– resident Travis Shaffer has long believed there’s more than one way to make sloppy joe. So, he tweaked the original recipe and put his own spin on it. “The secret is a cream cheese filling that gives it that little extra zing,” Shaffer said.
“I felt like sloppy joe needed a little bit of a facelift, a little bit extra. It’s time to step up the sloppy joe game.” Shaffer was among eight professional chefs and 47 amateur chefs competing over the weekend in the 20th annual 50 Men Who Cook, a fundraising event put on by Court-Appointed Special Advocates .
The event returned to Northern Illinois University’s Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center offering guests a sampling of home-cooked favorites, cash bar, entertainment and raffles. New this time included a photo booth and some first-time chefs. The event aimed to give guests a fun summer evening to remember, with proceeds benefiting CASA DeKalb County.
The nonprofit provides court-appointed special advocates for area families, specifically children who have experienced abuse or neglect. During the event, each chef is entered into a category: appetizer, side dish, entrée, dessert and professional chefs. The dish they are tasked with preparing as part of the competition must correspond accordingly.
Within each category, chefs will compete for awards. Shaffer acknowledged he had a lot of competition, and said he thought his chances of winning were slim to none. For him, that didn’t take away from the fun, though.
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