Mini Iron Chef Challenge at Children's Museum of NH

Sisters Kealey and Ainsley Gray of Portsmouth practice up for the Mini Iron Chef Challenge at the Children's Museum of NH on Sunday, March 18.

One of the best ways to get kids interested in trying new foods is to involve them in preparing meals, so the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire and Hannaford Supermarkets have cooked up an event to inspire kitchen creativity and promote family teamwork.

The FoodWorks Mini Iron Chef Competition will be held on Sunday, March 18 at the Children’s Museum of NH in Dover. This fun cook-off will feature pairs of children in the role of chefs and adults in the role of sous chefs. Each pair will work together to turn a box of healthy ingredients – plus a mystery item to be revealed at the start of the session – into tasty creations.

“We are in our second year of partnering with Hannaford to present a variety of events focused on healthy eating,” explained Jane Bard, Director of Education at the Children’s Museum of NH. “We’re excited to be hosting this parent-child cooking challenge as a fun way to get kids working with healthy ingredients and using their own creative ideas, with some help from a parent or other adult. Dishes will be tasted by a panel of judges and participants will be recognized for their originality and flavor combinations.”

The Mini Iron Chef Challenge is planned for children ages 4-10 working with adult partners. Once they register, participants will receive the list of ingredients that will be provided by Hannaford at the event. At-home trial runs with these ingredients are encouraged so team members are familiar with these foods.

Two sessions of cook-offs will held on March 18: one session from 12:30 – 1:30 pm and a second session from 2-3 pm. The fee per team is $10 for museum members and $15 for non-members. Registration is required. Teams can register at the front desk or by calling the museum at 603-742-2002.