Cooks turn up the heat in the 2006 State Fair cooking contests

RALEIGH - Benson resident Donna Barefoot took home a blue ribbon and $250 for Country Stuffed Peppers in the House-Autry Mills In Your Oven "for your family" Recipe Contest on opening day of the State Fair.

Oven-baked Loaded Potato Wedges earned Janice Wolfe of Fuquay-Varina $100 and a second-place ribbon.

Tiffany Edwards of Dunn won third place and $50 for a Holiday Turkey Dip recipe. This was the 14-year-old's first time competing in the State Fair cooking contest.

The contest was looking for appealing family recipes using one packet of House-Autry Mills in Your Oven Chicken or Pork Seasoned Coating Mix. The recipes were judged based on taste, creativity and family appeal and ease of preparation.

The winning recipe follows:

Country Stuffed Peppers

• Boil peppers for six minutes and drain. Brown ground beef and drain. Stir rice, Cheez Wiz, tomatoes and chicken seasoning into ground beef. Stuff peppers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. You can also use red, orange or yellow peppers.

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  Oven-Baked Loaded Potato Wedges
  

• 3 large baking potatoes
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp. hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 c. House-Autry Mills In Your Oven Pork Seasoning Coating Mix
• 1/2 c. parmesan cheese (grated)
• 2 Tbs. real bacon bits

Dip

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Wash potatoes and cut each into 4-6 wedges per potato. Mix mayonnaise, hot pepper and black pepper. Mix pork seasoning, cheese and bacon bits together. Coat wedges with mayonnaise mixture and roll in seasoning mix. Place on baking sheet and bake 45-50 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Kids love them with the dip. Serves four.

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Holiday Turkey Dip

Mix everything except chicken coating mix together until creamy (reserving half a cup of cheese). Stir in 3/4 package of seasoning coating mix. Mix remaining cheese and coating mix, sprinkle over top. Bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes.