By PHOEBE DONALD ROBINSON / Community Columnist

Alana Ray, Family and Consumer Science teacher at Shelby County High School, had a creative idea for her students while teaching the dairy unit for the SCHS food and nutrition classes, the SCHS Grilled Cheese Cook-Off.

Ray is also the Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) advisor at SCHS and member of the GFWC-Alabama Vignette Club.

Ray has been teaching at SCHS for three years. She received her Master of Science in Family and Consumer Science Education at the University of Montevallo.

Ray’s three food and nutrition classes consisting of 75 students were grouped according to their units and assigned the task of a new and different take on the basic grilled cheese sandwich.

Guidelines were set: two different cheeses, two foods outside of dairy, use spread and different bread.

The students would write their recipe, cook the sandwich and were judged by the SCHS faculty and staff. Criteria were on a 5-point system and judged for: appearance and presentation; whether cheeses complement each other; overall taste; description and title, fitting for sandwich; and creativity.

First place went to Karah Goodwin, Katilyn Sims, Stephanie Latham, Autumn Shiflett and Amber Nielsen for their delicious and hearty Ultimate Breakfast Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

This grilled cheese sandwich consisted of turkey, bacon, fried eggs and three different types of cheeses on Italian bread with a garlic and herb butter spread. Garnish was baby dill pickle.

Second place European Grilled Cheese Sandwich went to Jacob Edwards, Kalyn Vines, Aldo Jones, Patrick Kreider, Matthew Gray and Chase Hill.

Their sandwich consisted of seasoned venison, mushrooms and two different cheeses. Nick Horton, Brooke Allen, Ryan Harmon, Jason Pickens and Alex Franklin won third place for the Alfred Noble sandwich, which was like eating Alfredo chicken on Italian bread.

The simple grilled cheese sandwich was turned into a quality menu item though the creativity and ingenuity of the SCHS students.

Ultimate Breakfast Grilled Cheese

2 slices Italian bread

1 slice pepper jack cheese

1 slice cheddar cheese

1 slice American cheese

3 slices cooked crisp bacon

2 slices deli turkey

1/8 cup chopped sauté onions

1 tablespoon butter

1 egg

Garlic and herb butter spread

Salt and pepper

Baby dill pickle garnish

Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water or milk and dash salt and pepper. Fry egg while forming into square. Butter pan. Put spread on inside of bread, add fillings and grill both sides till golden brown.