Family food competitions are a fantastic way to bring everyone together, and while chili cook-offs are popular, there are so many other types of food contests that can be just as fun and delicious! Whether your family loves baking, grilling, or making savory soups, there’s a food competition for everyone.

Here are some fun food competition ideas and tips on how to host them:

Types of Family Food Competitions:

• Chili Cook-Off: A classic. Family members bring their own twist on chili—whether it’s spicy, meatless, or packed with a secret ingredient. Use blind tasting to determine the winner.
• Pie Bake-Off: For families with a sweet tooth, a pie contest can be a hit. Encourage variety with fruit pies, cream pies, or even savory pies.
• Soup Showdown: Perfect for cooler months. Have participants bring their best homemade soup, from hearty stews to light broths.
• Barbecue Battle: Get those grills fired up! Whether it’s ribs, chicken, or burgers, everyone can showcase their best barbecue techniques.
• Cookie Contest: This one’s a hit for families who love baking. Have everyone bake their favorite cookies, from classics like chocolate chip to more creative combinations.
• Taco Challenge: Let participants create their own taco masterpieces. Provide a variety of tortillas, proteins, and toppings to get creative.
• Pasta Potluck: A pasta competition lets family members try out different sauces, pasta types, and even stuffed varieties like ravioli.
• Salad Smackdown: This healthy competition lets everyone show off their best salad recipes, from fruit salads to savory grain-based ones.
• Pizza Party: Have a DIY pizza competition where each person makes their own pizza from scratch or uses pre-made dough, competing for best flavor combinations.

Pre-Competition Planning

Regardless of the type of food competition you choose, preparation is key to making the event fun and seamless:

1. Invite Guests: Ask each participant to bring their dish fully prepared and ready to serve. Encourage them to bring their recipe, especially if you plan to compile a family cookbook later.
2. Set a Limit on Entries: To avoid overwhelming everyone’s palate, set a maximum number of entries, like 10 dishes.
3. Supplies: Ensure you have enough plates, bowls, or cups depending on the competition, and provide disposable utensils for easy cleanup.
4. Name Tags: Label each dish with a name and a rating for spiciness, sweetness, or heat level if applicable.
5. Ballots: Create ballots for guests to score each dish on taste, creativity, and overall impression. You can also include a space for comments.

Food Tasting Set-Up

For any competition, here’s how to create an easy and enjoyable tasting experience:

1. Toppings or Add-Ons Bar: Whether it’s chili, tacos, or pizza, set up a toppings bar to let participants personalize their tasting experience. For chili, offer toppings like shredded cheese, onions, sour cream, or jalapeños. For pizza, consider extra cheeses, sauces, or veggies.
2. Drinks: Offer a variety of drinks, from soft drinks to signature cocktails that match the theme of the competition.
3. Power Strips for Slow Cookers: If you’re hosting a soup or chili cook-off, have power strips ready for multiple slow cookers to keep the dishes warm.

Suggested Rules

1. Keep the Cooks Anonymous: To prevent bias, keep the identity of the cooks secret until the winner is announced.
2. Palate Cleansers: Provide water or crackers between tastings to help participants cleanse their palates and fairly assess each dish.
3. Scoring: Ask guests to rate each dish and collect their ballots. Points can be tallied to determine the winner.
4. Prizes: Offer fun prizes, such as “Best Overall,” “Most Creative,” or “Fan Favorite.” You can find themed prizes online or create your own homemade awards.
5. Cookbook Creation: After the event, gather all the recipes and create a family cookbook. This can become a cherished tradition, with new entries added each year.

Post-Event

After your competition, consider creating a family cookbook that includes photos of the event, all the recipes, and funny or heartwarming memories. It’s a great way to preserve the moment and give everyone a lasting keepsake.

No matter which type of food competition you choose, the goal is to have fun, enjoy great food, and make lasting memories!

 

Bill Rice is Founder and Co-Publisher of the Family Cookbook Project, the leading online cookbook publisher with a website that helps families and individuals collect, preserve and share food memories by creating their own printed custom cookbooks. He is the author of The Wellfleet Oyster Cookbook and the Cape Cod Cocktail Cookbook (Available on Amazon), both created using FamilyCookbookProject.com. He is also editor of the Donovan Family Cookbook, now it’s third printing and is an avid genealogist tracing his family back to the 1600’s.

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