Students in Mrs. Fritz’s Food and Travel classes recently participated in not one, but two creative food challenges inspired by military field rations known as MREs (Meals Ready to Eat).
Now in its third year, the original MRE Pizza Challenge returned for students in the Food and Travel I class. Organized in collaboration with Sergeant First Class Joe Sullivan, ORARNG (Oregon Army National Guard) Recruiter, the challenge pushed students to create their own pizzas using ingredients sourced from MRE kits.
After preparing fresh dough from scratch and selecting a sauce, students chose how to incorporate toppings from the MRE kit they selected. This year’s ingredients included Herb and Cheese, Italian Sausage, and Jalapeño Beef and Cheese, among others.
Once the pizzas were baked, teams presented them to a panel of judges. Pizzas were scored on taste, presentation, and creative use of MRE ingredients. Winners from each class period were:
2nd Period Winners – "Cheesy Italian Pizza": Lucas C., Roberto G., Eric C., Isaid C. L., Jayden C., Guillermo D. L. T.
3rd Period Winners – "Sweet Tooth Pizza": Nataly A. M., Sofia H. R., Shireen I., Kyleya R. C.
4th Period Winners – "Mac & Cheesy Pizza": Gloria D. J. S., Lorelai T., Aaron B., Leilani L. G., Thania M.
Meanwhile, students in Food and Travel II participated in the MRE Challenge 2.0—a new twist designed to test their skills even further. In this version, students used a limited selection of ingredients to make a full MRE-based meal of their choice.
Working with only five ingredients, students had to get creative. They began by brainstorming meal ideas, then moved on to assembling and presenting their dishes to the judges. The winning team was:
Team Two – "Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo": Lane L., Austin M., Brian Y. M., Malakhi M., Cristobal M. M.
Both challenges offered a fun, hands-on way for students to experiment in the kitchen and practice teamwork!
View more photos using this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1leN9dt8jCwRakkbLMhkyBCicG869NNsT?usp=sharing