Apple Valley Siblings Showcase Spam Recipes in State Fair Contest

UPDATE: Andrew Tennant won third place, a chef's hat and $25 for his Breakfast Surprise spam recipe. Ryan Tennant won fourth place.

Emily Tennant has been cooking and baking with her grandma ever since she could hold a spoon. The 11-year-old Apple Valley girl is such a good cook that her grandmother, Ginger Hamer, also of Apple Valley, calls her “Queen of the Kitchen.”

But the queen might have to share her throne with two princes this year. Emily, her older brother Ryan Tennant, 12, and younger brother Andrew Tennant, 8, each developed their own recipe for the state division of the Great American Spam Championship at the Minnesota State Fair on Friday.

The Tennants are competing in the kids 7-17 category in this year's spam contest, which focuses on breakfast. Local prizes range from $25 to $150, and for whichever entries advance, there’s a national grand prize of $2,000.

But the Tennant kids aren’t just in it for the money.

“It’s fun,” said Andrew. “I like to cook.” Andrew’s entry is a breakfast sandwich on an English muffin with bacon-flavored Spam, topped with a secret ingredient.

Mom Cathy Tennant said the contest began as "every kid for himself."

"But as they watched each other developing some very yummy dishes, they decided to become ‘Team Tennant’ and split the prize money that any or all of them win," she said.

“I think it’s cool that we’re all doing this together,” said Ryan. His recipe is a spiral omelet roll topped with his longtime favorite homemade salsa; the ingredients include sautéed Spam.

Ryan said that Andrew’s and Emily’s recipes are good, but he thinks his is the best.

Emily’s entry is a biscuit stuffed with scrambled eggs and Spam.  

“I love cooking,” she said. “It’s fun to put everything together and then eat it.”

A Family Tradition

Entering the state fair competitions is a family tradition for the Tennants and their grandmother.

Hamer has been entering state fair food and needlework competitions for years, and has won several ribbons. This year, one of her quilting entries won first place.

She served as consulting chef for the kids’ entries this year, she said.

Hamer said she likes the competition inherent in entering, but there’s a deeper reason for doing so, too.

“This honors homemaking," she said. "It’s taken for granted sometimes, and it’s a consummate skill to be a good homemaker.”

Emily, who said she likes “complicated recipes,” advised other kids not to be afraid to try new recipes.

When asked if she’s enjoyed cooking with her brothers, she said, “I like it, it’s fun to cook with my brothers.”

After a slight hesitation, she added, “Most of the time.”

The spam contest is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday on the education stage outside the education building at the state fair.