We have lots of culinary heroes here at SheKnows. There are tons of chefs we admire and adore but there is one woman in particular who has become somewhat of an icon to our staff: Ina Garten. Whether it’s bread making, cocktails, dinner ideas or desserts, she is the chef we always turn to when we need a little recipe inspo.
We love Ina’s authenticity, her love of really good ingredients, the incredible relationship she has with her husband, Jeffrey and the comforting meals she’s been helping us create with our families for years. Lately, she’s been helping us get through these stressful times by not only providing recipes to make with all the pantry staples we stocked up on, but by providing a bit of light-hearted and much-needed comedic relief on her Instagram account. Just today she posted a how-to video for an oversized cocktail and the entire thing is a huge quarantine mood.
If you love Ina just as much as we do and could use a little help planning your meals for the next few weeks, we asked some of our staff members to share their favorite Ina Garten recipes and tell us a little bit about why they love it so much.
Banana Sour Cream Pancakes
“Every other pancake you’ve ever eaten will taste like it came from a box after you experience these — the flavor is so outrageous, it will smack your taste buds awake. The secret ingredient is the lemon zest, which really takes things up a notch, but the sour cream is no slouch either, providing a creaminess and body you wouldn’t expect from pancakes. ” — Cristina Velocci, director of editorial operations
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa
Fleur de Sel Caramels
“Ina Garten’s fleur de sel caramels take the fear out of candymaking. This recipe always comes out flawlessly, and my family loves getting a baggie of these sweets every Christmas. You can even veganize the recipe, using good-quality vegan butter (like Miyoko’s) and replacing the heavy cream with canned coconut milk.” — Justina Huddleston, food writer
Get the recipe from the Food Network
BBQ Chicken
“It is delicious, my mom always used to make it and it introduced me to Hoisin sauce!” — Ashley Britton, graphic designer
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa
Blue Cheese Soufflé
“Soufflé is one of those recipes I had been wanting to try for years but had always been a little hesitant about given its reputation for being finicky. This is maybe a little bit more work than your typical recipe but it’s so worth it and totally doable, even for a novice cook. It’s rich and decadent and the Roquefort cheese has such a deep and complex flavor that really brings this otherwise simple dish to life.” — Kenzie Mastroe, food and lifestyle editor
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa
Butternut Squash and Ricotta Brushcettas
“I’ll eat just about anything if it’s layered on a piece of crispy bread, and if you add ricotta on top of that, I’ve gone to heaven.” — Tamara Krauss, e-commerce writer
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa
Cauliflower Toast
“I’ve never tried any of Ina’s recipes but her Cauliflower Toast seems like a good place to start. Anything with cauliflower lately has been a hit in my household! I’m really excited to give this recipe a try.” — Bonnie Azoulay, social media editor
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa
Chicken Piccata
“I love pasta. And chicken. And lemon, and anytime I cook with capers and white wine, I feel like a professional chef. Bonus, watching her make this amuses me to no end because she and her husband only eat this on Sundays and they are not messing around.” — Reshma Gopaldas, vice president of video programming
Get the recipe from the Food Network
Potato Basil Frittata
“I love any recipe with Gruyere, and this is perfect to multiply for a big brunch party.” — Sabrina Weiss, parenting writer
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa
Tuscan White Bean Soup
“I made this soup this weekend and it was so hearty and warming; perfect for the chillly rainy weekend. I made some substitutions based on what I had available: Per Ina’s suggestion, I used bacon instead of pancetta. I didn’t have any leeks so I just omitted those. I used dried rosemary instead of fresh. And I threw in a generous handful of shredded rotisserie chicken at the end, because I had some that I needed to use up. It was delicious and my whole family loved it. Definitely a winner and a recipe I’ll be making again.” — Erika Janes, deputy editor
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa
Roast Chicken
“Ina’s recipe for Perfect Roast Chicken is what I used to make my very first roast chicken more years ago than I care to tell you. The meat is flavorful and moist, the pan juices make a bright and citrusy gravy, and the buttery skin melts in your mouth.” — Justina Huddleston, food writer
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa
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