There’s still time to develop, test and enter your own culinary masterpiece in the fourth annual Cooking Light Ultimate Reader Recipe Contest – just until May 31.

Finalists will compete in an on-site cook-off for the chance of winning a portion of $40,000 in total cash and prizes. Grand prize winner will receive $20,000 and four Category Winners will each receive $5,000. Categories include Starters and Drinks, Salads and Sides, Family Dinners and Desserts.

Full contest rules and the 2007 CLURRC winners can be found by clicking here.

‘As recipe contests continue to gain popularity, the Cooking Light Ultimate Reader Recipe Contest takes the cake,’ said Chris Allen, Senior Vice President/Publisher. ‘Year-round, readers submit tried-and-true recipes to be published in Cooking Light and seen by nearly 12 million readers, but it’s only once a year that readers have the chance to battle it out in an on-site cook-off and win $20,000.’

Inspired by one of the magazine’s most popular monthly columns, ‘Reader Recipes,’ readers create and enter dishes in one of four categories:

• Starters and Drinks: From on-the-go breakfast drinks to before-dinner finger foods, these are the recipes that tempt the taste buds before the main event.

• Sides and Salads: Round out any spread with a side or salad that is simple or sophisticated. Try a dish with local ingredients that can be prepared ahead of time or assembled at the last minute.

• Family Dinners: Think entrée salads, mixed dishes, one-pot meals or slow-cooked favorites that use flavorful, nutrient-rich ingredients.

• Desserts: Create a winning finale with pies, cakes, cookies, parfaits or anything else that satisfies your sweet tooth and deliciously ends a meal.

Each recipe submitted must incorporate one or more ingredients from contest sponsors. 2008 sponsors are Annie’s Naturals®, Al Fresco All Natural, Bird’s Eye Foods, Bush’s® Beans, Eggland’s Best, Kerrygold® Cheeses and Butters from Ireland, Nakano®, Newman’s Own® Pasta Sauces, Stacy’s Pita Chips and Swanson Broth. Employing more than one sponsored product in a recipe does not improve changes of being chosen as a finalist.

Submissions, due May 31, 2008, will be culled down by a team of Cooking Light test kitchen professionals and food editors to 12 finalists who will be brought to Cooking Light headquarters in Birmingham, Ala., for a head-to-head cook-off in the storied Cooking Light test kitchens on September 18. A panel of independent food professionals will sample each dish and select the winners. Each category winner will take home $5,000, and the overall grand prize winner will receive $20,000 plus $5,000 donated to the contestant’s charity of choice.