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Pecans, rice and sweet potatoes.

Date: January 12th, 2026

Louisiana Commodities Cookery Guidelines

The Recipe: 20 Possible Points

Each contestant’s recipe should include the following elements:

  • Name of the Recipe
  • Ingredients listed in the order they are used in instructions
  • Clear instructions for combining ingredients should be given
  • Size of pan stated – Large isn’t enough, 3-quart saucepan is proper
  • Temperature and cooking time stated
  • Number of servings yielded
  • Your name, school, grade, and dish category should be on the back of your recipe.
  • The Recipe needs to be typed on regular 8.5 X 11 white paper.

4-H Commodity Cookery Contest Guidelines

  • A 4-H member may enter a dish for each category if they so choose.
  • Neither siblings nor cooking companions (4-H members cooking together) can enter the same dish/recipe, even if they are not in the same age division.
  • Age Divisions are 4th–5th graders, 6th–8th graders, & 9th–12th graders.
  • The dish must be cooked and transported on ice in a closed “Tupperware”‑type disposable container with a hard top. We only need 1–2 servings of your dish. Please do not bring the entire dish.
  • Please bring 1–2 servings of your dish with 2 copies of the recipe to the 4-H office between 8:00 am and 5:30 pm.
    • Pecans Commodity
      • Dish must contain a minimum of one (1) cup of pecans.
      • Examples: Roasted Pecans, Pecan Pie, Sugared Pecans, Pecan‑crusted Chicken, Pecan Pralines, etc.
    • Rice Commodity
      • Dish must contain a minimum of one (1) cup cooked rice.
      • Wild rice is NOT a cultivated rice in Louisiana and should not be used for this contest. Dishes containing rice products such as rice cereal or rice flour must still contain 1 cup of cooked rice. Rice Krispie treats do not meet contest requirements. Examples: Jambalaya, Fried Rice, Rice Pudding, Rice‑Stuffed Bell Peppers, etc.
    • Sweet Potatoes Commodity
      • Dish must contain a minimum of one (1) cup fresh, frozen, or canned sweet potatoes.
        Examples: Baked Sweet Potato, Sweet Potato Bisque/Soup, Sweet Potato Cupcakes, Sweet Potato Scones, etc.

Contest Categories and Requirements:

Scoring Criteria

Taste: 70 possible points

  • Does the finished dish have a flavor that appeals to most people?
  • Do the flavors blend well together?

Appearance of Dish: 10 possible points

  • Does the finished dish look appetizing?
  • Is the product cooked correctly, or does it appear to be burnt?

If you have any questions or concerns, call the office at 225‑621‑5799 or email Ms. Anna at ASharkey@agcenter.lsu.edu.

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