A recipe challenge sponsored by Catholic Charities Maine’s Parish Social Ministry program provided an opportunity for Mainers to put their recipes and cooking knowledge to the test while helping local parish food ministries in the process.

The theme for the 2021 St. Hildegard Food Pantry Recipe Challenge was “Food Box +1,” meaning that entrants could only use the basic contents of a food pantry food box for a family of four in their recipes: cereal, crackers, powdered milk, canned soup, dried fruit, nuts, chickpeas, beans, instant potatoes, bread, canned vegetables, canned fruit, pork, chicken, beef, whole milk, butter, yogurt, sour cream, in-season fresh vegetables (corn, tomatoes, broccoli, squash, green peppers), and basic fruits. The recipes could be for any main or side dish, and participants were allowed to add one additional food to the recipe that is not in the box but is usually available at a local food pantry.

“The winner is from St. Mary Church of Holy Spirit Parish in Wells,” said Bill Wood of Parish Social Ministry. “The name of the entry was ‘Church Chicken’ and was submitted by summer visitor Robert Peppin. A check for $1,000 will go out to that parish to support their community food pantry.” 

Second place went to parishioner Beverly Gallant of Holy Savior Parish in Rumford for her “Chili Macaroni” recipe. A check for $500 will go to the new food pantry at the parish.

“In the past four years, the St. Hildegard’s Food Pantry Recipe Challenge has collected close to 175 appetizing, easy-to-make, and nutritious recipes that come from foods found right at your local community food pantry,” said Wood. “This year’s recipes were once again challenging to judge, but all are simple to prepare, good for you, and tasty, too!”

The winning recipes can be found on the Catholic Charities Maine Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesME. An electronic version of all of the recipes submitted will be made available for all parish food pantries and soup kitchens to use for those they serve. If you would like a copy of the recipes, email psm@ccmaine.org and one will be sent to you. 
The mission of Parish Social Ministry is to provide leadership, guidance, Catholic social teaching education, and training to empower parishioners to compassionately serve people of all faiths living in their communities. From Kittery to Madawaska, the size and scope of the program continues to grow one successful initiative at a time through youth camps, case managers at soup kitchens, community fairs promoting strong family life, an educational series for seniors, and hundreds of other initiatives. For more information about Parish Social Ministry or the contest, call (207) 523-1161 or visit www.ccmaine.org/parish-social-ministry.