Entrée: Rhody Roll

District: William Davies Technical School (Rhode Island)

Meal description: The Rhody Roll is a freshly rolled sushi roll featuring fresh avocado, carrots, brown rice, teriyaki chicken topped with Sriracha yogurt sauce.

Where item is served: Secondary

Entrée: Maple Pork Barley & Sweet Potato Bowl

District: Pewaukee School District (Pennsylvania)

Meal description: Looking for a comfort food to boost your mood? This Maple Pork Barley & Sweet Potato Bowl is the perfect meal for this chilly time of year and is one of the latest additions to Chartwells’ Mood Boost program, helping kids learn how the foods they eat can impact how they feel.

From the house-roasted, tender pork shoulder, the chewy texture and nutty flavor of the barley, to the sweetness of the sweet potato all rounded out by the unique flavor combination in the maple syrup and mustard sauce, this new favorite can have you feeling both strong and calm!

Where item is served: Secondary

Entrée: Homemade French Toast Breakfast Sandwich with Mixed Berry Compote & Local Sweet Potato Hash served with a Maple Cream Topping

District: Consolidated School District of New Britain (Connecticut)

Meal description: Homemade French Toast Breakfast Sandwich with Mixed Berry Compote & Local Sweet Potato Hash served with a Maple Cream Topping. Meal created by Jeffrey Taddeo & Richard Sandmann of Whitsons School Nutrition.

Where item is served: Elementary

Entrée: Po Boy Sandwich

District: Denison ISD-Aramark (Texas)

Meal description: Our Louisiana-style Po Boy Sandwich has amazing flavors and can be served with a choice of either popcorn chicken or popcorn shrimp, topped with remoulade sauce. The Po Boy Sandwich comes with sides of sweet potato fries and a Cajun-style corn salad.

Where item is served: Secondary

Entrée: MN Thursday Chana Masala

District: Minneapolis Public Schools

Meal description: Since 2014 we have served an entirely locally sourced meal on the first Thursday of every month at all Minneapolis Public Schools. It's a way to highlight our Farm to School program, support the local food economy and offer students fresh, seasonal options. Chana Masala was the vegetarian option for our November MN Thursday. The Chana Masala made in our nutrition center is a hearty, saucy chickpea and tomato dish with warming spices served over a bed of local basmati rice. It was complemented with local roasted butternut squash and fresh broccoli from the salad bar. Students who participate in MN Thursday meals receive a locally made treat, this month the Mango Mixmi Frozen Yogurt was the perfect way to cool off their tastes buds after enjoying the warming spices of the Chana Masala.

Where item is served: Elementary and secondary

Entrée: Meatball Penne Pasta

District: Washoe County School District (Nevada)

Meal description: A filling portion of penne pasta is coated in housemade red sauce and flanked by scrumptious meatballs. To complement the dish, crisp fresh celery sticks are accompanied by a savory dinner roll and sweet red grapes. 1% low-fat milk rounds out the plate, creating a complete meal any student would enjoy!

Where item is served: Elementary

Entrée: Nathan's Crunch Wrap

District: Goose Creek CISD Aramark (Texas)

Meal description: Nathan's Crunch Wrap was developed by three of our Goose Creek CISD students and plays on the love of our students for crunch and spice. The flavor profile of pulled pork is elevated with a spicy Cayenne Garlic sauce, then balanced with lemon sour cream and Parmesan cheese adds a little tang.  The mixture is wrapped in a flour tortilla that is toasted in a panini press for that crunch element.  We served the Crunch Wrap with a side of Tator Tots and Mixed Vegetables.

Where item is served: Secondary

Entrée: Turkey Alambre Tacos

District: Minneapolis Public Schools

Meal description: The Turkey Alambre Taco recipe comes from our annual Junior Iron Chef competition. MPS Culinary & Wellness Services hosts an annual Junior Iron Chef Competition to raise awareness for our district's commitment to healthy, fresh, scratch-cooked meals and excite students about good food and cooking. Since 2015, this event has brought together esteemed local chefs and MPS middle school students for an exciting, top-chef style cooking competition. The Turkey Alambre Taco not only makes its way on to our cafeteria menus regularly but also our MPS True Food Truck. Here it is served off the truck with a side of cilantro lime rice and offered toppings fajita grilled veggies, cheese, fresh cilantro and jalapenos. Our staff and students love this chef-driven, student-developed recipe no matter how it’s served.

Where item is served: Elementary and secondary

Entrée: Spicy Basil Pork Stir-Fry

District: Council Rock School District (Pennsylvania)

Meal description: The ballots are in and students want more Spicy Basil Pork Stir-Fry! Part of our Student Choice program where students sample and vote on which meals they would like served in their cafeteria, the Spicy Basil Pork Stir-Fry from the Bok Choy concept won in a landslide. Featuring pork, onions, peppers, scallions, basil and our own kung pao sauce, this meal brings on-trend flavors in a restaurant-style dish directly to the cafeteria. Round it out with Cilantro Lime Brown Rice and Ginger Broccoli on the side, and this is a balanced, nutritious meal with an unmatched flavor profile.

Where item is served: Secondary

Entrée: Tyson Popcorn Chicken Salad

District: Chandler Unified School District-Aramark (Arizona)

Meal description: Crispy romaine lettuce, diced cabbage, julienned carrots, shredded cheddar cheese and a hard-boiled egg topped with crispy popcorn chicken, served with our housemade dinner roll, milk and juice on the side, it's easily a fan favorite here at CUSD!

Where item is served: Elementary and secondary

Entrée: Beef Pulkogi with Cucumber Kimchi

District: Chicago Public Schools-Aramark

Meal description: This recipe was inspired by Chef Beverly Kim, a member of the Chicago Public School District’s Chef Council and adjusted by Aramark Chefs’ and nutrition team to meet the USDA requirements under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act served as a reimbursable meal under the National School Breakfast or Lunch program. Chef Kim, along with other professional culinary members, advise on menu development while contributing their collective experiences, passion and creativity to school lunches and breakfasts to the CPS menu. Chef Council members create recipes and educate students in lunchrooms and special demonstration events, support the community and environmental initiatives of Nutrition Support Services, endorse new school recipes and provide ongoing insight on trends, flavor palates and the importance of farm-to-table in support of the CPS Farm to School program.

Much like Bulgogi (literally "fire meat"), Chef Kim’s recipe of Pulkogi is adapted for the CPS menu with ground beef marinated to create a mildly sweet, savory main dish served with brown rice. The Beef Pulkogi is made with General Tso's sauce, teriyaki shredded carrots and cilantro.

Chef Kim’s Korean Cucumber Kimchi are not your ordinary cucumber pickles! While traditionally Cucumber Kimchi uses an age-old technique to preserve cucumbers beyond their growing season where no canning and no acidic liquid is used, CPS has modified the dish to eliminate the fermentation period resulting in a crisp cucumber salad with a texture which becomes crunchy and slightly chewy after marinating. The Cucumber Kimchi combines fresh cucumbers and cilantro with other flavorful ingredients as a slightly sweet, crisp fresh compliment to the Pulkogi Beef recipe.

Where item is served: Elementary and secondary