Suellen Calhoun was searching the internet for a new recipe when she stumbled upon the French’s Cook-Off. As someone who loves a recipe challenge, she knew this was one contest she had to enter. Suellen is no stranger to cooking contests. She has participated in the Iowa State Fair, the largest food competition of any state fair in America, for eleven years and was also a finalist in the 2005 National Chicken Cooking Contest. Suellen has two children and is preparing for her first grandchild! Over the last three years Suellen and her husband have done overseas humanitarian work in various countries including working with a refugee camp on the island of Malta. She also enjoys traveling, gardening, NASCAR and has a passion for food and wine.   Here is her winning recipe !

ONION POLENTA WITH SPICED TOMATO AVOCADO SALAD Servings: 6 Cook Time: 30 min. Prep Time: 10 min. 4 ½ cups Water 2 tsp. Salt, divided 1 ½ cups Dry polenta grain 6 oz. French’s Cheddar French Fried Onions 1 lb. Tomatoes, seeded, cut into ½ inch pieces 2 Ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ inch pieces 1 bunch Fresh cilantro, chopped 5 Tbsp. Olive oil, divided 2 Tbsp. Sherry vinegar 1/3 cup French’s Horseradish Mustard Optional Garnish: Fresh cilantro 1. In a medium saucepan add water and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. 2. Slowly add polenta to water, whisking continuously until all of polenta is used. Cook for 5 minutes, whisking continuously. 3. Remove polenta from heat and stir in coarsely chopped French’s Cheddar French Fried Onions. 4. Spoon into a 10 inch pie dish. Let stand for 15-20 minutes to firm. 5. Meanwhile in a large bowl mix tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar and French’s Horseradish Mustard until blended. Set aside. 6. Turn polenta out onto a board. Carefully cut into 6 pieces. 7. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place polenta pieces in hot oil and brown until golden on each side, about 5 minutes. 8. Remove from skillet and serve browned polenta pieces toped with spiced tomato avocado salad.

FRENCH’S PARTY PINWHEELS Servings: 8 Cook Time: 10 min. Prep Time: 10 min. 11 oz. can rolled pizza dough 1 tsp. smoked paprika ½ cup French’s Spicy Brown Mustard 1/3 lb. thin sliced deli roast beef ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar One (1) 7oz. jar roasted red peppers thinly sliced and drained well 2 cups French’s French Fried Onions 1 egg 1. Preheat oven as directed on pizza dough. Mix the smoked paprika with French’s Spicy Brown Mustard. Roll out pizza dough with long ends front to back and short ends side to side. 2. Spread the mustard mixture on pizza dough leaving ½ inch on all sides. 3. Layer roast beef, shredded cheddar and red peppers, again, leaving ½ inch on all sides. 4. Sprinkle 1 cup of French’s Cheddar French Fried Onions on layers. 5. Beginning with long sides, roll ingredients in dough (like a jelly roll). Seal ends. 6. Place roll on a cookie sheet seam side down. Wisk egg and water in small bowl. Brush top of dough with egg mixture. 7. With a sharp knife, slit the top of dough every 2 inches to vent. Crush remaining onions and sprinkle on top. 8. Bake as directed on pizza dough until brown. Let cool 5 minutes. 9. Slice into 8 equal servings. This recipe is also great with smoked turkey and French’s Honey mustard.

FRENCH’S Foods, a division of Reckitt Benckiser Inc., the maker of FRENCH’S® French Fried Onions, is a leading manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of food and household products. Some other well known, trusted household names in the Reckitt Benckiser Inc. family of food products include FRENCH’S® Mustard, FRANK’S® REDHOT® Cayenne Pepper Sauce and FRENCH’S® Worcestershire Sauce.

CHEERY-CHERRY CHICKEN WITH CRISPY ONION GRITS Servings: 4 Cook Time: 20 min. Prep Time: 25 min. 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts ½ tsp pepper 1 Tbsp. French’s Classic Worcestershire Sauce 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil 2 Tbsp. French’s Honey Mustard 26 oz. water, divided ½ cup cherry preserves 1 cup instant grits ¼ tsp. salt ¾ cup French’s French Fried Onions 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley 1. Sprinkle chicken with pepper and French’s Worcestershire sauce. 2. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook for four minutes per side, or until nicely browned. 3. In a small bowl combine French’s Honey Mustard, ¼ cup water, and cherry preserves. Add to chicken in pan and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for five minutes or until sauce is warmed through and chicken is cooked through. 4. Meanwhile, bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in grits and ¼ tsp. salt; reduce heat to low and cook for 6 minutes, or until thickened, stirring occasionally. 5. Keep grits warm. Chop French’s Fried Onions into small pieces. 6. In a medium bowl, combine parsley and French’s Fried Onions. Stir ½ cup mixture into grits. 7. To serve, divide grits between each of four bowls. Cover with one chicken breast and cherry pan sauce. 8. Sprinkle with remaining French’s onion/parsley mixture, dividing evenly, and serve.

FRENCH’S Foods, a division of Reckitt Benckiser Inc., the maker of FRENCH’S® French Fried Onions, is a leading manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of food and household products. Some other well known, trusted household names in the Reckitt Benckiser Inc. family of food products include FRENCH’S® Mustard, FRANK’S® REDHOT® Cayenne Pepper Sauce and FRENCH’S® Worcestershire Sauce.

IRRESISTIBLE BBQ TURKEY (TO SIGH FOR) Prep Time: 10 min. Cook Time: 10 min. Servings: 8 ½ cup chopped red bell pepper 1 cup Cattlemen’s Classic BBQ Sauce ½ cup apricot preserves ¼ cup French’s Classic Yellow Mustard 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 2 tsp. Frank’s RedHot cayenne pepper sauce 4 cups leftover turkey, pulled apart and shredded (chicken can be used too) 6 oz French’s French Fried Onions 1. Cook peppers until tender. 2. Add BBQ sauce, apricot preserves, French’s Classic Yellow mustard, brown sugar and Frank’s RedHot. Simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. 3. Add turkey left-over’s and cook until heated through. 4. Serve over roll halves and top with French’s French Fried Onions.

FRENCH’S Foods, a division of Reckitt Benckiser Inc., the maker of FRENCH’S® French Fried Onions, is a leading manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of food and household products. Some other well known, trusted household names in the Reckitt Benckiser Inc. family of food products include FRENCH’S® Mustard, FRANK’S® REDHOT® Cayenne Pepper Sauce and FRENCH’S® Worcestershire Sauce.

STOPLIGHT SAUSAGE STUFFED PEPPERS Servings: 6 Cook Time: 30 min. Prep Time: 30 min. 1 ½ gal water 6 bell peppers (2 red, 2 yellow, and 2 green) 4 tsp. salt, divided 1 ½ lb. hot or sweet bulk Italian sausage 8 oz. baby portabella mushrooms, chopped 4 Tbsp. French’s Spicy Brown Mustard, divided ½ tsp. pepper 1 egg slightly beaten 5 slices, firm textured white sandwich bread, cut into ½ inch cubes 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (12oz) 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Fill a large pot (big enough to hold 6 peppers) with water, put on stove over high heat to boil. 2. Cut tops off peppers, reserve one top of each color, discard stem and chop, set aside and reserve. 3. When water comes to a boil, add 3 teaspoons salt to water and bell peppers. Boil 5 minutes; remove peppers and drain, cut side down on paper towels. 4. Meanwhile brown Italian sausage, mushrooms, and reserved chopped peppers until sausage is no longer pink and mushrooms and peppers are tender. 5. Drain and add 1 Tablespoon French’s Spicy Brown Mustard, 1 tsp. salt and pepper. Mix well. 6. Stir in egg, bread cubes, 2 cups cheese and basil. 7. To stuff peppers; brush insides of peppers with 3 Tbsp. French’s Spicy Brown Mustard and divide sausage mixture evenly between the peppers. 8. Place peppers in pan and top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned. 

FRENCH’S Foods, a division of Reckitt Benckiser Inc., the maker of FRENCH’S® French Fried Onions, is a leading manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of food and household products. Some other well known, trusted household names in the Reckitt Benckiser Inc. family of food products include FRENCH’S® Mustard, FRANK’S® REDHOT® Cayenne Pepper Sauce and FRENCH’S® Worcestershire Sauce.

The Grand Prize Winner was selected on-site by a panel of prestigious foodies led by legendary chef Jacques Pepin. Jacques is one of America’s best-known chefs, widely recognized as the host of eleven acclaimed public television cooking series and the author and publisher of twenty-six cookbooks. He is also a founder of The American Institute of Wine and Food (WIWF) and has been the Dean of Special Programs at the French Culinary Institute (New York) since 1988.

Other food experts include: Saveur magazine, Bon Appetit, SheKnows.com, Head Chef at the JCC of Manhattan and a well known cookbook author.


The other four finalists are:
• Rachelle Lapidus from Lawrence, NY- Creamy Tarragon Chicken
• Julie DeMatteo from Clementon, NJ -Hungarian Chicken Spaetzl
• Jamie Brown-Miller from Napa, CA- Rosemary Duck Cassoulet
• Harold Cohen from Ft. Lauderdale, Fl -Ethiopian Chicken Stew


Here is Sarah’s winning recipe:
For more information, log onto www.manischewitz.com

Mandarin Dumpling Soup

Ingredients:
1 ½ teaspoon fresh ginger finely grated
¼ cup diced water chestnuts
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon dry sherry
14 ounce ground turkey
25 dumpling wrappers or wonton wrappers
6 cups Manischewitz All-Natural Chicken Broth

Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl mix the ginger, chestnuts, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sherry together. Add the turkey to the ginger mixture and combine all ingredients well.
Scoop 1 level tablespoon of the mixture into the center of your dumpling wrapper. using water, moisten the rim of one half of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half and press the dough along the edge to seal. Lay the dumplings on a separate plate as you finish each one (do not flour!).
Bring the Manischewitz Chicken Broth to a boil in a 3 quart pot. Gently drop dumplings in one-at-a-time. Use a rubber spatula and skim along the bottom of the pot every so often to keep the dumplings from sticking. Reduce the broth to a simmer. Cook for 5-6 minutes then serve!
Makes approximately 24-28 dumplings. These can be frozen for up to two months or used right away.


For more information, log onto www.manischewitz.com