The Great American Recipe takes on special occasion and holiday dishes in episode 5

The Great American Recipe is taking on special occasion dishes and the holiday traditions we all know and love in episode 5. And it is definitely one of our favorite challenges, as we love getting a chance to see the special dishes that people make for holidays and special events.

And for the first challenge of this week, the judges are asking for the Great American Recipe cooks to make a dish that they have made for a special occasion in the past. The cooks have just 60 minutes to make these dishes and the judges want to see what makes everyone feel good.

So what is everyone making this week?

The Great American Recipe is taking on dishes you would find at special occasions and during the holidays for week 5

• Ted – Prosciutto Egg Cups with Hash Browns (made for brunch after the family had their home built)
• Salmah – Halwa Sweet Pudding (this dish reminds her of the birth of her first daughter)
• Relle – Kalua Pig, Chicken Long Rice and Poi
• Maria – Fry Bread and Three Sisters Soup
• Khela – Croque Madame Mini Quiche with Fruit Salad (this is inspired by a women’s winter brunch that she hosts in her kitchen to celebrate the women in her life)
• Brad – Lamb with Dill Rice and Cherry-Tamarind Sauce (a celebration of his Bar Mitzvah with his twin brother)
• Leanna – Bajan Fish Cakes with Pepper Sauce
• Abbe – Shrimp Creole with Jambalaya Rice

As always there were some great comments from the judges and we love when they offer up some future suggestions.

But who had the best celebration dishes? The best dishes came from Brad and Ted!

For the second challenge of the week, the cooks have to make a holiday dish inspired by their family. And this time they have 90 minutes to make their dishes, which they will have to serve family style.

So what is everyone making in this round?

• Ted – Pastitsio (Christmas)
• Salmah – Barfi / Milk Fudge (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha)
• Leanna – Cinnamon Rolls with Candied Pecans (Christmas)
• Khela – Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Candied Pecans (Thanksgiving)
• Relle – Malasadas / Fried Donut (Malasada Day / Fat Tuesday)
• Maria – Wild Rice and Quinoa Stuffing (Thanksgiving)
• Abbe – Traditional Potato Latkes and Sweet Potato Latkes (Hanukkah)
• Brad – Meatballs in a Spicy Red Sauce (Thanksgiving)

For this holiday feast, the judges definitely found some amazing dishes, with a variety of foods that are familiar and some that we may not all recognize.

So how did everyone do this round? Well, it definitely sounded like the judges enjoyed these very personal dishes, even if there were a few critiques.

Of course, the judges have to name their least favorite dishes, as well as their top dishes. So who had the least favorite dishes of the holiday feast? Salmah and Abbe were the least successful. And who had the best dishes? Brad and Relle were the favorites.

Ultimately, the best dish came from Relle!