Egg Cookery Contest Rules & Scoring Criteria

Date: October 20th, 2025

Dish Categories include:

1. Appetizer/Side Dish

2. Main Dish/Salad

3. Dessert

Rules & Requirements

Please bring 1-2 servings of your dish with 2 copies of the recipe to the 4-H Office between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

The dish must be cooked and transported on ice and in a closed “Tupperware” type disposable container with a hard top in order for the office to stack the dishes in the refrigerator prior to judging.

The Recipe - Each contestant’s recipe should include the following elements: 20 possible points

• Name of the Recipe
• Ingredients listed in the order they are used in the instructions
• Clear instructions for combining ingredients should be given
• Size of pan stated – Large pan isn’t enough, 3-quart saucepan is proper
• Temperature and cooking time stated
• Number of servings listed
• 4-Her name, school, grade, and dish category should be on the back of your recipe.
• Recipes may need to be retyped to include all the above listed information.

Egg Cookery Requirements:

• The egg dish must be labeled on the recipe, whether it’s an appetizer/side dish, main dish/salad, or dessert.
• All egg dishes entries MUST utilize a minimum of four (4) eggs.
  This can be either:(4) Four egg whites(4) Four egg yolks(4) Four whole eggs OR a combination utilizing (4) Four eggs.
• For example, if a recipe contained 2 whole eggs in the custard and 2 egg whites in the topping, it would be allowed because it uses a total of 4 eggs. If a recipe contained two egg yolks in the custard and 2 egg whites in the topping it would not be allowed because it only used two whole eggs.
• No raw eggs will be allowed in the final product. The dish must be cooked beforehand.
• The recipe with 4 eggs must make only one standard-size dish. For example, a recipe with eggs that makes two pies of standard size will not qualify, because it makes more than one standard pie.
• 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 4^th -5^th graders, 6^th -8^th graders, & 9^th -12^th graders.

Scoring Criteria:

Taste: 70 possible points

• Does the finished dish have a flavor that appeals to most people?
• Keep in mind that eggs have a mild, delicate flavor and can easily be overpowered by seasonings.
• Do the flavors blend well together or is there an aftertaste?

Appearance of Dish: 10 possible points

• Does the finished product look cooked correctly or does it appear overcooked?
• Garnishments and added extra decorations will not be factored into scoring.
• Does the finished dish look appetizing? Does the plated portion look appetizing?

Dietary Guidelines: No points awarded or deducted. We are trying to incorporate a healthy living aspect by having the 4-H members think about the nutritional value of their dish.

• Does the dish contain excessive amounts of fat or sodium?
• Were nutritional aspects of all ingredients and method of preparation considered?
• Were other methods of preparing the dish offered, or were other low-fat or low-sodium options offered?

Bonus Features - Pictures Submitted: 6 extra possible points

• Ingredients Picture – group the recipe listed ingredients together for a picture to show the items used.
• Instruction Pictures – 3 pictures with the 4-H member completing the instructions given in the recipe. Examples: stirring the pot of cooking beef, chopping vegetables, mixing pie ingredients.
• Finished Product Pictures – 2 pictures of the completed dish. One picture can be the finished product as a whole and one can be a plated portion. Example: picture of the whole casserole in the dish and one picture of the casserole served on the plate ready to eat.

Bonus Features - Dish Summary: 4 extra possible points

• Does not have to be typed, but the writing does need to be legible. The summary needs to follow general paragraph standards. Example: Introduction sentence, 3 body sentences, and a conclusion sentence.
• Examples of things to include are challenges the 4-H member had while completing the dish, skills they have learned, or why they chose that specific recipe.

If you have any questions or concerns, call the office at 225-621-5799 or email Ms. Cheyenne at cmoran@agcenter.lsu.edu.