A chance to compete in the Pillsbury Bake-Off is on the bucket list of every serious foodie, said Jeanette Nelson.

 

She can check that one off.

 

“Because of its status and prize money, we food fanatics know the Pillsbury Bake-Off is like the mama of them all,” she said. “Once you get in, it’s like you’ve met the criteria – broke the code.”

 

After earning finalist status for her Sweet Chili Chicken Sliders and being named one of 100 to compete for the million dollar prize, Nelson made plans to travel to Las Vegas for the competition Nov. 10-12.

 

“I would have liked to win the million dollars, but just being there was an honor,” she said.

 

Now that it’s behind her, it’s all a little surreal.

 

“When we walked in, there was a lot of adrenaline and energy. All 100 of us had to do the grand march and that was wild,” said Nelson, about her entrance into the 4,000 plus-room ARIA Las Vegas Hotel and Casino Resort. “It was led by the Pillsbury Dough Boy and last year’s bake-off winner. It was an exciting experience.”

 

Formerly of the Beckley area and now living in Bridgeport with her husband and children, Nelson was the only contestant from West Virginia. She qualified for and competed in the Appetizers & Sweets category after submitting a recipe for Sweet Chili Chicken Sliders, using some Pillsbury ingredients. She received word in early-July that she was a finalist.

 

Her Pillsbury Bake-Off debut follows a long list of national cook-off success stories. Her biggest national accomplishments to date include first prize in the 2012 DOLE California Cook-Off for her Island Pork Sliders with Pineapple Jicama Salsa and People’s Choice Award in the 2010 Build a Better Burger Contest.

 

Nelson certainly plans to make repeat attempts in the Pillsbury Bake-Off. Her experience this year will serve helpful for preparing for future events, she said.

 

“It was an amazing experience, but at the same time, one of the most stressful contests I’ve ever competed in,” she said.

The 46^th annual bake-off was held in the Aria ballroom. Contestants had roped-off baking areas on the floor. All used brand new GE ovens, which Nelson said were hotter than she is used to. Because of the set-up and the fact that she was allowed no personal equipment – including the types of thermometers and timers she usually relies upon – it took her repeated tries to get her dish just right for submission to judges.

 

She had three tries and the third one was a charm, said Nelson.

 

The bake-off was well organized and provided participants with non-stop food action.

 

“They fed us really well. There was always a nice breakfast, lunch and dinner ready for us,” Nelson said. “And since I represented Kroger, they had a nice reception for me. There was always something going on.”

 

The sampling of other contestants’ dishes was also a good experience and gave Nelson some ideas for her holiday baking spread.

 

Brett Youmans’ Heavenly Hazelnut Torte with Mascarpone Cream was definitely one of her favorites.

 

Nelson said she received plenty of comments about the spiciness of her Sweet Chili Chicken Sliders.

 

In addition to the grand prize, awards were given for second and third place, as well as a handful of special sponsor categories.

 “Probably the only one I could have won was the GE Imagination Award, which was the most creative recipe,” Nelson said.

 

Winning the grand prize was Glori Spriggs of Nevada, who prepared Loaded Potato Pinwheels. She was crowned 2013 Pillsbury Bake-Off champion by “Top Chef” Host Padma Lakshmi.

 

“I just can’t imagine,” Nelson said. “It changed her life.”