On Friday, Humble ISD held its third annual Top Hat Junior Culinary Competition, showcasing the talents of middle school culinary students from across the district.
Aspiring chefs from six Humble ISD middle schools—Atascocita, Autumn Ridge, Humble, Kingwood, Riverwood, and Woodcreek—competed in four categories: appetizer, entrée, wild card, and the “Rep Your School” category. With a limited timeframe, students crafted dishes using a set list of mystery ingredients, which were then evaluated by a panel of judges, including Humble ISD Superintendent Dr. Roger Brown, Chief Community Engagement Officer Jerri Monbaron, and Summer Creek High School Assistant Principal Jarrod Collins.
In the appetizer round, competitors were tasked with creating a salad featuring balsamic vinegar and an orange. The entrée challenge required students to incorporate pepper, spinach, herbs de Provence, and ground beef into their dishes. In the wild card category, students prepared and decorated crêpes using heavy cream, cream cheese, and lemon.
“The purpose of this competition is to put into practice what the students have learned throughout the school year and apply their cooking techniques on the spot,” said Summer Creek High School Culinary Instructor Chef Daniella Jenkins.
Students were evaluated on various criteria, including safe food handling, plating techniques, the use of aromatics, and overall taste.
“Balancing flavors—knowing when to add sweetness or acidity—came naturally to the students, which was really impressive,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins emphasized how offering a culinary competition at the middle school level provides early exposure for students who may be interested in high school culinary programs.
The event was organized by Humble ISD's Career & Technical Education (CTE) Department. Behind the scenes, the event was student-driven with Summer Creek High School Advanced Culinary students playing a vital role, ensuring teams had sufficient fuel and burners, providing signage for each dish, and organizing the cafeteria layout for the competition. Middle school participants also benefited from mentorship and guidance from their high school counterparts throughout the competition.
In their first year competing, Riverwood Middle School took home the Grand Champion title.
“The students worked hard for what they accomplished,” said Riverwood Food, Nutrition, and Careers Instructor Glenda Carlos. “Watching them communicate, fully focused on their tasks, we could tell they had gained valuable experience from their practice sessions.”
One of Riverwood’s standout dishes was their charred bell peppers stuffed with cheese, spinach, carrots, and beef, which impressed judges in the entrée category. The team also demonstrated strong collaboration and communication throughout each round.
“The focus of this competition is about flexibility and applying culinary concepts to any given ingredient,” said Riverwood Culinary Arts Instructor Maria Gonzalez. “It was rewarding to see how well the students cooperated, communicated, and applied proper sanitary procedures.”
As the winners of the 2025 Top Hat Junior Culinary Competition, Riverwood Middle School’s team will make a special appearance on KHOU 11’s Great Day Houston with host Deborah Duncan.
In addition to Riverwood winning Grand Champion, they also claimed the Best Entrée award. Other standout teams included Atascocita Middle School, which won Best Appetizer, Humble Middle School, which won the "Rep Your School" category and Woodcreek Middle School, which received recognition for its wild card crêpe dish.
Since its inception in 2023, the Top Hat Junior Culinary Competition has continued to grow, with increasing student participation and larger audiences each year. Looking ahead, Jenkins hopes to expand the district’s culinary events by introducing a Cake War competition in the fall, providing students with two annual opportunities to showcase their skills.
