Cheesemaker, restaurant chain hold mac-and-cheese cook-offs in four cities

04/19/

The 2005 Macaroni and Cheese Recipe Contest, sponsored by Tillamook Cheese and McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants, will give individuals the opportunity to submit their unique homemade macaroni and cheese recipes. Final cook-off events will take place in each of the following cities: San Jose, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Dallas, Texas; and Phoenix, Ariz. Three recipe finalists will be selected in each city, and will compete in front of local celebrity judges and culinary experts in a cook-off at their local McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant. Entries can be submitted online at www.tillamookcheese.com or mailed to: Macaroni & Cheese Contest; 1801 NW Northrup St., #200; Portland, OR 97209.

Finalists will be chosen based on unique use of ingredients, taste and overall creativity. At the final cook-off events, entrants will prepare their macaroni and cheese recipe from scratch with the assistance of McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant chefs, which will then be sampled by local celebrity judges and culinary experts. The winner in each city will receive a $1,000 check, 25 pounds of Tillamook cheese and an "unveiling" of their recipe prepared for eight at their local McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant. Finalists will receive 15 pounds of Tillamook cheese and a McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant gift certificate for $75. All winners will be featured on the contest Web site and possibly on product packaging.

For more information about the contest (including contest deadlines, rules and regulations, and more), go online at www.tillamookcontest.com or call 1-866-5RECIPE.