The 2006 moment recently resurfaced online and went mega-viral on social media.
Inside Edition tested out the so-called million-door chicken recipe that became a viral sensation last month thanks to a clip featuring Oprah Winfrey.
In 2006, Anna Ginsberg brought her award-winning baked chicken with spinach stuffing to Oprah's talk show. At the time, Ginsberg had just won a $1 million prize for the bird in the Pillsbury Bake-Off competition.
But Winfrey was less than impressed, asking for seasoning in a moment that went viral on social media when BuzzFeed writer Spencer Althouse re-shared video of the clip last month, 12 years after it originally aired.
Inside Edition decided to cook up the chicken with the help of Chef Ashton Keefe, who said she understood why it had won a prize, despite Winfrey's lackluster review.
“It's an easy weeknight meal, it feeds a family, it's affordable to make,” she said.
The secret, she added, is in the sauce.
“This is kind of what's so phenomenal about this because it's got that salty, sweet so we're using maple syrup and we're using peach preserves, then we're using Worcestershire sauce,” Keefe said.
As for Winfrey? She explained her thought process behind her reaction in a video posted to Instagram in December.
“So, I was having a moment of trying to decide, ‘Do I want her to have a great time? What is my real moment of truth?’ Because the truth for me is that I am used to having salt and pepper on my chicken! That’s just the truth.
"That’s what I was thinking, ‘This chicken need some salt and pepper.’”
Here is how you can make the recipe at home from Pillsbury:
Ingredients
3 tablespoons maple-flavored syrup
2 tablespoons peach preserves
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts (1 lb.)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 frozen plain or buttermilk waffles
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)
¼ cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
½ teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon beaten egg white
1 box (9 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon chopped pecans
Steps
Heat oven to 350°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.
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 about 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.
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 in pie plate over chicken. Serve chicken with stuffing.
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