2025 NC Pickle Festival Virtual Recipe Contest Winners

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped Mt. Olive Sweet Heat Bread & Butter Chips
• 2 Tablespoons of the pickle juice
• 1/4 cup chamoy
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 4 1/2 cups frozen mango chunks – divided
• 1 cup canned coconut milk
• 1/2 cup 100% pineapple juice
• 1 teaspoon Tajin – as needed for garnish

Directions:

1. Place the chopped pickles, pickle juice, chamoy & sugar into a small sauce pan, heat over medium heat to a simmer, cook until it begins to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl & chill until cold.
3. Place 4 cups of the frozen mango, the coconut milk & pineapple juice into a high powered blender, process until completely combined & smooth, add the remaining 1/2 cup of mango & pulse a couple times, so there will be small mango chunks.
4. Place the mixture into a container & freeze until firm, but scoopable, around 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Place scoops of the sorbet into a bowl, spoon some of the pickle sauce over the top & sprinkle with some Tajin.

Serves 6

Ingredients (makes approx. 24)

• 4 small sweet potatoes or 2 large ones (to make 24
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 10oz gourmet cream cheese
• 2 Mount Olive Kosher dills, thinly sliced (2 dills is equivalent to 1 1/2 cups when chopped)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios

Directions

1. Wash sweet potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Depending on the size of the air fryer basket, you may have to cook the potatoes in 2 batches.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Place sweet potato discs in a Ziploc bag and add olive oil and chili powder. Massage to coat evenly.
3. Place half the discs in the basket of an air fryer and bake for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
4. Remove hot sweet potato slices from the air fryer. Top with gourmet cream cheese and a slice of kosher dill secured with a toothpick.
5. Finish by topping each disc with a few crushed pistachios and a drizzle of honey. Serve warm.
6. Repeat the process with the remaining sweet potatoes.

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 1 large, cooked beet (chopped = 1 cup)
• 1 Mount Olive Kosher Dill (chopped = 3/4 cup)
• 8 cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup of coconut water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1” piece of fresh ginger
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon matcha powder
• 2 ice cubes (optional)

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for around 30 seconds until smooth. Drink and feel rejuvenated!

Ingredients

(Base Filling)-

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 pound of ground pork
• ½ pound ground pork sausage
• season to taste salt & ground black pepper
• 1 cup *Mt. Olive Kosher Baby Dill Pickles, drained & diced
• 1/2 cup *Mt. Olive Simply Vidalia Onions, drained & diced
• 1/2 cup *Mt. Olive Roasted Red Peppers, drained & diced
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1 large egg, beaten

(Potato Carrot Topping)-

• 1 jar (16-oz.) *Mt. Olive Majestic Bread & Butter Pickled Carrots, drained
• 2 pounds of fully baked sweet potatoes, skinned, peeled & mashed
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon/sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Prepare base filling. Heat olive oil in a 9-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground pork and sausage to heated olive oil in skillet, sprinkle to season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper, about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon each. Stirring frequently, cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink in color, drain any excess grease.
2. Add dill pickles, onions, and red peppers and sprinkle in breadcrumbs; toss added ingredients into combined with meat. Also, stir and toss in ketchup and beaten egg until blended and combined with the meat vegetable base mixture. Spoon the filling mixture into a 9-inch, well-greased, deep-dish pie plate or oven-proof 9-x 2-inch round dish and spread evenly and place in a warm area temporally.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the potato carrot topping. First, cook drained carrots either in microwave by steaming (5 minutes) or over stovetop in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes, until carrots are tender.
4. Drain the carrots, place them into a food processor, and pulse until finely ground or pureed.
5. In a large bowl, add mashed sweet potatoes, cooked processed carrots, softened butter, heavy cream, egg yolk, cinnamon sugar, and nutmeg; stir to combine.
6. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Prepare to assemble the cottage pie to bake/cook in the oven. Cover the base filling by spooning or pipetting the potato-carrot topping mixture evenly. Place the assembled cottage pie in a preheated oven to bake/cook for 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

The recipe serves 6.