College chefs team up to create winning recipes

When teams of college chefs get together to cook, creativity sizzles. That’s exactly what happened during FoodService Director’s first Big Ten Conference Chefs’ Summit held at Indiana University earlier this fall. Twelve chefs rotated through four kitchen stations to brainstorm and develop recipes starring products from the event's sponsors—Avocados from Mexico, Land O’Lakes, McIlhenny Tabasco Brands and The Mushroom Council—along with a market basket of ingredients.

Click below for a sampling of the recipes the teams presented, as well as a hand-crafted pasta dish created by IU Catering’s executive chef, David Tallent, for the opening night dinner. 

Vegetable Hash Over Fig-Monterey Jack Cheese Sauce

Chef Kris Solt, assistant director of dining services at Rutgers University, came up with this versatile vegetable hash. Topped with a poached egg, it makes a hearty breakfast dish, but served with grilled chicken, it can morph into lunch or dinner.

Photograph by Pascal Sloman

Mushroom Turkey Nachos

The chefs blended roasted and raw mushrooms with beef, plant-based meats, turkey and more to create variations on “the blend.” These nachos were created by John Gray, senior executive chef at University of Maryland. The recipe calls for portobello mushrooms, but fresh button mushrooms can be swapped in if they are more readily available. 

Related:4 takeaways from a recent gathering of chefs

Photograph by Pascal Sloman

Banh Mi Crostini

Vietnamese banh mi, a portable, handheld sandwich, is a convenient way to menu a trending global cuisine. Chef Jake Dietrich of University of Nebraska changed up the classic presentation by serving the banh mi open-face.

Photograph by Pascal Sloman

Indiana Sweet Corn Agnolotti Carbonara

Indiana University’s executive chef for catering, David Tallent, prepared a locally inspired pasta dish as part of a multicourse dinner held for Summit attendees in the Federal Room at the Indiana Memorial Union. This zero-waste recipe not only incorporates Indiana-grown sweet corn kernels, but the cobs are also used to infuse the sauce with flavor.

Photograph by FSD staff