The Great American Recipe crowns their first winner

It’s finale night on The Great American Recipe and it is time for the top three to cook their final two dishes and for a winner to be crowned. It is down to Foo, Robin, and Silvia for the title of The Great American Recipe winner.

For the first round, it is about cooking up a dish that is inspired by loved ones and what these home cooks would make with a loved one I’m the kitchen, while also showcasing everything they have learned over the course of the first season. And right off the bat, all of our cooks are showing off both what they have learned and where they come from.

So what are each of our cooks making in this first round? For Robin, her dish this round is called Button Cups. It’s a shortbread cookie made into a cup with a filling that helps it look like a button. For Foo, it is a dish he would cook with his sisters. And that dish is Chicken Congee (a rice porridge). Finally, we have Silvia, who is making a Pesto Pizza, inspired by her husband (thanks to their pizza Fridays, where they make the dish together).

It’s finale time on The Great American Recipe

For each of our cooks, it is as much about bringing the flavors as it is getting the timing right on these dishes. And it was clearly down to the wire in at least one of the stations, as each cook fought hard until the very end of this round. (Even if it doesn’t look like a battle in this kitchen.)

After the judging of the first round (and with plenty of solid comments all around), it was Robin who stood out with what they described as “restaurant quality” button cups.

For the final round our cooks were surprised with a loved one. Silvia’s husband was first out, followed by one of Foo’s sister, and finally, Robin’s son. But what exactly is the challenge for this final round? For this final challenge they have three hours to create a full meal that represents their Great American Recipe with the help of their loved one.

For Foo that means making Hu Tieu, a pork noodle soup with Vietnamese fried chicken and for dessert a Sweet Mango Sticky Rice. Over at Silvia’s station she is making Parrillada Tacos with Linguica Beans and for dessert a Tres Leches Cake. Finally, Robin’s meal and dessert are a Fig Leaf wrapped Salmon with Beet and Endive Salad and an Almond and Oat Fig Tart.

All three meals sound amazing and they absolutely sound like the perfect American recipes. And with their family members at their side to help them with these dishes, it truly feels like this season has come full circle.

Throughout the first season of The Great American Recipe, it has been all about friends and family, with all of these home cooks developing a rapport that made this series feel like a comforting hug every single episode. And now that we are down to the final three cooks, having their loved one at their side just feels like the perfect culmination of this journey.

This round once again spoke volumes about the melting pot of cultures and flavors that make up America and it was truly anyone’s challenge to win. Even the judges seemed to agree that this was definitely a brilliant round for each of our home cooks. Every dish was beautiful and the comments from the judges just proved that these are the three cooks who deserved to be in this final.

In the end though, the cook who walked away with the title of The Great American Recipe winner was ultimately Silvia!