A Million-Bucks Recipe?

[Dera]

A gal won $1,000,000 in the 2007 Pillsbury Bakeoff Contest for this recipe. What do you think?


Baked Chicken and Spinach Stuffing

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1049/1373921437_205692f6f8.jpg?v=0



Ingredients

1. 3 tablespoons maple-flavored syrup
2. 2 tablespoons peach preserves
3. 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4. 2 (8 ounce) bone-in skin-on chicken breasts
5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1/4 teaspoon pepper
7. 9 Pillsbury(R) Dunkables(R) frozen homestyle waffle sticks
8. 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
9. 1/2 cup chopped onion
10. 1/4 cup chicken broth
11. 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
12. 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
13. 1 tablespoon beaten egg white
14. 1 (9 ounce) box Green Giant(R) frozen spinach, thawed, drained
15. 1 tablespoon chopped pecans

Nutrition Info - Per Serving

* Calories: 723 kcal
* Carbohydrates: 70 g
* Dietary Fiber: 3 g
* Fat: 25 g
* Protein: 53 g
* Sugars: 33 g


Cooking Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate or 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix syrup, preserves and Worcestershire sauce. Place chicken, skin side up, in pie plate; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon syrup mixture over chicken.

2. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, toast waffles until golden brown. Cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Cut waffles into 3/4-inch cubes; set aside. Spray 1-quart casserole with cooking spray (or use 9x5-inch nonstick loaf pan; do not spray). In 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in waffle pieces and broth, breaking up waffle pieces slightly to moisten. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning and sage. Remove from heat; cool about 5 minutes. Stir in egg white and spinach. Spoon stuffing into casserole. Sprinkle pecans over top.

3. Twenty minutes before chicken is done, place casserole in oven next to chicken in pie plate. Spoon syrup mixture in pie plate over chicken. Bake chicken and stuffing uncovered 20 to 25 minutes longer or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest part is cut to bone (170 degrees F) and stuffing is thoroughly heated. Spoon remaining syrup mixture in pie plate over chicken. Serve chicken with stuffing.

[Divinorumus]

juice of chicken :aargh4: :yuck:

[Mcnowhere]

It sounds absolutely divine! :yumyum: Must give that one a try (on a long weekend). :boggled:

[Judee]

It might taste wonderful, I don't know. But psychologically, the 'waffle' ingredient turned me off. :33:

[Mcnowhere]

It might taste wonderful, I don't know. But psychologically, the 'waffle' ingredient turned me off. :33:
Maybe you could subsitute waffles with bread.

[Dera]

http://smiles2k.net/smiles/big_smiles/super_smilies007.gif Here's the rest of the story.....

It got some really mixed reviews. It was either love or hate for the most part.
Here are some of the comments the recipe received:


Baked Chicken and Spinach Stuffing

Provided by Pillsbury Bake-Off®


Average (126 Ratings): 2.5 out of 5 stars





*This tasted awful!
mikekojima - March 12, 2007 10:43:57 AM PST

First off, the weird maple syrup peach taste doesnt go with chicken. Chicken is a dinner sort of food which should taste savory with salt, pepper and shotgun pellets with a browned crisp skin, not like something you eat for breakfast. While cooking the kitchen smelled weird, like a boy scout



*It was sickening
Halonet - March 11, 2007 05:05:23 PM PST

What were the judges thinking??? One of the judging criteria is consumer appeal.

The recipes are supposed to be edible and have consumer appeal. This is the most nauseating thing I've ever eaten. The chicken was so sweet my teeth hurt and the stuffing was wet and nasty.






*Just OK
mimi - March 11, 2007 04:29:57 PM PST

How it made it to the top winner, I have no idea!!! My family ask me not to fix it again, ever.....Sorry, but something just wasn't right about it, kind of to blah but again perhaps I did something wrong even though I followed all the proper steps.....




*This was the best there was?
dazzlebydesign - March 8, 2007 08:32:16 AM PST

For a million dollar winner I expected far more than this. The use of the waffles was clever but didn't add anything special. Too much poultry seasoning and sage for our tastes and even basting the chicken with the too sweet sauce unseasoned sauce didn't do a thing to perk up the flavor and most





*Blah.
rdv129 - February 22, 2007 03:35:49 PM PST

My family and I were not impressed with this recipe. It was bland and came out quite watery. I will not make this again.



*Original Just Ok - My Modified Version Is Much Better
emorylaw2001 - March 29, 2007 12:07:54 PM PST

I made this once after it won. It was okay. Then I made a truly breakfast variation of it, combining elements from the winning recipe and my regular stuffing recipe. So it became waffles, sausage, onion, egg, poutry seasoning, chopped pecans, and her great sauce (and I use more of it). I made





*Not that great
Deverie - March 17, 2007 05:42:46 AM PST

I'm sorry but I just do not understand how this won the grand prize. I made the recipe exactly as is and was unimpressed. Even my husband who will normally eat anything couldn't choke this down.



*This is a winner?
ksvarbalow - March 30, 2007 07:48:23 AM PST

Hard to believe this won a national contest. It's one of the most mundane recipes I've ever tried.


*A million dollars?
choaderboy2 - March 20, 2007 04:49:53 PM PST

A TV dinner is better than this. Heck a peanut butter sandwich made by my 6 year old is better.



*This was Awful
Ruby M - May 26, 2007 09:56:04 PM PST

I have thrown better than this away experimenting in my own kitchen - A million dollars?------Unreal -------------


*sick dish and wrong judges!!!
Ellen - April 13, 2007 01:27:43 PM PST

Do the judge have basic food safety knowledges? This dish makes people sick. When I think a mother feed her child this dish, I am so sad!
Poor kid!



*This is the best chicken recipe I've ever had...
beastwise - April 12, 2007 08:20:02 AM PST

I found you have to stick with the recipe exactly. The waffles must be crisp, very brown. The measurements have to be exact. No free-wheeling, or the recipe falls apart. I think that's what happened - some other cooks writing reviews probably substituted and added a little here and there. A winning




*Dust in the Wind
squashergrrrl - April 14, 2007 03:31:59 PM PST

Next time go to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and just throw the $1 mil bucks off into the Pacific Ocean. Who on earth were the judges that gave this receipe a million dollar paycheck? The waffle thing and frozen spinach!! Why so the preserved ingredients? We should be awarding prizes to






*Here Rover
jttaylor63 - April 9, 2007 07:30:29 AM PST

It had a horrible smell and didn't taste well. Sorry my dog wouldn't even eat it.


*We can't wait to try this again!
parma_gal - June 3, 2007 07:36:15 PM PST

WOW! What a great recipe! It was fast and easy, and it tasted great! My husband and I loved it. The only complaint: We wished we had made more! We will be making this again in the near future. I can certainly see why this recipe was the winner!




*Making it again tonight.
andersey - March 30, 2007 01:09:57 PM PST

I loved this recipe. It is so easy and tasted soooo good. You have to make sure you toast the waffles until they are hard because when you add the liquid they will soften perfect. I love the sweet taste of the chicken. It had the sweetness you would find in a honey glazed ham. I used the





*Mike Kojima--What a FUNNY guy!! LOL
o_horsefeathers - June 17, 2007 07:01:12 PM PST

I have to agree with Mike Kojima, this was awful. When I read the recipe, I though..hmmm..maybe something really wonderful happens while baking...kinda like the 'Tunnel of Fudge Cake'. Well..it didn't. What I enjoyed most was Mike Kojima's review. You were right on target about the weird maple syrup




*ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!
suem1205 - May 29, 2007 11:12:00 AM PST

Again, are you kidding me?? I don't care how carefully you follow these instructions - this recipe is just awful. It may be imaginative but come on judges. Did you just feel sorry for this single mom?? If this is the best of the best . . . I, too, in my day, with four hungry kids at home, have





*One of the worst recipes ever
LAguy - May 27, 2007 08:36:02 AM PST

Made this recipe and it was horrific. It simply did not taste right. The judges must be idiots.




*Made it better!
avproservice%40ameritech.net - March 20, 2007 04:45:49 AM PST

I would add a little more salt to the chicken than the recipe calls for and a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce to spice it up a bit. The stuffing was really good and clever but I think it also needs some salt and pepper (could add when cooking the onions) to bring out all the flavors better.


*Delisious
cecilfrance1600 - August 5, 2007 05:04:34 PM PST

I was so glad this dish one! And Ana one ! Yay!

Emily


*MAY NOT BE THE BEST, BUT GOOD NONETHELESS
teddycapz - July 28, 2007 04:13:37 AM PST

I believe the hullabaloo over this recipe inarguably boils down to one thing - either you like it or you don't. Fortunately for the recipe owner, the judges apparently belong to the former. And so do some others including yours truly.

Got to try it out to the letter the first time - it did come out


*Very imaginative dish!
Debbi - January 27, 2007 09:37:29 PM PST

I give you 5 stars for this unique dish that no one else would have though of preparing! We need more imaginative cooks out there to see outside the blocks. Thank you!

[Alpha]

Sounds more than yummy Dera!! :yumyum:

Basic good recipes are just that...I don't know if I would use the frozen spinach or the waffles, however...the rest sounds more that divine!!....and if I didn't know it, I bet it would be more than fab!!

I'm adding this to my must try list!! :)

Thanks Dera :yumyum:....now I'm hungry ;)

I think the combo of ingredients from a long time cook, is a winner...especially the spinach, pecans and peach...I'd have a tendency to throw something with some heat in there for a bit of sweet & heat...but hey, that's just me.

Gonna try this for sure...;)

[Dera]

Sounds more than yummy Dera!! :yumyum:

Basic good recipes are just that...I don't know if I would use the frozen spinach or the waffles, however...the rest sounds more that divine!!....and if I didn't know it, I bet it would be more than fab!!

I'm adding this to my must try list!! :)

Thanks Dera :yumyum:....now I'm hungry ;)

I think the combo of ingredients from a long time cook, is a winner...especially the spinach, pecans and peach...I'd have a tendency to throw something with some heat in there for a bit of sweet & heat...but hey, that's just me.

Gonna try this for sure...;)

Um, Alphs, ummm--did you happen to read the reviews (above in my post just above yours) on this recipe? :yuck:

[Mcnowhere]

I did Dera but I love maple syrup, so I think it would be divine. I agree with Judee about the waffles though.

[Dera]

I did Dera but I love maple syrup, so I think it would be divine. I agree with Judee about the waffles though.

Okay kiddo, you're on your own. Don't say you weren't cautioned. Let us know how it turns out! :09:

[Delphine]

skin-on chicken breasts
frozen homestyle waffle sticks

Nutrition Info - Per Serving

* Calories: 723 kcal
* Carbohydrates: 70 g
* Dietary Fiber: 3 g
* Fat: 25 g
* Protein: 53 g
* Sugars: 33 g




:bigeyes: I'd say she was paid a lot of money to kill us all.

[Alpha]

Um, Alphs, ummm--did you happen to read the reviews (above in my post just above yours) on this recipe? :yuck:

Yeah I did ;) ...however I always modify anything and everything.....

I'll stick to my first theory...I like the pecans, spinach, peaches and a bunch of other stuff :)

All fresh of course and NO frozen waffles!! :D

Different strokes for different folks, as always....it's all good :) ;) :yumyum: :yumyum:

[Dera]

Yeah I did ;) ...however I always modify anything and everything.....

I'll stick to my first theory...I like the pecans, spinach, peaches and a bunch of other stuff :)

All fresh of course and NO frozen waffles!! :D

Different strokes for different folks, as always....it's all good :) ;) :yumyum: :yumyum:

Please be sure to let us know how it turns out and what you did to modify it.

[Mcnowhere]

Speaking of peaches...I make this great turkey stuffing at Thanksgiving.

Sautee celery, onions and raisins. Add a can of drained chopped peaches and curry powder to taste. Mix this in the bread crumbs and stuff your bird.

The curry does not permeat the bird at all and this stuffing is delicious. Good with a roasting chicken too.

[CosmicMessenger]

I have mixed feelings about this recipe just looking at it. Frozen waffles mixed with syrup and spinach sounds kind of bad. But you never know. I know some top notch chefs down here. I'll take it to them and see what they say. :06:

[Mcnowhere]

I have mixed feelings about this recipe just looking at it. Frozen waffles mixed with syrup and spinach sounds kind of bad. But you never know. I know some top notch chefs down here. I'll take it to them and see what they say. :06:
Oh good Cosmic. Please let us know they say.

[Dera]

Speaking of peaches...I make this great turkey stuffing at Thanksgiving.

Sautee celery, onions and raisins. Add a can of drained chopped peaches and curry powder to taste. Mix this in the bread crumbs and stuff your bird.

The curry does not permeat the bird at all and this stuffing is delicious. Good with a roasting chicken too.

My son's ex-mother-in-law, Mrs. Outlaw, always put raw hamburger in her turkey stuffing. It was the nastiest mess I ever took one bite of. Greasy tiny little gray balls! :yuck: One Thanksgiving, everyone in her family got food poisoning.

[CosmicMessenger]

After reflecting on this recipe (I'll have a chance to talk to the culinary professors later this evening) a couple of things came to mind. First in the south, waffles with fried chicken is a common thing. So that aspect maybe isn't as weird. Secondly most people probably don't have the culinary skills to cook the dish properly. I've met many people who can take a great recipe and make it really bad. We shall see what my insiders say....:cool2:

[Alpha]

After reflecting on this recipe (I'll have a chance to talk to the culinary professors later this evening) a couple of things came to mind. First in the south, waffles with fried chicken is a common thing. So that aspect maybe isn't as weird. Secondly most people probably don't have the culinary skills to cook the dish properly. I've met many people who can take a great recipe and make it really bad. We shall see what my insiders say....:cool2:

Absolutely...sometimes what seems unusual ends up being most outstanding!! ;)

Let us know what the verdict and scoop is CM...

I love experimenting with ingredients and new things.

I'm looking forward to many interesting tips and recipe exchanges with all of you going forward :) :;yumyum:

[Alpha]

My son's ex-mother-in-law, Mrs. Outlaw, always put raw hamburger in her turkey stuffing. It was the nastiest mess I ever took one bite of. Greasy tiny little gray balls! :yuck: One Thanksgiving, everyone in her family got food poisoning.

Double :yuck: Dera...I can't imagine putting hamburger in a Turkey :yuck:

I've experimented with many stuffings from wild rice, to cognac/rum soaked, raisins, cranberries etc.

Closer to the Holidays, we should try to remember to share our fav's for the "Roast Beast" !!

I've been told I make a pretty "mean" turkey...then homemade turkey soup after for the leftovers.

A lot of work, but there's nothing like good home made! ;)

[Dera]

Double :yuck: Dera...I can't imagine putting hamburger in a Turkey :yuck:

I've experimented with many stuffings from wild rice, to cognac/rum soaked, raisins, cranberries etc.

Closer to the Holidays, we should try to remember to share our fav's for the "Roast Beast" !!

I've been told I make a pretty "mean" turkey...then homemade turkey soup after for the leftovers.

A lot of work, but there's nothing like good home made! ;)

I don't have much imagination when it comes to cooking. For example, I like Mrs. Cubbison's stuffing mix. Follow directions and add nuts--slivered almonds or chopped pecans. :shrug:

I must say, however, that I can toss a great casserole together. Start with creamed soup and add protein, starch, veg. or two (pimiento is nice with green ones like peas, etc.) liquid (usually half soup can of milk) and CHEESE! tons of grated cheese, mixed in or in layers, and on top. To make it appear and taste like you knew what you were doing, add a topping such as crumbled melba, store-bought bread crumbs, stuffing mix, corn flakes, canned onion rings, etc. and dot with butter. Also on top, dried parsley or paprika add to visual appeal. :yumyum:

[CosmicMessenger]

I talked to the Chef and Professor from the International School Of Tourism And his professional opinion is:

"This recipe is horrible." He couldn't believe that this won the $1,000,000. And this is a guy with 30 years experience in top notch hotels in Europe and the Caribbean.

[Mcnowhere]

I talked to the Chef and Professor from the International School Of Tourism And his professional opinion is:

"This recipe is horrible." He couldn't believe that this won the $1,000,000. And this is a guy with 30 years experience in top notch hotels in Europe and the Caribbean.
Thanks for going to the trouble Cosmic. Think I'll pass on it now.