Spam-tastic Competition

Ellen Lund/Daily Bread

This year’s SPAM Cook off was a great success.

The move to the food tent right behind John C. Fremont City Park’s food court was a brilliant strategy. The tent provided protection from the sun and added to a festive atmosphere.

I had a great time visiting with contestants about their entries while judges had the daunting job of picking the three best recipes from a field of delicious entries. This year’s judging team consisted of Mardi Temperley, wife of the manager of Fremont’s Hormel plant, Jeff Hoffman, the executive director of John C. Fremont Days, Connie Chudomelka, co-owner of Uncle Sam’s Antiques and former owner of much-missed Fremont restaurant, KCs and Tim Rise, chef at Stokes Grill & Bar in Omaha.

While judges worked to determine the winners, the folks from Hormel asked questions about SPAM and the crowd answered to win spiffy SPAM merchandise. It got me thinking that maybe I could come up with a quiz about this year’s contestants. So here is the first Daily Bread SPAM Cook off Quiz.

Below you will find a list of all the contestants for this year’s SPAM Cook off and then a numbered clue about them or their entry. It isn’t necessary to have been at the contest to figure out the answers -- the recipes included in this section do answer many of the hints. The answers will be found where the Quote of the Week is usually found.

This year’s contestants were Dwain Zelda, Kathy Gregory, S & S Locksmith/ Scott & Susan Owens, Barb Huizenga, Kevin Eckhart, Dan Rosenbaum, Lorie Peterson, Jeremy Hinkle, Donna Denton, Shirelle Flores, Steve Bristol, Christine Wasserman, Melony Fiala, Chris Thalman and Harmony Fiala.

Now to the winners of this year’s competition. They all deserve kudos and I’m sure you will find a recipe among this year’s entries to make a dish with SPAM that is made right here in Fremont.

First Place

es loves gyros so she decided to give this favorite a SPAM twist. She also substituted tortillas for the pita bread. The result was a flavorful, full of good-for-you vegetables, creamy-sauced sandwich that added zest to an old favorite. The judges loved it and deemed it worthy to enter in the national competition.

Spyros

Shirelle Flores

1 can (12-ounce) 25% Low Sodium SPAM

1/2 cup finely chopped or shredded onion

2 teaspoons fresh minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried ground rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried ground marjoram

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 large burrito-style flour tortillas or authentic pita bread

Garnish

1 head lettuce, shredded

4 ripe tomatoes, sliced

1 can (6 ounces) whole black olives

1 package feta cheese

1 large red onion, sliced

Cucumber Yogurt Mix

1/2 cup shredded cucumbers

1 cup plain white yogurt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon vinegar

Prepare cucumber yogurt mix by combining all ingredients and then refrigerate to chill. In a shallow baking pan add the olive oil and all of the seasonings including the onion and garlic. Marinate 12 evenly sliced pieces of SPAM in the mixture for about 15 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for about five to eight minutes or until SPAM is crispy around all edges and soft in the middle. While the SPAM slices are marinating, you should start preparing your garnish items such as slicing tomatoes and shredding lettuce. Warm your tortillas according to package directions. Take four slices of your baked SPAM and place on tortilla. Garnish with the lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, black olives and feta cheese. Add the cucumber yogurt mix on top. Fold the bottom of the tortilla up and wrap. Now enjoy your Spyro.

Second Place

Kevin Eckhart’s version of pasta rolls was a culinary delight. I loved the richness of the sauce and the way the saltiness of the SPAM complimented the creamy ricotta cheese. Kevin said you could use a marinara sauce instead, but I thought these pasta rolls were perfect just the way they were.

SPAM Pasta Rolls

Kevin Eckhart

1 package lasagna noodles

1 can (12 ounces) Less Salt SPAM, diced

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 jar Alfredo sauce

Cook noodles according to package directions, drain. Combine ricotta cheese, SPAM, bacon, spinach, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, pepper and nutmeg. Spread 1/4 cup over each noodle to within 1/2 inch of edges. Carefully roll up. Place seam down in 9-inch-by-13-inch-by-2-inch pan. Top with Alfredo sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Third Place

Kathy Gregory’s SP-iche was made with light ingredients and yet it had a texture that was rich and creamy. She used Lite SPAM combined with provolone to give her quiche a smoky flavor. This dish was not only tasty but it was beautiful. The purple onion, olives and pimento gave it color and a delightful flavor.

SPAM Quiche

(SP-iche)

Kathy Gregory

3 cups shredded frozen hash browns, thawed and drained

5tablespoons butter, divided

1/2 cup chopped purple onions

4 large eggs

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese

1 can (12 ounces) Lite SPAM, diced

1 can (2.25 ounces) sliced black olives, drained

1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimentos, drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella and provolone cheese blend

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a 10-inch glass pie pan. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Gently press drained hash browns between paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible. In a large bowl, toss hash browns with 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Press hash brown mixture into bottom and up sides of pie pan to form a crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp. In a small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter and sauté onion until tender (three to five minutes). Place eggs, sour cream and cottage cheese in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir together onion, egg mixture, SPAM, black olives, pimentos and cheese. Spoon into the baked hash brown crust. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and center is set. Cool for 10 minutes and cut into eight wedges.

Other recipes

Sloppy SPAMwich

Chris Thalman

1 can (12 ounces) your preferred SPAM product

1 can (15 ounces) Manwich sandwich sauce

1/4 cup diced onions

1 tablespoon diced jalapenos

Dice SPAM with food processor or grinder or cut into very small pieces. Fry SPAM until browned or to your preference. Mix in the can of Manwich, onions and jalapenos. Let simmer for a few minutes. Serve on a bun and enjoy.

Dutch Pizza

Barb Huizenga

2 cans (12 ounces each) SPAM

1 can (15 ounces) Hormel Chili without Beans

1/2 pound processed cheese spread

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

Soft Dutch Rusk buns

Grind all ingredients except the buns together in a food grinder or processor. Slice Rusk buns open. Spread a generous amount of the SPAM mixture on open bun. Place under broiler until cheese bubbles and edges are browned. Mixture can be frozen. Recipe Note: If you can’t find Dutch Rusk buns you can use hamburger buns or bagels.

SPAM Loaf

Steve Bristol

Loaf:

1 can (12 ounces) Hickory-Smoked SPAM

1 tube (16 ounces) sausage

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon fajita seasoning

1 cup crackers

1/4 cup onion

1 teaspoon Canadian-style steak seasoning salt

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon mustard

1/4 cup vinegar

Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mustard

1 tablespoon horseradish

1 tablespoon chives

Grind or chop SPAM into small pieces. Mix loaf ingredients and chill until firm. Heat oil in large skillet and brown on all sides. Place in a 9-inch loaf pan. Mix topping ingredients and pour over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Let cool. Mix sauce ingredients and serve with loaf.

Mini Spam Pot Pies

Donna Denton

Crust:

1 box refrigerator pie crust

4 mini-tart pans

Filling:

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon dehydrated onion flakes

1/2 cup tiny-diced hickory smoked SPAM, fried

1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1/2 cup shredded Colby/Jack cheese

On a lightly floured bread board roll pie crust out a little thinner. Cut into 8 round circles (lid to a gallon jar is perfect size). Place one in the bottom of each tart pan. To make filling: Melt butter over medium heat and stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk and onion. Cook one to two minutes or until thick. Add vegetables and fried SPAM. Sprinkle shredded cheese in the bottom of each tart (save some for top). Spoon filling over cheese and sprinkle remainder of cheese on top of filling. Place last four pastry circles on top of tarts and crimp edges. Put three small knife slits in top crust. Brush with egg wash if desired. (Egg wash = 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon water mixed together.) Bake on cookie sheet (they do boil over) at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Let set two to three minutes before eating so filling can set up.

Turkey SPAM Cakes

Christine Wasserman

2 cans (12 ounces each) Oven-Roasted Turkey SPAM

1 can (15 ounces) jellied cranberry sauce

2 packages Townhouse crackers (regular)

1 pound Swiss cheese (no imitations please)

4 eggs

1 package paper cupcake liners

Mix the two cans of Oven Roasted Turkey SPAM with four eggs. Blend until well mixed and you can’t see any big chunks. Take two packages of Townhouse crackers and mash them into crumbs. Insert paper cupcake liners into cupcake baking pan. Cut Swiss cheese into circles the size of the cupcake liners, keep the leftovers. To assemble: put 1/2 teaspoon of crackers on bottom of cupcake papers. Pat about 2 tablespoons of turkey mixture in each section pressing firmly. Put three triangles of leftover cheese on top and sprinkle cracker crumbs on top until level with the pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool. Take out of the pan and place a thin slice of cranberry sauce on top.

SPAM on a Stick

Kevin Eckhart

1 can (12 ounces) Less-Salt SPAM, cut into half sticks

4 eggs

2 cups bread crumbs

1/2 cup milk

1 lime

Ranch dressing for dipping

1 cup Parmesan cheese

2 cups vegetable oil

12 skewers

1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley

Heat oil to 350 degrees. Set up a breading station by arranging two pans, one with egg and milk mixed thoroughly and one with bread crumbs, cheese, lime zest and parsley. Place Spam sticks into milk and then bread crumbs. After SPAM is all breaded, fry in oil until golden brown on all sides. Insert skewer into each breaded SPAM stick. Place on a paper towel to drain. Serve with Ranch dressing.

Tropical SPAM Salad

Kevin Eckhart

4 cans mixed tropical fruit, drained

1/2 cup raisins

1 can (12 ounces) SPAM, diced

1/2 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Place SPAM, fruit, Miracle Whip and spices in a bowl and mix well.

SPAM-ghetti

Harmony Fiala

1 can (12 ounces) SPAM

1 package of spaghetti

1 jar spaghetti sauce of your choice

Boil 3 quarts of water in a large pot. Add spaghetti to boiling water. Cook according to package directions. Dice can of SPAM. Brown SPAM in a covered skillet. Add spaghetti sauce to SPAM and heat. Drain spaghetti. Serve SPAM-ghetti sauce on pasta.

SPAM Pizza Burgers

Lori Peterson

1 can (12 ounces) SPAM, ground

1 1/2 pound ground beef, browned

Hormel pepperoni to taste

3/4 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon sage

1 tablespoon oregano

2 1/4 cup Ragu sauce

9 ounces grated cheese

Mix all ingredients together and put on open-face hamburger buns. Place on cookie sheet. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Aloha SPAM

S & S Locksmith

Scott and Susan Owens

1 can (12-ounce) SPAM

1/2 bell pepper

3 green onions with green tops

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes

1 cup soy sauce

2 1/2 cups water

4 cups prepared instant rice

1 can (14 ounces) pineapple tidbits, refrigerate to chill

Dice bell pepper and green onion with green tops. Cube SPAM into small cubes. Prepare instant rice. Add into skillet, SPAM, bell pepper, tomatoes and green onion with tops. Then add soy sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes. Dish rice on plate and top with SPAM, veggies and sauce. Place cool pineapple tidbits around edge of rice and enjoy.

SPAM Cigars

Dan Rosenbaum

1 can (12 ounces) Hickory Smoked SPAM

1/2 pound Pepper Jack cheese

1 package phyllo dough sheets

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup prepared salsa

Slice SPAM and cut into 3/8-inch sticks. Fry SPAM until heated through. Slice cheese and cut into 3/8-inch sticks. Unroll two sheets phyllo dough. Keep covered with a damp towel. Cut sheets into three equal strips. Butter one sheet. Place next sheet on top and butter. Place one SPAM stick and one cheese stick at end of dough. Roll up and squeeze ends shut. Brush with butter. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Serve with salsa.

SPAM-ka-bobs

Melony Fiala

1 can (12 ounces) SPAM

2 green bell peppers

1 bag (10 ounces) pearl onions

1 can pineapple chunks

1 container of mushrooms of your choice

1 package skewers

Cut SPAM into 1-inch cubes. Cut bell pepper into 1-inch squares. Peel pearl onions. Clean and trim mushrooms. Drain pineapple chunks. Place ingredients on skewers; arrange to your preference. Heat on a grill or covered pan. Makes 6 to 8 SPAM-ka-bobs.

Bacon-Flavored Frito Chili Cheese Burger

Jeremy Hinkle

1 can (12 ounces) Bacon Flavored SPAM

1 pound hamburger

1 onion, diced

1 can (15 ounces) Hormel Chili, no beans

Sprinkle of Kraft Cheese

Frito Corn chips

Hamburger bun

Grind SPAM. Mix into hamburger. Cook burger like a regular hamburger in a skillet or on a grill. Put cooked SPAM burger on a bun. Put a few Frito corn chips on top. Can add chopped onions if desired. Heat chili in a microwave safe bowl. Put a spoonful on top of the burger. Add a little cheese to the chili and enjoy!

Easy Day SPAM Dinner

Dwain Zelda

2 cans (12 ounces each) SPAM

1 jar Smuckers Apricot Jelly

Whole cloves

1/4 teaspoon dried mustard

Lay loaves of SPAM in a baking dish and score with a knife. Put whole cloves into the loaf and rub mustard into the scoring. Spread liberally with jelly. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.