BEREA, Ky. — For teachers at a Kentucky middle school, teaching doesn’t stop at the classroom doors. Lessons can be found everywhere in the school — including the kitchen — which is why the school’s kitchen manager created a program that lets teachers do the cooking.

“We are so grateful to have teachers who are really involved in the school’s cafeteria and we work together a lot for the benefit of the students,” Farristown Middle School Kitchen Manager Michelle Begley said.

The kitchen manager started the “Teacher Tuesday” program at the school and said the partnership helps bring attention to the importance of nutrition.

“When the students see the teachers excited about the food in the cafeteria or they plan a lesson or project that takes place here, it really opens up the kitchen to students and promotes what we do here,” Begley said. “We are [an] important part of the school and this helps teach our kids that.”

The program falls in line with a number of similar initiatives launched in recent years in schools and districts across the country in hopes of providing — and in some cases, exposing students to — healthier meal options and alternatives.

From outsourcing meal preparation to services that specialize in healthier fare to bringing in fresh, locally sourced produce, many of the country’s schools and staff members are dedicated to changing the way students see and interact with the meals they’re served.

The new project this year for Farristown offers teachers a chance to show off their cooking skills while discussing healthy-eating options with students.

For “Teacher Tuesday,” Begley said she asked the school’s teachers to submit their favorite recipes. The school’s chefs then picked a favorite, which was featured as a special menu item during lunch.

For this month, the first-ever winner was John Knuckles, the school’s guidance counselor.

Begley said the school’s chefs loved Knuckles’ spicy chicken alfredo which featured fresh peppers.

The kitchen manager said the school had a lot of the ingredients needed to make Knuckles’ special dish, but needed to purchase the special rotini noodles.

“We make chicken alfredo, but not with all the spices, so we worked with some of our local farmers on getting extra peppers and jalapenos for the recipe,” Begley said. “The noodles were different for us, but Mr. Knuckles said these particular noodles trap in the cheese. We were excited to offer our students a different take on alfredo with spices like cumin added in.”

As the winner, Knuckles not only got to see his dish on the menu board but he also helped to cook his recipe.

“He likes to be hands-on and it was great to have him in the kitchen with us. He was great at chopping up the peppers and jalapeños,” Begley said.

Knuckles’ dish graced each of the school’s four lunchlines Tuesday afternoon and was served with a salad, garlic bread and carrots.

Begley said Knuckles served the students himself and was excited to share the ingredients of his dish.

“He knows all the kids and they were really excited to see him in the line,” she said. “He talked to every child that came through his line. It was great to see the kids interacting with him and he wanted to take time to share a moment with each of them.”

Several teachers were interested in trying Knuckles’ dish and were also grabbing plates in the line, Begley said.

“It was great to see the teachers eating in the cafeteria,” she said. “It helps when the teachers are supportive of what we do.”

According to the kitchen manager, Knuckles’ dish was a hit with the student body.

“They are still talking about it and how good it was,” Begley said Wednesday. “Everyone was really impressed with it. We were so happy to offer a fun dish in a different way. It was a great way to get kid to try something they wouldn’t normally try.”

Begley said the school’s chefs dished-out 220 servings of Knuckles’ alfredo and the popularity of the dish may earn itself a permanent place in the school’s rotation.

“We will have to put [it on] the menu again,” she said. “It was that popular with the students.”

Begley said several other teachers have gotten on board with the program and sent in recipes after Knuckles’ success. The chefs are deciding on next month’s offering, which the kitchen manager hinted may have a pumpkin theme for October.

“My teachers are awesome and they make us feel welcome and supported here and we look forward to our partnership with them,” Begley said.

Barker writes for the Richmond, Kentucky Register.