Week Two of KCOW’s Cooking Wars contest was all about the dessert–with one exception.

While other contestants used the four key ingredients (pretzels, sour cream, oranges, brown sugar) to make decadent cookies, cakes, pie and Jell-O salads, week 2 winner Mary Lore chose savory over sweet. Her Pretzel Crusted Chicken With Caramel Orange Dipping Sauce (which won by a single point) was unanimously praised for the creativity, taste and use of key ingredients in her dish.

Mary wins a Homestead Diner gift certificate and now has a spot reserved in our final showdown for a $250 Grocery Kart shopping spree.  Other Cooking Wars sponsors include The Steakhouse and Sam and Louies.

The four key ingredients for next week’s challenge will be announced this Friday between 9:00 and 10:00am on KCOW.