Bethel’s Culinary Heat: Student Teams and Faculty Face Off in "Chopped: Bethel Edition"

McKENZIE (October 1, 2026) — The heat was on in the Bethel University Cafeteria on October 1 as seven teams went head-to-head in Chopped: Bethel Edition! Emceed by Nikki Klopfenstein, the competition brought the high-stakes drama of the hit TV series to campus, pitting six creative student-led teams against one faculty team determined to prove they could hold their own.

Each team was challenged to prepare an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert using surprise mystery ingredients. The stakes were high—the two teams with the lowest scores were eliminated after every round.

From rich mole sauce to savory shrimp and rice, the creativity coming out of the kitchen was seriously impressive. One team even managed to slam-dunk their culinary dessert by crafting a winning creation using candy corn!

Sophia Wright, director of Student Engagement, Nikki Klopfenstein, Myra Carlock, and the MMI Cafeteria staff were instrumental in creating and organizing the event.  Wright said it was the second annual event with plans to expand it in future years with possibly some community teams.

Here is the complete roster of participants, judges, and champions who made the event a success:

The Champions

Winners: Claudia Pineda, Martina Gonzalez (Spain), and Merle Chacon (Venezuela) 

Other Teams included:

Mary Parker, Gordon Parker, Jeremy Enciso

 Nathan Salvador, Summer Redman, Bailey Hudson

Nicholas Masterson, Ella Tryon, Dylan Sumner

Stephanie Schott, Bailey Dunn, Allie Ringold