Orlando, Fla. ? The Earl of Sandwich would be proud.

For the first time in 53 years, a sandwich won the grand prize at the Pillsbury Quick and Easy Bake-Off.

But this is no ordinary sandwich.

Denise Yennie’s prize-winning sandwich had what judges deemed star quality. Chicken Florentine Panini  a homemade version of an Italian restaurant staple  knocked out the competition for the $1 million grand prize.

Yennie, a business consultant from Nashville with two teen-age children, was shocked to learn that she’d won  on a live television broadcast Feb. 27 from Orlando’s Portofino Bay Hotel.

“Oh my God, I am so excited,” said Yennie, 39, her eyes welling with tears. “My kids are home from school on a snow day, and they’re watching.”

Made with Pillsbury pizza crust spread with a garlic-flavored mayonnaise, the sandwich consists of sauteed chicken breasts layered with spinach and sauteed onions. The judges were wowed by the sandwich, noting that it’s a trendy restaurant dish that could be made at home.

In addition to her $1 million dollar prize, Yennie won a GE Profile kitchen appliance package valued at $5,000.

Yennie entered her concoction in the “Luscious & Lighter Main and Side Dish” category. The grand prize is selected from four $10,000 category winners.

The judges selected Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps as the most innovative recipe at the Bake-Off. Maria Baldwin of Mesa, Ariz., developed the recipe using a Green Giant Create A Meal Lo Mein Stir-Fry Meal. The restaurant server and part-time antique dealer won $5,000 in GE Profile kitchen appliances.

The panel of 12 judges  primarily newspaper and magazine food editors and cookbook authors  said Baldwin’s recipe used a convenience product to make a trendy, restaurant-quality meal.

A hundred finalists competed for the grand prize at the Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. The organizers of the nation’s premier cooking contest accepted entries from June 1 through Oct. 15, 2001. The 100 finalists were notified by Dec. 15, 2001. The biennial amateur event offers the largest cash prize of any national cooking contest.

Chicken Florentine Panini

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1 (10-ounce) can Pillsbury Refrigerated Pizza Crust

1 (9-ounce) package Green Giant Frozen Spinach

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped red onion

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon vinegar (cider, red wine or balsamic)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

4 (4-inch) slices provolone cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll dough; place in ungreased 15-by-10-by-1-inch baking pan. Starting at center, press out dough to edges of pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool 15 minutes or until completely cooled.

Meanwhile, cook spinach as directed on package. Drain well; squeeze dry with paper towels.

In small bowl, combine mayonnaise and a garlic clove; mix well. Refrigerate.

Heat oil in small saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add sugar and vinegar. Reduce heat to low; simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until most of liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.

To flatten each chicken breast half, place, boned side up, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Working from center, gently pound chicken with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick; remove wrap. Sprinkle chicken with Italian seasoning and remaining clove of minced garlic.

Spray large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken; cook 8 minutes or until browned, fork-tender and juices run clear, turning once.

Cut cooled pizza crust into 4 rectangles. Remove rectangles from pan; spread each with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture. Top 2 rectangles with chicken, spinach, onion mixture, cheese and remaining crust rectangles, mayonnaise side down.

Heat large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Place sandwiches in skillet. Place smaller skillet on sandwiches to flatten slightly.

Cook 4 to 6 minutes or until crisp and heated, turning once. Cut each warm sandwich into quarters.

Makes 8 sandwiches; 4 servings.

Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps

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1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 (1-pound) package Green Giant Create A Meal! Frozen Lo Mein Stir Fry Meal Starter

2 tablespoons prepared chili-garlic sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons water

8 large leaves Bibb lettuce

1 1/2 cups grated carrots

1/3 cup chopped peanuts

1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

To flatten each chicken breast half, place, boned side up, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Working from center, gently pound chicken with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4-inch thick; remove wrap.

In small bowl, combine frozen sauce from meal starter, chili-garlic sauce and soy sauce; mix well. In medium bowl, combine chicken, 1/4 cup soy sauce mixture and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken; cook 5 to 6 minutes or until no longer pink in center, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from skillet; cut into 1-inch pieces. Cover to keep warm.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 3 tablespoons soy sauce mixture, garlic and frozen vegetables and noodles from meal starter; cook and stir 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. To remaining soy sauce mixture in small bowl, add sugar, peanut butter and water; mix well.

Arrange lettuce on part of large serving platter. Spoon carrots on platter next to lettuce. Arrange cooked vegetables and noodles on platter. Place chicken over vegetables and noodles. Sprinkle chicken with peanuts, onions and cilantro.

To serve, spread peanut sauce in center of each lettuce leaf. Top with chicken, vegetable mixture and carrots. Wrap lettuce around filling.

Makes 8 wraps.