We always have a great time talking about new dishes being served at stadiums around the Metroplex. One of the central themes is the innovation shown by the chefs for these teams.

But until now, I had never considered who will train the next generation of trailblazers.

The culinary teacher at Dan Dipert Career and Technical Center in Arlington invited me into their kitchen to take a look around as they got ready for a competition at AT&T Stadium.

Nine schools were competing to figure out who could come up with the best menu for a tailgate party, but, and get this, the tailgate menu had to be healthy.

One of her students says it didn’t take long for them to start coming up with ideas. They figured out lime can replace the salty taste, and feta cheese could, just maybe, be a bit healthier than nacho cheese or “cheez” that comes out of a spray can.

But he’s apparently been reading #ScaiaBlog. His group knew going into this anyone planning a tailgate party needs to make sure their dishes are “walkable.”

They took the jalapeno popper and wrapped it in a tortilla for better mobility.

We may worry about the next generation, but perhaps we’re overlooking their ingenuity. We’ve talked about how sometimes, after a tough day, we might all like to be wrapped in a buttery crust. These idealistic youngsters have taken the concept south of the border.

In fact, the student I was talking to is already thinking about his future. He might like to open a fine-dining restaurant in Europe… but with a Texas twist.

When he explained how he’d have to incorporate Texas into his food no matter where he goes, I thought back to my own introduction to chicken fried steak when I moved here.

I’d enjoyed chicken fried steak before, but it wasn’t until I moved to Texas when I was able to become a connoisseur. First off, here in Texas, we don’t take the time to keep writing out, “chicken fried steak.” Second, I learned CFS is actually a creation of German immigrants who arrived in Galveston and were longing for schnitzel.

The Germans introduced Texas to schnitzel; Dan Dipert’s culinary class will introduce Germans to jalapeno poppers.

And the Germans may wind up annexing the jalapeno poppers and demand a quesadilla with sauerkraut.

But this competition shows we needn’t start a world war. Instead, we can all be united through cream gravy.