The English Muffin Challenge

The English Muffin Challenge was a spur of the moment lab!  One of our school clubs had two packages of English Muffins left over from an event that they generously donated to us.  In addition, I had several left over ingredients from some other labs that I didn’t want to waste.  So, I threw it all together for a challenge lab!  Students had 40 minutes to create an aesthetic, edible product using the English Muffin and following the parameters of the challenge.  Overall, the results were successful, albeit some interesting!  However, students walked away knowing they could put together a filling dish, using only available leftovers. The beauty of this type of lab is that the challenge and follow-up assignment could revolve around any food you have an abundance of and wish to use up!

Set

  • Preface the challenge by reading the scenario:You’re hungry and you’ve got a little of this and little of that hanging out in your pantry.  You want to make something,utilizing the English Muffins that you have, but want to be creative and use up some of the odds and ends so they don’t go to waste. Your challenge is to use the English Muffins, a small appliance (electric skillet, microwave oven or panini-press) and at least 3 of the following pantry items to create an aesthetically pleasing dish. Note:  Additional appliances such as waffle iron and/or toaster ovens could also be used in place of the above list if you have them.
  • Pantry items included:  Eggs, Cheese, Peanut Butter, Chick Peas, Bacon Bits,Onion,s Carrots, Diced Tomatoes, Salsa, Jelly, Lettuce, Cucumbers, Marshmallow Fluff, Pickled Jalepenos, Tortilla Chips and Herbs/Spices/Basic Staples

Materials

  • Foods for Challenge
  • Cameras
  • iPads or Laptops

Activities

  • Students had to decide on the ingredients they would use as well as figure out the amounts.  As they made the dish, they had to write their recipe and keep track of the steps involved in preparing their food.
  • After it was made and before eating, students photographed their creation for use in a follow-up assignment.  Students also had to creatively name their product and describe the flavors as they were eating it.
  • The following day students used their lab info/results to complete a follow-up assignment, explaining what they made and what they learned.  I pushed the template of this assignment out on Google Classroom and made each student a copy.  All they had to do was use their info and photos to complete the prompts (see below).

Attachments


Print Friendly, PDF & Email

1 comment for “The English Muffin Challenge

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.