Affordable ingredients add winning flavour to a school tuckshop favourite

A healthy twist on a crowd favourite has taken first place honours in the Queensland Association of School Tuckshops’ annual Tuckshop Recipe of the Year contest.

The panel of judges declared the Creamy Vegetable Pasta recipe served up by Bay View State School’s tuckshop as the state’s best and congratulated their clever use of vegetables to create an appealing, nutritious meal for Queensland kids, that doesn’t hurt the hip pocket.

The announcement marks the third time Redland Bay’s “dynamic tuckshop duo”, Candice Walker and Lisa O’Brien, have made it into the final round as competition finalists.

In a fierce battle for first place, QAST President, Madonna Jardine, the winning recipe stood out for its use of vegetables and its cost-effectiveness – a key factor for many school tuckshops in the current cost-of-living crisis that is affecting so many Australian families.

“If you struggle to get veggies into your kids, this is the meal to order for them on tuckshop day,” says Jardine.

“What kid doesn’t love a creamy pasta, and when you can hide seven different types of vegetables in there, it’s a win in our books. 

“With the cost of ingredients going up and more financial pressure on families, knowing you can get a healthy and affordable meal from your school tuckshop, that helps meet the nutritional needs of your child, is so important.” 

Students at Bay View State School can order the Creamy Vegetable Pasta for just $3.50 a serve, which still turns a healthy profit for the school’s P&C. 

For the judges of the annual competition, the proof of the recipe’s success was in the flavour, with many of the student judges commenting on the visual appeal and great taste of the pasta creation.

“I loved the creamy vegetable pasta because of its versatility, its high flavour profile and its textures,” one student judge commented. 

“A delicious dish full of vegetables, that’s full of flavour and an excellent price point,” another judge said.

The 2024 winners’ Rainbow Chicken Stirfry was awarded runner-up in 2023, while their Beef Burrito was a competition finalist in 2022.   

The Ipswich State High School tuckshop was the 2024 runner-up, with their Crustless Cottage Pie recipe celebrating affordable, healthy ingredients.

The competition, which is supported by Health and Wellbeing Queensland, is delivered by the Queensland Association of School Tuckshops (QAST) and attracts entrants from school tuckshops across Queensland. 

Health and Wellbeing Queensland Chief Executive, Dr Robyn Littlewood, said she was impressed with the quality of entries and the diversity of healthy options tuckshops continued to offer students across Queensland.  

“We know tuckshops play an important role in providing nutritious, affordable and convenient food and drink options for Queensland families, and this year’s winner is the type of meal that kids, and parents, can get excited about,” Littlewood says.

For families, as well as school canteen and tuckshop cooks across the country who are keen to replicate the recipes for their own children, the complete list of finalists, and the details on how to prepare them, are below.

2024 finalists:

• Creamy Vegetable Pasta – Bay View State School (Thornlands)
• Crustless Cottage Pie – Ipswich State High School (Ipswich)Fish Burrito Bowl – Tannum Sands State School (Tannum Sands)
• Pasta Bolognese – Kalkie State School (Bundaberg)
• Quiche Slice with Salad – Currumbin State School (Currumbin, Gold Coast)T
• eriyaki Chicken, Rice and Salad Bowl – Musgrave Hill State School (Southport, Gold Coast)