As the Big Bite Bacon Fest prepares to take over Southern California this summer with two sizzling salty festivals in San Diego and Long Beach, bacon chefs of all skill levels and ages are gearing up for the second annual battle of the Bacon Dish Contests. This year’s competitions will bring together professional chefs, amateur home cooks, and for the first time, kid cooks for a culinary showdown in honor of the star ingredient – bacon.

The first leg of the Big Bite Bacon Dish Contest in San Diego invites professional, amateur, and kid chefs to submit their recipes online at http://bigbitebaconfest.com now through June 13 for consideration. Submissions will be reviewed by the Big Bite Bacon Fest organizers and a group of selected chefs will move on to participate in the first preliminary cook off competition at the San Diego County Fair on June 17. At the event, the pro, amateur and child chefs’ dishes will be reviewed and scored live by a panel of judges. The three professional category finalists will be selected and will each choose one amateur and one kid chef to join their final team. The three final teams will cook off on stage at the Big Bite Bacon Fest at the San Diego County Fair on July 5.