Michele Ragussis Reflects on Beating Bobby Flay With a Cherished Family Recipe

These days, Chef Michele Ragussis is frequently found seated at the judges’ table on Beat Bobby Flay. But that wasn’t always the case.

The award-winning chef, who in the early 2010s moved to New York City and vowed never to leave until she landed on Food Network, got her big break in 2012 — when she nearly won Season 8 of Food Network Star. The runner-up was on Team Bobby Flay and was the last chef on his team to advance. While she ultimately lost to Justin Warner, Michele has gone on to win two Food Network shows: Guy's Grocery Games and … Beat Bobby Flay.

We caught up with the chef during her busy summer season at Gedney Farm, and she reflected on her first Food Network competition title — and the very special dish that secured the win.

“Beating Bobby was pretty amazing,” Michele says. “To be taught by him, then to turn around and beat him was such a proud, magical moment for me, and if it made him proud, even better.

“I would love to beat him again,” the chef jests. It’s her fire sign personality to a T, and that warmth goes beyond heated rivalries in the kitchen. Michele exudes pride and love for her family, as well as her Greek and Italian heritage. And both helped her beat Bobby.

In the final showdown, Michele chose one of her family’s signature dishes: her grandmother’s pastitsio. The dish is a warm, hearty meat and noodle casserole that is the epitome of Greek comfort food.

“Pastitsio was my dad’s favorite meal (and mine), and my mom loved making it for all of us,” she says of her choice. “They have both since passed away, so it is an important dish in my family. Plus, my sisters don’t cook very well, so I am the only one in the family that can now make it for everyone,” she laughs.

Michele credits her grandmother and mother as the reason she’s a chef today. “The amount of love and care they put into the food they cooked for us taught me that how we cook shows how we care about people,” she says. And while the chef is covered in food-themed tattoos — mostly vegetables and kitchen knives — she has one full recipe tattoo: the pastitsio.

So when it came time to choose a dish to go head-to-head with her former mentor, there was only one choice. It had to be pastitsio, the family pastitsio to be specific, which is a straightforward classic riff. Bobby, however, chose to go a different direction with spicy flair — and it cost him. “I always stick to tradition because I think it always tastes like a hug from the people who taught you how to make it,” Michele says.

Now that Michele is a frequent judge on Beat Bobby Flay, she definitely understands how it is to beat him. “Everyone I judge — he mostly wins,” she laughs. Still, years before any of that, she was nervous. “When they said my name, I was elated,” she says. “And really just wanted Bobby to be proud.”

Today, Michele has a lot to be proud of, as the executive chef at Gedney Farm in New Marlborough, Massachusetts, which the chef says is “crushing it right now.”

“It is so beautiful here, and we are so busy in the summer. The gardens are flourishing and giving us so much food; I actually change the menu every week, so I get to be as creative as I want.” In fact, when we caught up with Michele, she told us that she had just made pastitsio the other week for a Greek dinner.

If you’ve never had pastitsio and want to try it yourself, the pros at Food Network Kitchen have a traditional recipe, as well as a vegan version. Michele’s biggest pastitsio tip for home cooks is to take your time. “Stay organized,” she says. “Make it in steps, and then assemble — and don’t rush. Enjoy the process.”