By Ren Turner / Staff    

Roswell Fire Chief Deputy Tony Papoutsis can really handle the heat, both in and out of the kitchen.

The “Live! With Regis and Kelly” kitchen that is, where his original concoction of Smoked BBQ Pizza has landed him as a finalist for the Coast to Coast Firehouse Cook Off.

Online voting from viewers across the country will determine the winner.

Papoutsis is an avid cook, especially when it comes to grilling.  “We smoke just about any meat,” he humbly proclaimed.

While the smoker was burning one night for a family party, pizzas were being made for the kids.  “I grabbed a crust, threw some meat, sauce and beans on it, then put it in the smoker,” he said.

The finished product resulted in a feeding frenzy, and the proverbial die had been cast for Papoutsis’s culinary future.

A contest hosted by Regis and Kelly allowed firefighters from across the country to submit their favorite grill works, and on Monday, Papoutsis was contacted by producers and told he made the “final four.”

Viewers have this weekend to vote for their favorite dish, and send the winner to New York to cook their recipe live with Regis and Kelly.

HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPE VINE

Papoutsis’s pizza rose to popularity through the grape vine appetite of friends and family. “People kept eating them, and from time to time asking about them,” he remarked.

Being with the Roswell Fire Department for 20 years and now serving as Deputy Chief, Papoutsis knows a thing or two about fine tuning a system, including making pizzas.

He shared his gastronomic secret:

Start with a 16 inch frozen pizza crust. Then spread 8-10 oz. of your favorite BBQ sauce on the crust.  Distribute ¾ lb of jalapeno jack cheese on top.  Follow with one can of Bush’s Grill Beans, and end with a load of smoked meat of choice on top.

Throw all that in a smoker at 225 degrees form 30-45 minutes and enjoy hog heaven.

Papoutsis had to assemble a video for Regis and Kelly where he presents his pizza with the words of wisdom, “In Georgia we love our BBQ and we love our pizza.”

The new chef says “The Big Apple” needs to learn about southern style.  To send Papoutsis to New York go to www. liveregisandkelly.com and cast your vote for “Tony Papoutsis’s Smoked BBQ Pizza.”