In 2002, Denise Yennie, a home cook from Nashville, made headlines after winning the $1 million grand prize at the 40th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest with her Chicken Florentine Panini.
Little did she know that her winning recipe would make history as the first sandwich to take home the grand prize in 53 years at the annual Bake-Off Contest.
Yennie, a working mom with two teenage children, joined the nation’s premier cooking contest by submitting her original recipe for new category in that year’s contest, Luscious & Lighter Main & Side Dishes.
Fortunately, she was among the selected participants, chosen as one of the 100 finalists, earning an all-expenses-paid trip to compete live at the Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, Florida.
The day finally arrived, and the 100 hopefuls prepared their coveted dishes in front of a live audience under a strict time limit.
As for why she opted for the Chicken Florentine Panini, Yennie preferred quick and easy cooking rather than spending hours preparing food over low heat.
Photo of a panini sandwichWendy Maeda/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
”Everything I do has to be quick and easy,” she said, as cited by the Press Democrat. ”My mom and grandmother used to cook things slowly, all day. Not me. I turn on the heat and crank it up.”
Yennie was able to transform everyday ingredients into a restaurant-quality chicken sandwich that impressed the Pillsbury Bake-Off judges. She started by preparing the base using refrigerated Pillsbury Classic Pizza Crust, which she baked flat and cut into rectangles for the sandwich. She then spread garlic-flavored mayonnaise on the crust before layering on sautéed chicken breasts, spinach, red onion and provolone cheese
Surrounded by cameras, she carefully pounded the chicken breasts until they were perfectly thin.
The Nashville home cook impressed the judges with her simple sandwich and innovative preparation, creating a dish they considered comparable to something served in a trendy restaurant but easy enough to make at home.
Yennie took home the $1 million grand prize, along with $10,000 for winning the Luscious & Lighter Main & Side Dishes category and a GE Profile kitchen appliance package worth $5,000. She walked away with a full suite of premium home appliances.
Apart from being a million-dollar success story, Yennie’s achievement shows that a creative twist on a classic dish can lead to an extraordinary reward.
To try Yennie’s award-winning Chicken Florentine Panini at home, check out the full recipe at this link.
Related: In 2008, Maryland cook Carolyn Gurtz won the Pillsbury Bake-Off’s $1 million grand prize with her Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies
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