Cal Poly Chef Wins National Canned Pear Recipe Competition

Students can sample the winning French toast casserole in November.

Cal Poly Campus Dining Executive Chef Darrell Janes won first place in the 2026 Can Do Challenge for his baked caramelized pear French toast casserole featuring U.S.-grown canned pears.

The annual competition, organized by the Pacific Northwest Canned Pear Service, is open to employees of noncommercial foodservice operations across the United States. Entries are judged equally on plate appeal, flavor appeal, and creative appeal, including how well each recipe highlights Pacific Northwest canned pears.

“I was honestly shocked to find out that I had won, given the level of talented chefs that entered this challenge,” Janes said. “It was truly an honor to win this competition against such a talented group of chefs.”

Janes found inspiration for his winning dish in a longtime favorite, bread pudding. After years of making variations of his bread pudding recipe, he saw the competition as an opportunity to transform the classic comfort food by incorporating caramelized canned pears into a French toast casserole.

“Darrell is our bread pudding master, so it’s no surprise he brought that same creativity and skill to his baked caramelized pear French toast casserole,” said Chris Dunham, senior executive chef. “This win is well deserved and reflects the passion he brings to Campus Dining every day. Darrell is always willing to step up, support the team and create memorable food experiences that help nourish our students and make their time at Cal Poly a little more special.”

Students can try the recipe in November, when pears are featured as Campus Dining’s Feel-Good Food of the Month. The casserole will be served at brunch, and Campus Dining will host a teaching kitchen highlighting seasonal pear dishes, where students can sign up to prepare featured recipes alongside Campus Dining chefs.

For more information, visit dineoncampus.com/calpoly.