Celebrity Chef Michele Ragussis and Chef Jimmy were back on the Coca Cola Stage for The Sun Wine & Food Fest 2025 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. Chef Michele Ragussis always makes something delicious for her annual appearance at the 4-day festival, and this year she demoed how to make Oysters Rockefeller. Every chef puts their own spin on this classic dish that originated in New Orleans, and Chef Michele jazzes her Oysters Rockefeller with pancetta and Swiss chard. Bon Appetit!
Chef Plum, Chef Jimmy, & Chef Michele Ragussis
Food Network fans know Chef Michele Ragussis as a competitor and as a judge on the television shows, Beat Bobby Flay, and I Hate Spiders. She has a solid culinary background having attended Johnson & Wales University and has honed her culinary career throughout restaurants in New England. Currently, she is the Executive Chef at Gedney Farm in New Marlborough, Massachusetts in the Berkshires.
Chef Michele Ragussiss & Chef Plum
We attended Chef Michele Ragussis’ demo during The Sun Wine & Food Fest on Saturday, January 25, 2025, and as in prior years, Chef Plum emceed the event and kept the Coca Cola Stage lively. Having attended Chef Michele Ragussis’ demos in the past, we knew she would be creating something tasty, and her Oysters Rockefeller recipe rocked with swapping Swiss chard for spinach and adding pancetta to the mixture.
Chef Jimmy & Chef Michele Ragussis
Chef Michele Ragussis – Oysters Rockefeller
Chef Michele notes that she does not use salt in this recipe as pancetta is salty, Swiss chard is naturally salty, and the Parmesan cheese is also salty.
Chef Jimmy & Chef Michele Ragussis
Chef Michele Ragussis – Oysters Rockefeller Ingredients:
Raw Oysters, shucked
Pancetta, diced
Parmesan Cheese
Swiss Chard
Shallots, chopped
Cream
Lemon Zest
Breadcrumbs
Chef Michele Ragussis Notes: Although she used pancetta in this recipe, she said that you could also use bacon or prosciutto. When she shucks oysters, she likes to loosen the oyster from the shell and then flip the oyster over in case you break the belly. Once the oysters are shucked, run your finger over the top of the raw oyster to ensure there are no shell pieces in the oyster before adding the topping.
Chef Michele Ragussis & Chef Jimmy
Method: Heat a sauté pan and add the chopped pancetta. Sauté until brown but not crispy. Add the shallots and sweat them, then add the Swiss chard and sauté until tender. Add some cream then add the parmesan cheese to the mixture. Stir well. Top each of the oysters with the mixture and grate some lemon zest over them, add the breadcrumbs, and place them under the broiler (or use a kitchen torch) to broil the topping until golden.
Chef Michele’s tip: Use lemon zest in everything! She even adds it to Bolognese sauce, and it enlivens it.
Until next time, Bon Appetit!
Chef Michele Ragussis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefmichele/ @chefmichele
Read more about The Sun, Wine & Food Fest in the following sections: Chefs’ Recipes section: Chef Antonia Lofaso, Chef Scott Conant, Chef Maneet Chauhan, and Chef Leah Cohen.
For more information on The Sun, Wine & Food Fest at Mohegan Sun 2026 or one of their other upcoming events and concerts, please visit the website: www.mohegansun.com.
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[…] Read more about The Sun, Wine & Food Fest in the following sections: Chefs’ Recipes section: Chef Antonia Lofaso, Chef Scott Conant, Chef Leah Cohen, and Chef Michele Ragussis. […]
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