Chef RJ Harvey Vies for Spud Superiority in Food Network Competition

Chef RJ Harvey, Director of Culinary at Potatoes USA, recently appeared on the hit Food Network show Alex vs. America. In the show, talented chefs attempt to take down Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, described as “the most accomplished competition cook in America.”

The stakes were high:

• The episode was “Alex vs. Potatoes,” and spud superiority was on the line.
• Chef Alex has never placed last in a single episode.
• It was Chef RJ’s birthday

We’re proud to announce that Chef RJ Harvey, Director of Culinary at Potatoes USA, took the top spot in Food Network’s Alex vs. America cooking competition in the episode, “Alex vs. Potatoes.” The show features talented chefs attempting to take down Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, described as “the most accomplished competition cook in America.” The episode, which happened to take place on Chef RJ’s birthday, featured judges Simon Majumdar, celebrated food critic, and world-renowned Peruvian chef Ricardo Zarate.

Over the course of two rounds, chefs were first asked to create a dish based on classic potato chip flavors, followed by a “meat and potatoes” dish.

Chef RJ unanimously won the competition due to his delicious creations, which included a smoky barbecue potato burnt ends dish and a potato chip-crusted chicken-fried steak and Russian banana potato mash. Each dish earned rave reviews, with a special shout out to his “magnificent” potato mash. If you want to try the smoky potato burnt ends for yourself, you can find Chef RJ’s recipe here.

“Chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes is a childhood favorite of people all across the country, so I want to recreate this to showcase to people how potatoes can be the star of a dish where beef has traditionally been the star of the dish, ”commented Chef RJ.

During the high-intensity competition, contestants discussed the versatility of America’s favorite vegetable, and Chef RJ even found time to educate the audience about potato nutrition. Viewers can watch the episode online through the Food Network and logging in with their TV provider.

The lucky team at Potatoes USA celebrated Chef RJ’s appearance on Alex vs. America with a watch party where they got to try out some of his winning culinary creations (image above).