Here are this year’s blue ribbon winning recipes from the Hinkelfest Cooking Contest.

White Meat! It’s What’s For Dinner.

1st place | Garlic Parmesan Chicken Lasagna Roll-Ups by Emily Kern.

Ingredients
8 lasagna noodles
2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups Alfredo sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine shredded chicken, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, minced garlic, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined. Spread a thin layer of the chicken mixture onto each lasagna noodle, then roll up tightly.

Spread 1 cup of Alfredo sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Place lasagna roll-ups seam side down in the dish. Pour the remaining Alfredo sauce over the roll-ups and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve hot and enjoy!

Snacks ‘n’ Stuff

1st Place | Cherry Chicken Dip by Sue Werner

Ingredients
1 ½ cups cooked chicken breast shredded
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup toasted pecans
¼ finely chopped dried or fresh cherries (not maraschino)
¼ cup diced celery
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl except salt and pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper (may change if the chicken is already seasoned or brined). Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with your favorite crackers/vegetables

Makes about 3 cups of dip.

2nd Place | Baked Chicken Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce by Emily Kern

Ingredients

for the meatballs:

1 pound ground chicken or turkey
1 egg
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional – makes meatballs more moist and yummy)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
additional seasonings optional!

for the sauce:

1 cup white sugar
1 cup white vinegar
¼ water
3 tablespoons ketchup

for the slurry:

3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoon water

Directions:

For the meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and a little cooking spray.  Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Roll the mixture into about 30 small balls. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

For the sauce:

Place sugar, water, vinegar, and ketchup in a medium saucepan and bring to boil. Combine cornstarch and water to make slurry and add into the saucepan. Cook for 1-3 minutes high heat or until thickened. Enjoy!

Sugar Rush

1st Place | Caramel Apple Cheesecake by Emily Kern

Ingredients

Salted Caramel Sauce:
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons salted butter cubed, room temperature
½ cup heavy whipping cream room temperature

Crust:
2 cups Vanilla Wafer Crumbs about 1/2-3/4 of an 11 ounce box
½ cup salted butter melted
¼ cup light brown sugar loosely packed
Cheesecake Filling:
24 ounces cream cheese room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup sour cream room temperature
½ cup applesauce
¼ cup caramel sauce
4 large eggs room temperature

Cinnamon Apples:
2 ½ cups chopped apples any variety (about 2-3 apples)
3 tablespoons light brown sugar loosely packed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon salted butter
Additional caramel sauce

Directions: 

For the Caramel Sauce:
Pour the sugar in an even layer in a large saucepan. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking the sugar until melted, 10 to 15 minutes.

Once the sugar has melted, stop whisking and allow the sugar to cook until it has turned a little darker amber. Turn off the stove but leave the caramel over the heat. Slowly add the butter and whisk until combined. The mixture will bubble up, but keep whisking until all the butter has melted and combined.
Slowly pour the heavy whipping cream into the caramel and whisk constantly until incorporated. Set the caramel aside to cool.

For the Crust:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.

To make the crust, combine the vanilla wafer crumbs, butter, and brown sugar in a small bowl and stir with a fork to combine. Press into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.

For the Cheesecake Filling:
In the bowl of your stand mixer, blend the cream cheese, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon on low speed until well combined and smooth. Make sure to use low speed while beating to avoid adding excess air, which will cause the cheesecake to crack. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the sour cream, applesauce, and caramel sauce until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is mixed. Pour the cheesecake filling into the crust.

Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 25 minutes. Allow it to completely cool and firm, 6-7 hours or overnight. Don’t remove the springform pan from the cheesecake until it’s done chilling and you’re ready to assemble.

For the Cinnamon Apple Topping:
Combine apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and butter in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the apples are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Spread the top of the cheesecake with additional caramel sauce, then spoon the apples over the top in the center. Drizzle additional caramel down the sides of the cheesecake if desired. Refrigerate cheesecake until ready to serve.

2nd Place | Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese frosting by Tara Kline

Ingredients:
For the Pecans:
2 cups (204 gr) pecans, finely chopped
3 Tbsp (42 gr) unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

For the Cake:
1 cup (235 ml) buttermilk
1/2 cup (120) ml milk
3 cups (424 gr) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (226 gr) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cup (375 gr) granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cup (226 gr) butter at room temperature
12 oz cream cheese nearly at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups (620 gr) powdered sugar
1/2 cup (56 gr) pecans, chopped and lightly toasted for topping

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of the cake pans making sure you shake off any excess flour. Set aside.

In a small skillet over medium-low heat melt the butter. Once melted, add the pecans and the sugar. Cook, stirring frequently for about 3-4 minutes or until fragrant and lightly toasted. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside to cool.

Combine the buttermilk and the milk together in a small bowl or measuring cup. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each to incorporate before adding the next one. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add about 1/3 of the flour mixture, alternating with 1/3 of the the milk mixture. Mix until just combined. Repeat the process until all the flour mixture and milk mixture have been added. With the help of a spatula, fold in the pecans. Mix to combine.

Divide batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes for about 25 – 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. To remove the cakes from the pans, run a knife around the edges of the cake and invert. Place the cakes on a wire rack and allow the to cool completely before assembling.

Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter and the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and gradually add the powdered sugar. Mix until fluffy and smooth.

Assemble the Cake:
To assemble the cake, with the help of a serrated knife or cake leveler, remove the domes from the top of the cool cakes so that they’re flat. Place one layer on a plate or cake stand and cover the top with about a cup of cream cheese frosting. Spread evenly with an offset spatula.Add the second layer of cake and top with frosting. Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly. Top with the last cake and spread some frosting on the top and sides of the cake.

Pipe swirls (or any other decorations) on the cake and garnish with the toasted pecans.

3rd Place | Almond Wedding Cake Cupcake with Raspberry Filling by Tammy Reichert

Ingredients

1 box white cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ tsp salt
1 -1/3 cups water
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large egg whites
1 cup sour cream

Filling:
Raspberry jam for filling

Almond Buttercream Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter
4 cups powdered sugar
½ tsp almond extract
2-4 tbsp heavy cream or milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F (165 C) Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, mix cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt. Add water, oil, vanilla extract, almond extract, and egg white, mixing until smooth. Fold in sour cream.

Fill cupcake liners half full of batter. Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Once cooled, cut a small hole in center of each cupcake, and fill with raspberry jam.

Frosting:
Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and almond extract Add cream/milk as needed to achieve desired consistency.
Pipe onto filled cupcakes.
Garnish with fresh raspberries or almond slice if desired