College’s Be A Guest program to see if the program might be a good fit for her.
“When I was younger, I always cooked with my grandpa,” Morgan said. “I always cooked with my dad. It was kind of a bonding thing.”
She said her favorite part of class has been cooking for events like Project Homeless Connect.
“And right now, we’re preparing for the Leader Holiday Dinner,” she said. “It’s good to see how we can all come together and work for something and just see it all come together.”
On that same afternoon, Chloe Ziegler, a Northwest High junior, was practicing her flambe skills.
“(My sister) was here for like two, three years and she was really good (at cooking), so I was like, ‘I want to be better,’” said Ziegler, who is now a second-year culinary student. “I’ve learned how to be a lot more efficient and have a lot more time management when cooking. I’ve learned how to make sauces, how to flambe, a bunch of different skills that you don’t get in just regular school or life.”
Ziegler said her favorite part has been showing off her skills at SkillsUSA district competition, adding that she also has learned a lot through preparing for the holiday dinner.
Ziegler helped with last year’s holiday dinner.
“All the food was good. The people loved it,” she said. “We had a nice flow the whole dinner, and it was so fun.”
The high school students in Miller’s program represent all the school districts in Jefferson County. Students must apply for a spot in the class and the students’ school districts pay the tuition.
Many of those in the program are considering careers in the cooking profession.
Even Madi Wiley, a Fox junior who is intent on going to law school, said she might go into the cooking profession for a while.
Hannah Marshall, a 2022 Windsor High School graduate, plans to open her own bakery.
“I was the one who always helped cook,” she said. “I was the designated baker for my family.”
Marshall currently is a student worker for the chef while pursuing her culinary arts degree at Jefferson College. She’s completed four years of cooking classes and now must complete basic college courses, as well as courses on hospitality/restaurant management and nutrition.
“I love to cook, and I’m pretty good at it, but my biggest strength is baking. That’s why I have to make three different desserts for Thanksgiving,” she said. “I’ve got to do pumpkin pie, pecan pie and my mom wants to try the (pumpkin crunch cake) from (this year’s) (holiday) dinner, so I’m going to make that.”
Marshall said students pretty much learn the basics in the first two years as high school students. Then as third- and fourth-year students, they are considered college students and take classes on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons after the high school students leave.
“Once you hit the college part, we get into more like international cooking,” she said. “We’ll learn different cuisines and how to prepare it all because every culture is different.”
Through SkillsUSA competitions, they gain confidence in their skills.
Marshall won the commercial baking competition at the state competition in 2022 and 2023 and went on to place 11th and 15th in nationals.
This year for the second year, Marshall will serve as kitchen manager for the holiday dinner, making sure everything is carefully plated and recipes are followed.
Miller said the holiday dinner provides a great training opportunity for the culinary arts students.
“We can go in (the kitchen) and cook every day, but it’s not the same as serving people and doing it for an event like this,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to get real-world hands-on experience doing things other than just go in the kitchen and me telling them how to cook.”
Since its inception in 2014, the holiday dinner, has raised more than $24,000 for the Jefferson College Foundation. The money typically is used to send students to culinary competitions across the region.
Winning recipes
Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
- 4 large flour tortillas
- 1/2 pound smoked salmon
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
- 1/4 cup red onion, sliced
- 4 ounces capers (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dill seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic or onion salt
- Spread cream cheese on tortillas. Add pieces of smoked salmon, onion and capers. Sprinkle with dill and garlic salt.
- Roll up and refrigerate.
- Slice before serving. Makes about 40 pieces.
Broccoli Crunch Salad
- 2 heads broccoli, rinsed, drained, cut in florets preferred size
- 1/2 pound bacon, fried, drained, cooled and crumbled
- 1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 small red onion, chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar (or less)
- Place broccoli in a plastic bag, secure with no air and put in the refrigerator.
- Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
- When ready to serve, add broccoli to the bowl and mix well. Serves 8. Best prepared the night before.
Chicken Enchilada Soup
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, diced, seeds removed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 10 ounces red enchilada sauce
- 10 ounces tomatoes, diced, with green chilies, undrained
- 15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces canned whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, optional
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 large chicken breast, boneless and skinless
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed and softened
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper, optional
- Combine seasonings and set aside.
- Heat butter and olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and the peppers. Soften for 4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add all remaining ingredients except for the cream and shredded cheeses. Bring soup to a gentle boil and allow the chicken to slowly cook through, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken and use two forks to shred. Return it to the soup.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in softened cream cheese until combined, then stir in shredded cheese until melted. Add additional seasonings to taste, then serve.
Cheesy Hot Cauliflower
- 2 large heads cauliflower
- 1 package hot pepper cheese
- 1 pound American cheese, deli sliced
- McCormick Lemon ’N Herb Seasoning
- Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
- Salt
- Pepper
- Milk
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Cut up cauliflower into bite-size pieces and parboil. Drain and place in 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.
- Season to taste with seasonings, salt and pepper. (I use seasonings quite liberally.)
- Pour milk so it lightly covers the bottom of the dish.
- Layer slices of cheese over the top.
- Bake until cheese is melted and very lightly browned, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup butter
- Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease 9-by-13-inch pan.
- In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon and mix with mixer.
- Pour mixture into pan. Sprinkle evenly with dry cake mix. Top with pecans and drizzle with melted butter.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. Serve chilled with whipped topping.