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A student-created gnocchi stew that judges said blurred the line between restaurant and home cooking will soon reach school lunchrooms across Fairfax County.

Herndon High School seniors Syeda Fazeen Rizvi, Winnie O’Hanlon, Clarissa Dantes, and Sidney Ide won the lunch category in this year’s Real Food for Kids Culinary Challenge. The competition invites middle and high school students to develop healthy meals they would want served at school.

Their winning menu featured “Creamy Dreamy” Gnocchi Stew made with sweet potato gnocchi, cannellini beans, and fresh spinach. They paired it with whole-wheat garlic Soup Dippers and a Zesty Sunshine Salad combining romaine lettuce, clementines, cranberries, and feta cheese.

The lunch category is considered the contest’s most demanding because it is the only one judged by a panel. Breakfast and snack entries make up the other two categories.

The team’s garlic bread made a particularly strong impression. The students coated the twisted, fluffy pieces in melted butter and garlic, creating an aroma that O’Hanlon said drew people toward the food.

Family and consumer science teachers Lauren Spector and Heather Palm supported the seniors during the competition. Palm described the victory as a moment of joy and pride after Herndon participated for five years without previously winning.

The students were responsible for much more than developing an appealing recipe. Their meal had to be nutritionally balanced, suitable for a school cafeteria, and cost less than $2.70 per serving. They also learned to calculate prices, communicate with outside vendors, and manage the many steps required to serve a complete meal.

As part of the prize, Fairfax County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services will adapt the recipe for cafeterias and add it to lunch menus across the county.

Dantes, who has eaten school lunches since elementary school, said she welcomes the chance to introduce more variety. Rizvi joked that the team’s classmates will become the next panel of judges once the dish arrives at school.

The four seniors expect to pursue different careers after graduating in a few months, but they said the experience strengthened their communication, collaboration, nutrition knowledge, and ability to work toward a shared goal.

“It’s good to have background knowledge on nutrition,” Rizvi said.

Ide also pointed to the practical value—and immediate reward—of learning to cook: “Just making food is fun, because you get to eat it!”