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Mellow Mushroom serving up employee, guest recipes

Mellow Mushroom polled servers, bartenders, prep and line cooks from more than 170 locations to curate its Homegrown Picks Menu, which is available nationwide through June 30th.

June 23, 2015

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers released its second annual Homegrown Picks menu, consisting of new food and beverage concepts created by the company's employees, according to a press release.

Mellow Mushroom polled servers, bartenders, prep and line cooks from more than 170 locations to curate its Homegrown Picks Menu, which is available nationwide through June 30th.

Mellow Mushroom launched the Homegrown Challenge, calling for the best pizza, calzone, appetizer and cocktail recipes from their employees using entirely in-house ingredients, the company said in the release. The recipes are among the signature dishes created by team members for family and friends that visit the restaurant. The company reviewed more than 100 of these recipes on taste, presentation and originality.

"The Homegrown Picks promotion is a great opportunity for our front line team members to showcase their creativity and get much deserved recognition in front of their peers and our guests," Annica Kreider, VP of Brand Development, stated in the release. "We were also excited to include a guest creation this year. Our guest submission will be served later this summer from our Bake Bus at Forecastle, one of the nation's premier music festivals."

Nine finalists comprised the Homegrown Picks menu and were judged by an expert panel to determine an overall food and cocktail winner.

New menu items include: 

• Pineapple Express Pizza (Brittany Miracle; Hyde Park, Ohio) —  Signature Mellow dough with an olive oil and garlic base, topped with mozzarella cheese, ham, pineapple with light jalapenos. The pizza is finished with fresh bruschetta, basil and a swirl of rich balsamic glaze.
• South of the Border Pizza (Larry Guzman; Greenville, North Carolina) —  Signature Mellow dough with an olive oil and garlic base, topped with mozzarella cheese, spiced all-natural chicken, onions, light jalapenos and fresh tomatoes, finished with a zesty jalapeno lime aioli and fresh cilantro.
• Tempeh-Rary Insanity Pizza (Rachel Baldwin, Winning Guest Entry) —  Signature mellow dough with an olive oil and garlic base, mozzarella cheese, crumbled grilled tempeh, mushrooms, pineapple and artichoke hearts, finished with a swirl of pesto.
• Buffalo Chicken Dip (Mike Mitchell; Tallahassee, Florida) – Bites of all-natural grilled chicken in a creamy Buffalo sauce, the dip is topped with Applewood smoked bacon, fresh tomatoes, chives and mozzarella. Served with toast points and celery for dipping.
• Hot Dang Shrimp (George Paul Klopp; Kennesaw, Georgia) —  Grilled all-natural shrimp tossed in a spicy butter sauce and drizzled with a savory cool and creamy house-made sauce.
• The Thoroughbred (Christi Bradford; Murfreesboro, Tennessee) —  This cocktail features Marker's Mark Bourbon combined with the summer flavors of DeKuyper, Amaretto, Peachtree Schnapps, Monin Blood Orange and fresh mint, complemented by Mellow's house-made sour.
• Mel's Mango Cocktail (Amanda Kiely; Kennesaw, Georgia) —  American Harvest Organic Spirit combined with the seasonal flavors of Monin Mango, fresh cucumber and basil mixed with Mellow's house-made sour.
• Ramble on Rosemary (Kara Mackinder; Bowling Green, Kettucky) —  St.-Germain elderflower liqueur, Hendrick's gin, fresh lemon juice and rosemary simple syrup topped off with Sprite for a slightly savorty and sweet flavor.
• St. Mellow (Kieth Redmond; Anderson, SC) —  Prosecco, St.-Germain elderflower liqueur, Absolut Citron and Peachtree Schnapps finished with a splash of soda.