A friend sent me a tape from a segment of Oprah where a woman demonstrated the dish that earned the grand prize of a $1,000,000 from Pillsbury for a dish called Baked Chicken and Spinach Stuffing wherein she used the maple syrup provided in the kit to make a glaze for the chicken and added the diced frozen waffles to some spinach. Both are then baked (in separate dishes).
A quick Google turned up the actual recipe, which I've printed below. It's a miracle of simplicity and completely unpretentious, which in fact most of these prize winning recipes admirably are. I couldn't have thought of it because I just am not that open-minded about products like a Dunkables (which prior to seeing the Oprah clip, I didn't even know existed). Had I understood a million smackeroos were at stake, I might have tried, though.
Anyway, here is the golden recipe for your perusal and comments. Please note the Rachel Rayed intro which brags "Ready in less than 30 minutes!" while Step 2 clearly begins, "Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes."
Anna Ginsberg
Austin, TX
Bake-Off® 42 (Orlando, 2006)
$1,000,000 Grand Prize Winner
Quick Meal!
Ready in less than
30 minutes!
Baked Chicken and Spinach Stuffing
Prep Time: 35 min ; Start to Finish: 1 hr
Makes: 2 servings Nutrition Information
An old-fashioned chicken dinner is updated for two, with a surprising ingredient that makes the spinach stuffing extra special.
9 Pillsbury® Dunkables® frozen homestyle waffle sticks with 3 syrup cups (from 1 lb 1.3-oz box)*
2 tablespoons peach preserves
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts (1 lb)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon beaten egg white
1 box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen spinach, thawed, drained, or 1 1/2 cups Green Giant® frozen cut leaf spinach (from 1-lb bag)
1 tablespoon chopped pecans
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate or 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix contents of syrup cups from waffles, the 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 waffle sticks 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°F) and stuffing is thoroughly heated. Spoon remaining syrup mixture from pie plate over chicken. Serve chicken with stuffing.
