The judges wanted to “stick their faces in it” and now, households across Australia can dig in, too.
It is the ultimate MasterChef Australia dream: cooking a dish so incredibly delicious that it lands a permanent spot on supermarket shelves nationwide. And for fan-favourite contestant Hannah Johnson, that dream just became a reality with her cheeseburger pie about to be stocked in Coles for a limited time.
For the start of Aussie Classics Week, the MasterChef contestants were joined by Curtis Stone who unveiled a pie and ice cream challenge. Inspired by creating something her kids would eat, Hannah dished up a cheeseburger-inspired pie, something that Poh Ling Yeow labelled a “totally feral idea “.
But the proof was in the pudding (or should we say pie?) – the judges couldn’t get enough.
Woman’s Day caught up with the talented mum to chat about going “feral” in the kitchen, her emotional reaction to that feedback, and the romantic way she plans to spend the $250,000 grand prize.
Hannah’s family-friendly “feral” concoction may not be her last
When it came to designing a dish that would impress both the judges and supermarket giants, Hannah knew exactly who to look to for inspiration: her own family.
“I think for me, the thought process had two parts when deciding to do the cheeseburger pie,” Hannah tells Woman’s Day. “The first one was, what is something that my family would like to eat? Something that kids and adults alike would love.”
The second part? Staying true to her ultimate culinary philosophy.
“One of my mantras of cooking is that food is fun,” she says. “I think the cheeseburger idea landed in this category! I think this pie actually appeals to both kids and adults, families and friends. It’s all-inclusive if you’re happy to be a little bit ‘feral’.”
The busy mum told Woman’s Day that knowing families across Australia would now be buying her pie felt “surreal” but it’s also inspired her to keep creating.
“Being a mum, I love the idea of being able to provide relief from the dinner routine,” she confesses. “I would love to develop a range of fun frozen dinner items if the opportunity arose!”
Hannah’s cookbook dream
With a Coles product already under her belt, the ultimate question remains: what happens if Hannah takes out the entire competition and wins the life-changing prize money?
Turns out, she already has a beautiful plan in motion, and it starts with a little bit of romance.
“If I take out the title, the prize money will be divided up into a few categories,” Hannah reveals. “Some would be for a holiday for myself and my husband for our 20-year anniversary…I think I see myself back in Italy for that!”
The rest of the winnings will be used to cement her place in the culinary world.
“Some would sit in our bank account while I decide how to use it to really further my future in the Australian food scene. It would give me some buffer to maybe stage [intern] and gain more skills for a bit,” she explains.
“I would also love to write a cookbook, so maybe I could use some of that to make that dream come true.”
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