A cooking competition is a great idea for a combined activity, especially outdoors! Here's a suggestion for an easy and fun outdoor cooking competition that I think would work well:

Gourmet Grilled Cheese Competition

This competition is simple to set up, allows for creativity, and results in tasty food everyone can enjoy. Here's how it could work:

1. Equipment: Portable griddles or cast iron pans, camping stoves or other heat sources.

2. Basic Ingredients: Provide a variety of breads, cheeses, and butter.

3. Extra Ingredients: Offer an assortment of additional ingredients for teams to get creative. Examples:
- Meats: ham, bacon, turkey
- Vegetables: tomatoes, onions, peppers, spinach
- Fruits: apples, pears
- Condiments: mustard, mayo, pesto
- Extras: herbs, spices, honey

4. Competition:
- Divide youth into teams (3-4 per team works well).
- Give each team access to ingredients and cooking equipment.
- Set a time limit (e.g., 20-30 minutes) for teams to create their ultimate grilled cheese.
- Encourage creativity in flavors and presentation.

5. Judging:
- Have adult leaders or invited guests serve as judges.
- Judge on criteria like taste, creativity, and presentation.

6. Eating:
- After judging, teams can make extra sandwiches for everyone to try.

This activity works well because:
- It's simple enough for beginners but allows for creativity.
- Grilled cheese cooks quickly, so multiple rounds are possible if desired.
- It's easy to accommodate dietary restrictions (e.g., vegetarian options).
- The result is a meal everyone can enjoy together.

If you want alternatives, you could consider similar competitions with foods like:
- Tacos (using pre-cooked meats for food safety)
- Gourmet hot dogs
- Campfire pizzas (using pre-made crusts)
- Fancy s'mores

Would you like me to elaborate on any part of this suggestion or provide more alternatives?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​