SPRINGFIELD – Wearing a chef hat and white tunic, Mackenzy Perusse, a fourth grade student from Pottenger Elementary School, said she likes to cook and explained the philosophy behind her recipe of twice-baked potatoes.

“We eat potatoes and thought it would be cool to bake them once and then bake them again,” she said.

Perusse was one of 15 third and fourth graders from around the city who prepared a family recipe to try to win the 2017 Sodexo Future Chefs Challenge on March 25 at the Roger L. Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy.

Henry Figueredo, representing Sodexo, explained to Reminder Publications the third annual contest brought 15 finalists whose recipes were chosen out of more than 180 contestants. The theme this year was healthy comfort food, he added.

Each contestant was assisted at Putnam by culinary arts students and staff, who helped them in the kitchen and then led them to the judges’ table.

Chefs Leo Martin and Michael Wolcutt from Putnam as well as Liz Roman of The Republican and Denise Jordan, the chief of staff for Mayor Domenic Sarno, tasted each dish and then judged it on flavor and presentation.

The winners were: in third place Katherine Brody for garbage soup, in second place Giada Wingate for spaghetti squash with turkey meatballs, and in first place Gezabel Velazquez for her lasagna stuffed peppers.

Velazquez will now go on to a regional competition and if she wins that contest, will advance to the nationals.