SPANISH FORT, Ala.—A Spanish Fort Middle School student can count another blue-ribbon win at the Baldwin County Fair’s Sweet Potato Cookoff.

Rebecca Schneider, 12, won first place in the Sept. 24 countywide competition, in which seven other junior-division contestants participated. Her Sweet Potato Casserole Divine won the judge’s tastebuds.

“We eat it for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Schneider said. “It’s my Aunt Jill’s recipe. I’m going to ask if I can cook it this year.”

She—and 36 other students—had competed, and won, in the preliminary cookoff at the middle school Sept. 17. 

 “I am very proud of Rebecca and her win … and I am looking forward to making her recipe a part of my Thanksgiving feast,” DianneBernasconi, Spanish Fort Middle School family and consumer sciences teacher, said. “Part of the experience in family and consumer sciences is learning to read and follow directions. She met all the contest criteria, and she not only made a delicious entry, she also staged a beautiful presentation.”

 Eight middle-school and five high-school students from across Baldwin County competed in the competition, Susan Wingard, county extension coordinator, said.

“I was really surprised that I won,” Schneider said. “I couldn’t believe it. When they called my name I was like ‘whoa, I won?’

“It was a big surprise.”

Not only did Schneider take home the blue ribbon, she also took home a $50 cash prize.

Schneider said she loves sweet potatoes, but can’t wait until the other cooking competitions they will have at the middle school, “especially chocolate, I love chocolate.”

There was a first-place winner for each division, Wingard said.

It’s really interesting and really neat to taste the different dishes,” Susan Kichler, sweet potato cookoff chairperson, said. “Someone last year made sweet potato ice cream and it was really good.”

This year’s finalists brought in casseroles, cakes, a cheesecake, sweet potato sausage balls, sweet potato gingerbread to the county fair, Wingard said.

“They (the judges at the fair) look more for the flavor of the sweet potato,” Kichler said. “The thing is to be able … to taste the potato and not overpower it with other flavors like cinnamon.”

Criteria for a blue ribbon win include flavor, effective use of sweet potato, texture, recipe and appearance.

The sweet potato contest has been an active part in the Baldwin County Fair’s lineup since 1998, Wingard said.