On the last day of the Iowa State Fair, the Food Bank of Iowa held its fourth annual “Chopped” casserole competition, sponsored by Nationwide. This year’s winner was Susan Jones of Winterset, who took top honors with her “BBQ Meatloaf, Mac, Cheese, and Corn Casserole” and received a $1,200 cash prize provided by Nationwide. The competition challenges entrants to create easy-to-make recipes using affordable ingredients that are also easy to obtain from food pantries. Food Bank of Iowa CEO Michelle Book said each casserole looked delicious.
Book said the most important aspect of the competition was to raise awareness for food insecurity across the state of Iowa.
One of the biggest factors impacting the growth of food insecurity has been the average wage in Iowa. In fact, Book said the median wage for a single parent is not enough to provide for even one child.
Book added that the Food Bank of Iowa also highly appreciates the support from Nationwide to fight food insecurity across the country.
For more information, visit foodbankiowa.org. Also, check out the winning casserole recipe below!
RECIPE: Susie Jones’ winning “BBQ Meatloaf Mac, Cheese and Corn Casserole”
Meatloaf layer:
1 cup ketchup
1 cup barbecue sauce (plus a little extra to drizzle over the top of the casserole)
2 pounds ground beef
30 buttery crackers, crushed
1 packet dry onion soup mix
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ketchup and barbecue sauce in a bowl and set aside. Place ground beef in a large mixing bowl with cracker crumbs, onion soup mix and eggs. Add 1/2 cup of the ketchup/barbecue sauce mixture. Mix all ingredients together until fully combined. Then spread the meatloaf mixture evenly into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Top with the rest of the ketchup/sauce mixture. Place dish in oven and bake the meatloaf for 30 minutes.
Macaroni layer:
3 cups macaroni noodles
2 cups milk
1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups corn
While the meatloaf is in the oven, cook the macaroni according to package directions; drain. Combine the milk, soup and seasonings in a large mixing bowl. Add the macaroni to the bowl and stir until all of the noodles are coated. Add the shredded cheese and corn. Once the meatloaf has baked for 30 minutes, remove it from the oven and pour off any grease. Then spread the macaroni mixture on top of the meatloaf layer.
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup crushed French fried onions
1/4 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
1 teaspoon paprika
Melt butter in microwave and mix with everything but the paprika. Sprinkle crumb mixture and paprika on top of the casserole and bake uncovered another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle with additional barbecue sauce and return to oven for 5 more minutes.
Yield: 8 servings
Cost per serving: $3.34
