Taste of Home teachers recipe contest accepting entries

Greendale, WI Bake sale blockbusters, popular potlucks, teachers' lounge favorites, fabulous finger foods, delicious desserts, good for you goodies … The stomach often rules the mind at school. Taste of Home, and Books are Fun have teamed up to put some money where that food goes with the Taste of Home Teachers Recipe Contest.

Books Are Fun will award more than $70,000 in cash and prizes for the best original submitted recipes chosen by the staff at Taste of Home, with $20,000 awarded to both the grand prize winner and the affiliated school.

"Taste of Home is thrilled to work with Books Are Fun to celebrate our teachers and all the wonderful people who help make our schools so special," said Catherine Cassidy, editor-in-chief of Taste of Home. "We've all heard the news stories about budget cuts. This is a chance to do something positive for schools."

The Taste of Home Teachers Recipe Contest has six categories for submissions:

• Appetizers & Snacks: Finger foods are always popular in the teachers' lounge. Pick the spreads, snack mix, and other savory bites that keep the staff happily munching.

• Soups, Salads and Sides: What do you grab for your potluck? Taste of Home is looking for dishes that travel well and steal the show, like salads and pastas among others.

• Entreés: What's your best main course outside of school? Let's see bubbling casseroles, slow-cooked specialties, family-favorite main dishes and even party subs.

• Desserts: Enter everything from cakes and pies to trifles and tortes in this tooth-tingling category.

• Bake Sale: Send your favorite cookies, cupcakes, bars, brownies, spiced nuts and homemade jams whatever clears bake-sale tables the quickest.

• Healthy Recipes: Healthy is huge in school these days submit your favorite recipe that is so good, no one ever guesses it's lower in fat and calories.

The Taste of Home tasting panel will pick three winners from all of the submissions. The grand prize winner will win $20,000 and $20,000 for the school affiliated with that winner, plus a free one-year subscription to Taste of Home magazine for all paid full-time teachers and staff at the school. The second-place winner will win $10,000, plus $10,000 for the school. Third place will take home $5,000 plus $5,000 for the school.

Entry forms and rules can be found at www.tasteofhome.com/teacherscontest or www.teacherscontest.booksarefun.com. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on Nov. 30.