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24th Annual Ponchatoula Jaycees Jambalaya Cookoff

Sat, Oct 05

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Ponchatoula

The jambalaya cookoff is held annually with the purpose of not only raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, but to also engage the community to take part in a local outdoor event suitable for the entire family.

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24th Annual Ponchatoula Jaycees Jambalaya Cookoff
24th Annual Ponchatoula Jaycees Jambalaya Cookoff

Time & Location

Oct 05, 2024, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Ponchatoula, 301 N 6th St, Ponchatoula, LA 70454, USA

About the event

This Fall’s event will feature lots of fun and engaging activities for the whole family to enjoy!

  • Jambalaya/Pastalaya teams battling for the coveted “Golden Paddle”
  • Live Entertainment by Lake Ragan
  • Corn Hole Tournaments
  • All you can drink Beer & Soft Drinks for $40
  • All-you-can-eat for $10
  • Children’s Activities

Participating in the cookoff?

The first 20 pots will receive 10 pounds of free chicken! 

Cooking begins at 7:00 am and must be ready for 10:00 am & judging at 11:00 am. Teams must provide their own tents, tables, and chairs. Each team is allowed one vehicle and/or one cooking trailer. Vehicles and trailers must be parked behind the sidewalk.

SPECIFICS:

There are 3 Categories: JFA Style, Local Style (Non-JFA), and Pastalaya.

Entry fee is $50.00 per category.

Teams can enter more than one category if they wish. Cooking will begin at 7:00 am and parking spots are available on a first come, first serve basis. Vehicles must be parked behind the sidewalk. Tents must be set up on the other side of the sidewalk. Each team is responsible for providing their own ingredients and cooking equipment. Tent set-ups are recommended. Teams must be ready for judging at 11:00 am After the judges’ samples have been collected, Jaycee members will sell $10.00 bowls to the public to come around and collect remaining jambalaya/pastalaya from their favorite team. Trophies will be awarded for First, Second, and Third places. A plaque will be awarded for People’s Choice. The grand champion will also be awarded the “Golden Paddle” which he/she will hold for one year. The winning contestant can defend his/her title the following year, or relinquish it to the winner of next year’s cook-off.

JFA STYLE

Ingredients:

  • Minimum 3-gallon pot of rice, sausage, chicken, or pork.
  • NO SEAFOOD
  • Any other ingredients and seasonings may be used (except pre-mixes)

Rules:

  • No parboiled rice
  • No artificial coloring
  • No wood fires will be allowed
  • No pre-mixes
  • Food can be pre-cut before the event
  • All cooking must take place on the contest grounds
  • Pre-cooked food will not be allowed
  • Absolutely no cooking oil is to be poured on the ground or in drains

Judges’ Tip for rice:

Correctly cooked rice splits down the length of the grain, which is referred to as the pop. To make your rice, you must have your stock/water rolling when you add your rice, and your goal is to get it back to a rolling boil quickly once the rice is added. Once it has, you continue to stir the mixture at high heat until the rice starts to absorb the water and the grains swell (your stock will have reduced considerably by this point). You then reduce the heat to low, and cover for 20-25 minutes, not lifting the lid for any reason whatsoever. Then cut off the heat and fold the rice over, without scraping the possibly charred bottoms, put the lid back on the pot for 15-20 minutes, and you should have perfectly cooked rice. If you are using a big pot, you want a bigger burner so you can get your water boiling quickly, and back to a quick boil once you've added your rice.

LOCAL STYLE (Non JFA)

Ingredients:

  • Minimum 3-gallon pot of rice, sausage, chicken or pork.
  • NO SEAFOOD
  • Any other ingredients and seasonings may be used (except pre-mixes)

Rules:

  • No artificial coloring
  • No wood fires will be allowed
  • No pre-mixes
  • Food can be pre-cut before the event
  • All cooking must take place on the contest grounds
  • Pre-cooked food will not be allowed
  • Absolutely no cooking oil is to be poured on the ground or in drains

PASTALAYA

Ingredients:

  • Minimum 3-gallon pot of pasta, sausage, chicken or pork.
  • NO SEAFOOD OR WILD GAME

Rules:

  • Minimum 3-gallon pot must be used
  • No pre-cooking of ingredients
  • Smoked meat is allowed.
  • Meat can be seasoned/marinated ahead of time
  • Teams shall provide all ingredients and water for cooking purposes

JUDGING:

Judges’ sample dishes will be picked up at 11:00 am for judging. The award presentation is at 1:00 pm. A sample from each pot will be viewed and tasted by all judges. It will be judged on the following 3 criteria with possible 1-5 points (5 being the highest) in each of the following categories:

  • Appearance
  • Texture
  • Taste

Tickets

  • One Category Entry

    This ticket is good for one category entry in the Jambalaya Cookoff. Category Options Are: JFA, Non-JFA, Pastalaya

    $50.00
    +$1.25 service fee
    Sale ended
  • Two Category Entries

    This ticket is good for two category entries in the Jambalaya Cookoff. Category Options Are: JFA, Non-JFA, Pastalaya

    $100.00
    +$2.50 service fee
    Sale ended
  • Three Category Entries

    This ticket is good for all three category entries in the Jambalaya Cookoff. Category Options Are: JFA, Non-JFA, Pastalaya

    $150.00
    +$3.75 service fee
    Sale ended

Total

$0.00

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