Chicken and stuffing recipe wins $1 million prize in annual Pillsbury Bake-Off

ORLANDO, Fla. — Anna Ginsberg of Austin, Texas, won $1 million last week for a recipe that even Popeye could love.

On Wednesday, Ginsberg's Baked Chicken and Spinach Stuffing beat out the 98 other finalists of the Pillsbury Bake-Off, which was held in Orlando. The stay-at-home mom made a stuffing from spinach and frozen waffle sticks and used the accompanying syrup in a glaze for the chicken.

The Bake-Off, a tradition since 1949, offers the largest grand prize of any cooking contest, and thus attracts "tens of thousands" of entries, according to the organizers. Recipes were judged on appearance, appeal, creativity and taste.

As master of ceremonies Joy Behar announced Ginsberg's name and confetti rained down from the rafters, Ginsberg grabbed her head with her hands. "It's like I haven't woken up yet," she said. Then she told her 4-year-old daughter sitting in the audience that she could now buy the jumping toy she'd been wanting.

Ginsberg said she made up the recipe for herself for dinner one night. "I thought it was creative and it tasted so good. I ran upstairs and typed it up."

She told Behar that as a "latch-key" kid growing up, she started cooking on her own at an early age. At first her mom didn't like cleaning up the mess. But as she became less messy and started cooking for the family, her mom didn't mind cleaning up as much.

Ginsberg said she will use the money — $50,000 a year for the next 20 years — for her daughter's college fund and a trip to London. She will also receive a complete set of GE Profile kitchen appliances.

Why use waffles for stuffing? All the recipes had to include at least two qualifying products from General Mills, including Pillsbury, Progresso, Green Giant, Yoplait, Muir Glen, Cascadian Farm, Progresso and Old El Paso brands. Ginsberg used Green Giant frozen spinach and Pillsbury Dunkables waffle sticks, which come with little cups of syrup.

Three finalists were from Utah. Despite not winning the big bucks, they all said they had a great time staying at the Gaylord Palms Resort and visiting Disney's Animal Kingdom.

"I didn't have $1 million before I came, so this is just a bonus," said Heidi Vawdrey of Riverton. "I'm here for fun."

It may not have seemed that way at first, when her connecting flight to Orlando was delayed 18 hours. She arrived at 4 a.m. Monday morning, catching a few hours of sleep before the Disney excursion. But on Tuesday morning she was calm and smiling while cooking her Chicken Fiesta Salad.