Madi Dains | Intern, Arkansas Farm Bureau
Ember Boyce, 11, of Nashville (Howard County) and Everett Hutton, 13, of Jonesboro (Craighead County) were the winners of the 2025 Arkansas Farm Bureau Dairy Foods Contest hosted at the state fairgrounds on July 24.
Boyce’s Million Dollar Ravioli Casserole won the “Main Dish” category while Hutton’s Strawberry Shortcake Pudding won the “Party Idea” category.
“This would be a great family meal or potluck dish,” said Boyce. “It is easy to make and would be a quick meal for a working family to prepare.”
Boyce is a member of Howard County 4-H and the daughter of Dexter and Niki Boyce.
“This dish is best served in the summertime,” said Hutton. “I really enjoy the creaminess of the pudding with the sweetness of the fresh strawberries.”
Hutton is a member of Craighead 4-H and the son of Danyelle Hutton.
Additional finalists in the “Main Dish” category include 12-year-old Jase Shepherd of Malvern, second place; 12-year-old Dixie Britton of Pine Bluff, third place; and 11-year-old Lainey Trahern of Tontitown, fourth place.
Other finalists in the “Party Idea” category include 12-year-old Andy Ferren of Searcy, second place; and 9-year-old Pace Prothro of Huntsville, third place.
Seven contestants were selected from winners of local Dairy Foods contests hosted by county Farm Bureau organizations. Each contestant was required to send in a copy of their recipe, a brief summary on why they chose the dish and a video of them preparing it.
At the statewide contest the contestants prepared their dish and served a panel of three judges who tasted the dish and reviewed each submission.
Ember Boyce’s Million Dollar Ravioli Casserole
Ingredients
- 25 oz. pkg. frozen cheese ravioli
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 24 oz. jar marinara sauce
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Brown ground beef, drain. Stir in marinara sauce.
- Combine cream cheese, sour cream, half the Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Fold in the frozen ravioli.
- Layer ravioli mixture in the prepared dish, top with meat sauce, remaining Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil, bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more until bubbly.
- Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Everett Hutton’s Strawberry Shortcake Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding
- 1 (14 oz} sweetened condensed milk
- 3 cups of heavy cream
- 2 Ibs. fresh strawberries
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 box vanilla wafers
Ingredients
- In a bowl, combine the whole milk and instant vanilla pudding. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Meanwhile, cut the strawberries into bite-sized pieces, toss them with sugar, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
- In a separate bowl, add the heavy cream and whip until it reaches a whipped cream consistency.
- Incorporate one-third of the whipped cream into the pudding mixture.
- In a serving dish, layer the mixture starting with pudding, followed by strawberries, more pudding and vanilla wafers. Repeat the layering until all ingredients are used.
- Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving.
View more photos from the event here.