By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Several Maplesville students placed in this year’s Chilton County Beef Cook-Off, sponsored by 4-H.

MHS student Hannah Chambers took first place in the senior division with her taco pie and will be representing Chilton County at the state competition on April 6.

MHS student Jaycie Armstrong placed second with her baked meatball parmesan. Jayden Coats used a family recipe to make taco soup and placed third.

Coats said each time a new family member makes it, they add something to it. She was surprised to find a packet of ranch seasoning as one of the ingredients.

“I said for my senior year I was going to try to do more stuff and participate more,” Coats said.

She said the Cook-Off was a good opportunity because it was something she had not done in the past.

In the junior division, MHS eighth-grade student Trivonna Abbott placed second with her Mongolian beef, and eighth-grade student Baylee Adams placed third with her honey barbecue meatballs.

“I heard there was a Cook-Off, and I really like cooking with beef, so that caused me to want to try it,” Adams said.

Adams said she had been working on her recipe since last year’s competition.

“It turned out pretty good,” she said.

Abbott said she was inspired to find a recipe for Mongolian beef after eating it with her father.

“I like cooking with my family,” Abbott said.

She decided to join the competition after her teacher Teresa Stewart asked if she would be interested in participating.

Abbott said she enjoyed “coming up with the recipe and trying to cook new things” as a part of the competition.

Students created their dishes at home and transported them to the Jemison Municipal Complex for the competition. Many of the competitors were from MHS.

Each of the MHS competitors is a member of FCCLA.

Coats said being a part of the club has allowed her to “try new things in high school and make memories through it all.”

Adams said it has encouraged her to “try new things and take more chances.”