Culinary Program Creates Holiday Fare

Students in the Pendleton High School Culinary Program have been busy preparing holiday food this month.

They recently made baked goods for a bake sale for employees of the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution (EOCI). Creations included cookies, brownies, Swiss rolls, and cinnamon rolls.

Then they prepared dinner for the EOCI Employee Christmas Party for about 120 people on December 12, 2025. The menu was homemade dinner rolls, Caesar salad with homemade croutons, apple harvest salad with roasted sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, potato dish, maple and cumin glazed roasted carrots, grilled New York steaks, and chicken thighs. Kaden Clark, PHS Food Teacher, said he is letting the students choose what to make for dessert.

Clark said he wants students to feel confident about preparing food for a large group. “Sometimes, catering events or preparing food for a large group can be intimidating, so I want them to feel good about their skills in the kitchen. I know they can do it,” Clark said. He also wants them to understand how much planning and labor go into preparing food, as well as the business side of it.

Jasmine, PHS Senior, was helping prepare the homemade dinner rolls for the EOCI dinner. She said she enjoys the teamwork of preparing food. Senior Sophia said she likes the thrill of having to get everything done in a timely manner.

Another student in Foods IV, PHS Senior Cole, was cutting carrots for roasting. He said he has learned quite a bit about the business side of the food industry, like if you mess up a big order, that’s a lot of time and money lost. But his biggest takeaway? “I enjoy making the food and especially eating the food.”