In the first week of The Great American Recipe, ten talented home cooks from regions around the United States gather in a barn in Virginia to share their most memorable recipes. The home cooks compete for a chance to win the title of "The Great American Recipe" and to have one of their recipes featured on the cover of The Great American Recipe cookbook.During this first week, the cooks have start with a 60 minute challenge to prepare a dish that "defines who they are." In the second round, the cooks have 90 minutes to cook a dish that represents the region where they live. Following a judges tasting and an emotional elimination, the nine remaining nine cooks head into their second week of competition.