Cook-O-Ree

When and Where

When: March 27-29, 2026 , 6:00 pm — 12:00 pm
Nights: 2

Location: Alpine Scout Camp

The Brooklyn Cook-O-Ree is an annual district cooking competition held at Alpine Scout Camp in Alpine, New Jersey. Now in its 12th year, the event brings troops, crews, and ships from across the Brooklyn district for a weekend of hands-on cooking stations, patrol-based competitions, and campfire fellowship.

The program is built around the idea that scouts should take the skills they've learned and put them to work — planning menus, managing a budget, building fires, cooking over camp stoves and open flame, and presenting dishes to judges. Adults step back. Scouts lead.

Troop 23 is not attending Cook-O-Ree this year. We had our Bear Mountain Day Hike on March 21 — just six days before Cook-O-Ree — and decided not to run two back-to-back outdoor weekends. It's a scheduling call, not a reflection on the event itself.

How the Weekend Works

Cook-O-Ree runs from Friday evening through Sunday morning. The main action is all on Saturday.

Friday Night

Units arrive at Alpine Scout Camp and check in with the Main Office for their weekend facility reservation. Cook-O-Ree check-in begins at 9:00 pm at the Activity Center — bring your registration QR code and a printed weekend roster. Friday ends with a leaders' meeting (at least one adult per unit required) and an opportunity for volunteers to set up stations. Quiet hours start at 10:00 pm, lights out at 11:00 pm.

Saturday Morning — Cooking Stations

Opening ceremony at 8:50 am, then the morning is all about learning. Scouts rotate through 15–20 hands-on cooking stations run by volunteers — everything from dumplings, ramen, and crepes to knife skills and tin foil cooking. Past stations have included pupusas, fish tacos, game stew, sausage & peppers, and fried Oreos. The Pizza Competition also runs during the morning block in assigned time slots.

Saturday Afternoon — Competitions

The afternoon is packed with cooking competitions:

• 12:15 pm — PB&J Relay (Cub Pavilion)
• 1:00 pm — Tenderfoot through First Class cooking requirements session
• 2:15 pm — Burger Competition (Activity Center)
• 2:15 pm — Iron Chef Competition (Cub Pavilion)

After competitions, all units participate in camp-wide cleanup (3:15–4:00 pm).

Saturday Evening — Banquet & Campfire

From 4:00 to 6:00 pm units have troop time to prepare their banquet dish and work on Cake Decorating and Cantaloupe Scoutmaster Carving competitions. The Potluck Banquet begins at 6:00 pm in the Dining Hall — every unit brings two half-rack trays of food. The evening wraps up with a campfire program and awards ceremony, followed by the SPL "Pie" Eating Competition.

Sunday Morning

Pack up, leave camp clean. Checkout by 10:00 am.

Competitions

Units can participate in as many competitions as they want — do one or do them all. Pre-registration is required for most events. All judged competitions use a 100-point rubric with categories like taste, creativity, presentation, and teamwork.

Pizza Competition

Each patrol makes one pizza using provided dough, sauce, and cheese plus up to five uncooked toppings from home. Patrols have 30 minutes to prepare and cook their pizza in Dutch ovens or outdoor pizza ovens. The competition runs during the morning station block — patrols are assigned specific time slots in advance. Cook-O-Ree staff provides cutting boards, knives, and cooking equipment; units do not need to bring their own for this event.

New this year: a separate People's Choice Pizza award. Each troop designates one scout for a blind taste test — they rank the pizzas (not score). Rankings are combined to determine the winner. People's Choice is not part of the judged score.

Scoring (100 points):

Tip from judges: simple pizzas done well often score higher than complicated ones done poorly.

Iron Chef Competition (Youth Only)

Three scouts per patrol. Teams have one hour to plan, prepare, and cook a single dish that highlights the provided mystery ingredient. The Cook-O-Ree staff provides three mystery ingredients (which must be used prominently) and access to the Cook-O-Ree pantry with leftover items from morning stations. Teams may also bring up to five raw ingredients of their own — no pre-cooked or pre-prepared ingredients allowed. All cooking must be done on site.

Teams present their finished dish to judges and briefly explain their concept and how they used the mystery ingredient.

What to bring: Camp stove and fuel, cookware, cooking utensils, cutting board, knife, plates/bowls for presentation. Cook-O-Ree provides tables and general workspace.

Scoring (100 points):

Burger Competition

Two scouts per patrol prepare one specialty burger in 45 minutes. Cook-O-Ree staff provides ground beef, buns, cheese, and access to a limited pantry. Teams may bring up to five additional uncooked ingredients from home. All cooking must be done on camp stoves — teams bring their own stove, fuel, cookware, cutting board, and knife. Staff provides tables, handwashing stations, and cleanup support.

Scoring (100 points):

PB&J Relay & Fun Competitions

One-Handed PB&J Relay — Five scouts per team have 10 minutes to make as many complete peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as possible using only one hand. No switching hands, no adult coaching. Most sandwiches wins.

Cake Decorating — Each unit decorates one cake (provided by staff, along with icing and basic supplies). All decorations must be edible — units can bring extra icing colors, candy, and decorative food items. 2026 theme: "Scout Cooking & Camp Life." Pick up your cake from the Activity Center Classroom after morning stations, decorate at your campsite, then bring it to the banquet for judging. Scored on creativity, appearance, use of theme, and overall impact (100 points).

Cantaloupe Scoutmaster Carving — Each unit receives one cantaloupe and carves their Scoutmaster's likeness into it during troop time. Proper knife safety and supervision required. Finished carvings are displayed and judged at the banquet on likeness, creativity, and overall presentation.

SPL "Pie" Eating Competition — One scout per unit (typically the SPL) faces a plate of whipped cream — no actual pie. No hands allowed. Fastest to finish wins. This is for fun and bragging rights only.

Morning Cooking Stations

Saturday morning is all about learning to cook. Scouts rotate through 15–20 hands-on cooking stations between 9:00 am and noon. Each station is run by a volunteer who teaches a specific dish or skill. Most stations are fully supplied by staff — units may be asked to help with cleanup as part of a duty roster.

Here's what the 2025 stations looked like (2026 lineup to be announced):

• Dumplings
• Soups
• Ramen
• Pupusas
• Sausage & Peppers
• Omelettes
• BLTs
• Crepes
• Fried Oreos
• Fish Tacos
• Game Stew
• Pasta & Sauce
• Tin Foil Cooking
• Knife Skills
• Tenderfoot to First Class Cooking

What to Bring

All units attending Cook-O-Ree should bring the following gear regardless of which competitions they enter:

• ⧠ Complete Scout Chef's Kit (as described in the Scout Handbook)
• ⧠ Cutting boards and chef knives
• ⧠ Cooking utensils — spatulas, spoons, tongs, ladles
• ⧠ Pots and pans suitable for camp cooking
• ⧠ Camp stove(s) and fuel — check fuel levels before you leave home
• ⧠ Dishwashing supplies — soap, sponges, towels
• ⧠ Cooler(s) with ice
• ⧠ Trash bags
• ⧠ Hand sanitizer

Competition-specific gear:

• Iron Chef — bring your own stove, cookware, utensils, cutting board, knife, and plates for presentation. Staff provides mystery ingredients, pantry access, tables, and workspace.
• Burger — bring your own stove, cookware, utensils, cutting board, and knife. Staff provides ground beef, buns, cheese, pantry access, tables, and handwashing stations.
• Pizza — no cooking equipment needed. Staff provides dough, sauce, cheese, toppings, Dutch ovens, cutting boards, and knives. Units may bring up to five uncooked toppings.
• Cake Decorating — staff provides cake, icing, and basic supplies. Units may bring extra edible decorating supplies (icing colors, candy, decorative food items).

Note: check fuel levels before arrival. Failure to bring required gear may limit your ability to participate in certain competitions.

Registration & Fees

Registration for Cook-O-Ree 2026 opens January 1 and closes March 19 at 11:59 pm. Register at scoutingevent.com.

• Pre-Heat Special — $35 per person (January 1 – January 31)
• Full-Heat Rate — $40 per person (February 1 – February 28)
• Overcooked Fee — $60 per person (March 1 – March 19)

Fees cover all youth and adults. Units camping for the weekend also need a separate facility reservation through the camp reservation system.

Arrow of Light dens are welcome to link up with a troop and join in. Alpine Camp Staff also runs a provisional unit for individual scouts — contact the camp for details.

All registered participants receive an event patch. Staff volunteers get a separate staff patch. Each qualifying unit also receives a troop gift at Friday check-in — past gifts have included camp stoves, cast iron sets, and portable charcoal grills.

Advancement Goals

Cook-O-Ree is one of the best advancement opportunities of the year for cooking-related rank requirements. The event runs a dedicated Tenderfoot through First Class cooking requirements session on Saturday afternoon (1:00–2:00 pm), and every cooking station and competition counts toward practical experience.

Cooking Merit Badge

Please read ahead and be ready. Most relevant:

Requirement 5d. Camp cooking. 

In the outdoors, using your menu plans and recipes for this requirement, cook three of the five meals you planned using either a camp stove OR backpack stove. Use a skillet over campfire coals OR a Dutch oven for a fourth meal, and cook the fifth meal in a foil pack OR on a skewer. Serve all of these meals to your patrol or a group of youth.

Second Class

(!) A lot of items will be covered. Please read ahead and be ready. Most important:

2b. Use a pocketknife, and a saw or axe if needed, to prepare tinder, kindling, and fuel wood for a cooking fire.

2c. Using a minimum-impact method at an approved outdoor location and time, use the tinder, kindling, and fuel wood from Second Class requirement 2b to demonstrate how to build a fire. Unless prohibited by local fire restrictions, light the fire. After allowing the flames to burn safely for at least two minutes, safely extinguish the flames with minimal impact to the fire site. Properly dispose of the ashes and any charred remains.

2e. On one campout, plan and cook one hot breakfast or lunch, selecting foods from MyPlate or the current USDA nutritional model. Explain the importance of good nutrition. Demonstrate how to transport, store, and prepare the foods you selected

3d. Demonstrate how to find directions during the day and at night without using a compass or an electronic device

Second Class

(!) A lot of items will be covered. Please read ahead and be ready. Most important:

2d. Explain when it is appropriate to use a lightweight stove and when it is appropriate to use a propane stove. Set up a lightweight stove or propane stove. Light the stove, unless prohibited by local fire
restrictions. Describe the safety procedures for using these types of stoves.

2e. On one campout, plan and cook one hot breakfast or lunch, selecting foods from MyPlate or the current USDA nutritional model. Explain the importance of good nutrition. Demonstrate how to transport, store, and prepare the foods you selected

8a. Participate in a flag ceremony for your school, religious institution, chartered organization, community, or Scouting activity.

8b. Explain what respect is due the flag of the United States.

Tenderfoot

(!) A lot of items will be covered. Please read ahead and be ready. Most important:

1a. Present yourself to your leader, prepared for an overnight camping trip. Show the personal and camping gear you will use. Show the right way to pack and carry it. 
1b. Spend at least one night on a patrol or troop campout. Sleep in a tent you helped pitch.
1c. Tell how you practiced the Outdoor Code on a campout or outing.
2a. On the campout, assist in preparing one of the meals. Tell why it is important for each patrol member to share in meal preparation and cleanup.

For 1c., we would recommend brushing up on the Outdoor Code, so you can find ways to practice it while on the camping trip. 
For 1a. review the 10 essentials as well as any other items you may want to bring with you.

Contact

• Event Chair — Matt Bartels ([email protected])
• Volunteer Coordinator — Leah Scott ([email protected])
• District Executive — Paul François ([email protected])
• Provisional Unit — Eddie Ackert ([email protected])

Registration and event details: scoutingevent.com/640-bkcook26