• I tried Guy Fieri, Ina Garten, and Rachael Ray's recipes for roasted potatoes to find the best one.
• Mushrooms made Fieri's recipe more interesting, and Garten's potatoes had a nice crunch. 
• But of all three, Ray's potatoes were the easiest, quickest, and tastiest. 

Roasted potatoes are an easy side dish, and I typically make mine without a recipe — just using some oil and seasonings.

However, I decided to try some new methods by following recipes from Guy Fieri, Ina Garten, and Rachael Ray.

Here's how they turned out.

Fieri’s roasted potatoes incorporated plenty of fresh ingredients.

Fieri's recipe had some ingredients that made his roasted fingerling potatoes stand out.

For one, it contained nearly as many mushrooms as it did potatoes. But I love mushrooms, so this wasn't a problem for me.

The recipe also said to include thyme and rosemary, but I subbed thyme for oregano because I really dislike thyme.

The potatoes were very simple to throw together.

Fieri's recipe instructions were simple.

I tossed all of the ingredients together except the butter, spread the potato and mushroom mixture on a sheet pan, and then placed little cubes of butter all over.

Although I expected the little fingerling potatoes to cook fairly quickly, I was skeptical they'd be done in 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

They needed far more time in the oven than the recipe listed.

I was right.

After 20 minutes in the oven, my potatoes couldn't be pierced by a fork at all. They needed closer to 40 minutes at this lower temperature.

The mushrooms were the best part of Fieri's dish.

These potatoes tasted good, but they needed to be paired with a mushroom in every bite for the full flavor effect. The mushrooms seemed to absorb most of the herbs.

Fieri's potatoes weren't crispy — like I usually prefer — thanks to the added moisture from the mushrooms and butter. But these were a tasty alternative to my usual side dish.

Garten adds plenty of garlic to her roasted potatoes.

Garten's garlic-roasted potatoes sounded delicious to me.

Aside from garlic and potatoes, other ingredients included salt, pepper, olive oil, and some fresh parsley.

Garten called for small red or white potatoes. I like both, but I used white for this recipe.

My potatoes were prepped in minutes.

Because I have a mincing tool for garlic, it took very little time to prep this recipe.

I just needed to mix all the ingredients (minus the parsley) in a single bowl and lay the potatoes in a flat layer on a sheet pan.

These potatoes required the most time in the oven.

Once my oven preheated to 400 degrees, I baked the potatoes for about 45 minutes. I turned them a couple of times while cooking, which helped make sure they got crispy all around.

When they were done, I quickly tossed them with a bit of fresh parsley.

Garten’s potatoes turned out super crispy and golden.

After 45 minutes, the potatoes were nice and crispy, just how I like them.

I loved the texture, and the parsley added some freshness. But I would have loved even more herbs, like rosemary, for a more vibrant flavor.

Ray has a quick, five-ingredient recipe for rosemary-flavored potatoes.

Ray is known for her 30-minute recipes, and this hearty side dish is no exception.

The prep time only took me about five minutes, and there were only five ingredients.

I mixed everything together right on the pan.

Ray said to mix the ingredients right on the sheet pan rather than dirtying an extra dish, which made the prep even easier.

Then I popped the potatoes in the oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

I loved the crispy yet soft texture of these potatoes.

Ray's potatoes turned out to be a good balance of crispy, salty, and herby.

I could taste the rosemary in every bite. I also liked that the exteriors were slightly crisped, but the insides were really soft.

These didn't get quite as crispy as Garten's, but I still enjoyed them — especially since they only took 20 minutes.

I enjoyed each recipe for different reasons, but Ray’s rosemary potatoes were my favorite.

It was really difficult to choose a favorite because I loved each recipe for different reasons.

Garten's potatoes were extra crispy, which I loved. And the mushrooms and herbs in Fieri's potatoes made them very flavorful.

If I had to choose a favorite, I'd go with Ray's roasted baby potatoes with rosemary. They were flavorful, and I liked that they were a little crispy but still really soft inside. Plus, they were super quick and easy.

This story was originally published on December 23, 2023, and most recently updated on December 20, 2024.

• I made both Ina Garten's and Martha Stewart's latke recipes to see which one I liked better.
• I preferred Garten's recipe — the simple ingredients and butter gave them a lighter flavor.
• Stewart's recipe with oil results in a more classic latke, but they were harder to flip.

Ina Garten and Martha Stewart are both known for their delicious recipes. But whose latkes are the tastiest?

As someone who has grown up celebrating Hanukkah, I've eaten my fair share of the holiday's traditional fried potato pancakes. I was curious to see how two of my favorite celebrity chefs have made latkes their own.

You can read Ina Garten's full latke recipe here and Martha Stewart's full recipe here.

I taste-tested both recipes. Here's how they turned out.

I began with Ina Garten's recipe, which calls for relatively simple ingredients.

The recipe lists potatoes, an egg, flour, salt, and pepper. I was surprised to find that the recipe called for frying the latkes in clarified butter instead of oil. Eating foods fried in oil is part of Hanukkah tradition, so I was a bit skeptical about this change.

I began by peeling and grating the potatoes, then squeezing out the excess liquid.

I managed to cut myself almost immediately. Grate with caution.

I mixed in the egg, flour, salt, and pepper.

The resulting batter had the consistency of oatmeal.

I then started on the clarified butter for frying.

The recipe includes instructions for how to make clarified butter. You can also just buy ghee at a grocery store and skip this step.

Making clarified butter involves melting butter, waiting for milk solids to settle, and skimming them off the top.

It reminded me of skimming the fat off the top of chicken soup. It was easy, but took extra time waiting for the solids to settle.

With the butter all clarified, it was time to fry.

Garten's recipe instructs using a tablespoon of the potato mixture for each latke.

The small pancakes finished cooking in minutes, and they were easy to flip.

I also loved that frying the latkes in butter didn't make my entire apartment and person smell like oil. It's a strong scent that tends to linger. These just smelled mildly like melted butter, which was amazing.

The finished products came out perfectly crispy even though they weren't fried in oil.

Because there weren't any other added ingredients to the batter, the potato flavor shone through and the buttery crust was delicious.

Paired with some applesauce — my latke topping of choice — Garten's recipe became the one to beat for me.

It didn't have the oily taste of a traditional latke, but I actually preferred the milder taste of butter.

Next, I started on Martha Stewart's latke recipe, which called for some extra ingredients.

Stewart's recipe involved twice the amount of potatoes and eggs that were in Garten's, as well as additions like grated onion and beer.

I grated the potatoes and squeezed them out with a kitchen towel.

Stewart's recipe says to reserve this potato juice, let the milky starch sink to the bottom, and pour off the liquid — similar to the clarified butter I made for Garten's recipe.

I then added the eggs, a grated onion, and a quarter cup of beer.

Grated onions are standard in latke recipes — beer, not as much. I was curious to see how it would affect the flavor and texture.

After mixing everything, I scooped half a cup of batter at a time into a pan of hot oil as the recipe instructed.

The larger latkes took much longer to fry than Garten's, and they were a little more unruly to flip. I'm still trying to get a resulting oil splash out of my favorite jeans.

As that classic oily Hanukkah smell filled the kitchen, I became nostalgic for the latkes of my youth.

I could already tell that these latkes were going to be the more traditional of the two.

Stewart's recipe tasted like the standard latke you can get at any Hanukkah party.

I couldn't taste the beer, but the grated onion and the crispy, oily goodness created a sharper flavor that screamed Hanukkah to me.

Personally, I preferred Garten's take on the potato pancake, but Stewart's recipe is great if you're looking for a classic latke.

Even though they're not fried in oil — which is kind of the point of eating them on this holiday — I enjoyed Garten's latkes more because they were easier and faster to make, and they had a mild, buttery flavor that I loved. But Stewart's recipe is perfect for traditionalists.

• I made hot-chocolate recipes from Ina Garten, Jacques Torres, Sandra Lee, Alton Brown, Carla Hall.
• My favorite recipe for hot chocolate was Sandra Lee's, which calls for a bit of alcohol. 
• Garten had my second-favorite recipe, though I'd make all of them again with some adjustments.

Like many people, hot chocolate was a staple of my childhood. On snowy days, I'd go build snowmen or sled with my little brother, then run inside to a cup of it.

I'd never had a homemade mug of hot chocolate — or hot cocoa, if it's made from a powder — so I decided to try five recipes from celebrity chefs Ina Garten, Jacques Torres, Sandra Lee, Alton Brown, and Carla Hall to see which I'll follow all season long. 

Garten's hot-chocolate recipe includes espresso powder and a cinnamon stick for garnish

The "Barefoot Contessa" host's hot-chocolate recipe seems great for a crowd — although I cut the recipe in half, it still made two to three servings. 

The original recipe calls for half a pound of chocolate, so I expected it to be very rich. It also includes espresso powder, which I figured would boost the chocolaty flavor. 

She calls for a vanilla bean or cinnamon stick to use as garnish, which are fancier and more expensive than marshmallows, whipped cream, or peppermint rods.

Once the ingredients were measured and chopped, this drink quickly came together

It took me some time to measure out all of the ingredients, but after that was done, Garten's recipe was pretty quick and straightforward. 

I heated the milk and half-and-half on the cooktop, then whisked in the bittersweet and milk chocolate until they were melted. From there, I added in the rest of the ingredients, stirred it all together, and poured it into my mug. 

I garnished the drink with a cinnamon stick since vanilla beans are a little too pricey for me to justify using them for garnish.

This hot chocolate was delicious and not too sweet

Rich is the best way to describe this hot chocolate — it had a thicker consistency and a delicious, chocolaty flavor that wasn't too sweet thanks to the bittersweet chocolate. The espresso definitely helped bring out the richness of the chocolate.

Although the cinnamon stick was a nice touch, a drink this good begs for some whipped cream as well.

Torres' hot-chocolate recipe calls for 4 ingredients, and none of them are sugar

Torres, a renowned pastry chef and "Nailed It!" cohost, has a very simple hot-chocolate recipe with just four ingredients — milk, milk powder, cornstarch, and dark chocolate.

The one thing I noticed right away is that there are no sweetening agents in this recipe, so I expected it to be more bitter than the others.

The directions were as simple as the ingredients list

With only four ingredients, it makes sense that this recipe was also easy to make. 

I boiled the milk, stirred in the chocolate until it melted, then added the milk powder and cornstarch to thicken the mix.

Although I quickly whisked nonstop, I later found out that some of the milk powder didn't completely dissolve.

I would've liked a bit of sweetener in this recipe

I liked the use of dark chocolate, but this recipe needed a little bit of sweetener. It was just a bit too bitter, but the worst part was the clumps of milk powder that didn't dissolve, no matter how hard I whisked. Luckily, this is an easy fix: I'll use a strainer next time. 

Otherwise, the texture was thick — but not as rich as Garten's — and it would be really delicious with a little bit of sugar.

Lee's recipe is a little boozy

I was unsure if I'd be a fan of Lee's "Semi-Homemade Cooking" recipe, which calls for milk chocolate, half-and-half, cinnamon, and either vanilla vodka or hazelnut liqueur. 

I opted for the latter because it's what I had on hand, but I was worried the milk chocolate would make this drink too sweet.

This was the fastest recipe to make

With only three ingredients that go onto the cooktop at the same time, this recipe was ready in five minutes. 

After the mix melted together and heated up, I poured it into a cup and added an ounce of hazelnut liqueur.

I couldn't believe how incredible this hot chocolate turned out

This recipe is so good. The drink had a hint of spice and was sweet, slightly nutty, and definitely chocolaty — I loved the flavor that the cinnamon and hazelnut added. 

After one sip, I knew this would be my go-to drink for winter.

Brown's recipe is for hot cocoa, but I still wanted to try it

This recipe results in a hot-cocoa powder that you can store and use again because it keeps "indefinitely," according to Brown. This was an advantage the hot-chocolate recipes didn't have, so I was excited to see how this turned out. 

The mix calls for six dry ingredients that get combined with hot water.

Mix, pour, and stir — this recipe was ready in no time

I measured out all of the dry ingredients, including a pinch of cayenne, and stored the mix in an airtight container. Even after cutting the recipe in half, this still made about two cups of hot-cocoa powder. 

Once everything was combined, I filled my mug halfway with the mix, then poured in the hot water and stirred.

This simple hot cocoa had the slightest kick from the cayenne

The finished drink had a barely sweet chocolate flavor, plus a little heat from the cayenne. 

The recipe lists hot water among the ingredients, so that is what I used. However, Brown also said in the directions that the mix works great with warm milk, which I'll use next time for a slightly thicker and richer drink.

Overall, this hot cocoa was still tasty and better than the store-bought alternatives.

I was excited to experiment with the unique hot-chocolate ingredients in Hall's 'Snow Day Cocoa'

Culinary judge Hall had a unique lineup of ingredients in her hot-chocolate recipe, ranging from dark chocolate and toasted cinnamon to ginger and orange peel, plus a homemade whipped cream. 

I love all of these flavors, so I was looking forward to trying this option.

This recipe took me the longest to make

Hall's hot chocolate was more involved than the others, but the steps were still easy to follow. 

I started by toasting some ground cinnamon in a pot on the cooktop, then I added the rest of the base ingredients. 

As that heated up, I made the whipped cream — which requires heavy cream, ginger, and sugar — in my stand mixer. The original amount of cream was too little for my attached whisk to reach and whip, so I doubled the recipe.

I enjoyed the various flavor profiles in this hot chocolate

The drink had a strong dark-chocolate flavor, which I liked. The toasted cinnamon and hints of ginger and orange helped tone down most of the bitterness. 

I think I'd add a little more sugar to the hot chocolate itself, but overall, this recipe was great.

I liked all of the recipes, but Lee's was my favorite

I'd try all of these recipes again, but Lee's was the winner for me. I loved her combination of chocolate, cinnamon, and hazelnut. The drink's texture was perfect because it wasn't too watery or too thick.

Garten's recipe was a very close second, as it was so rich and chocolaty — just as this delicious drink should be. 

I'd also happily make Hall's "Snow Day Cocoa" again with a little more sugar, and Brown's mix is still in my pantry. I would also attempt Torres' recipe again, though I'd use a strainer and add sweetener to it. 

Click to check out the other celebrity-chef recipes we've put head-to-head so far.

This story was originally published on December 3, 2020, and most recently updated on December 19, 2024.

• Chef Joe Garcia knows the pressure that comes with running a Michelin-starred kitchen.
• Still, Garcia told BI that he found his job less stressful than watching "The Bear."
• He said "The Bear" does a good job of capturing the sacrifice that comes with being a chef.

"The Bear" might be considered a comedy, at least in the eyes of the Emmys and Golden Globes, but most would agree it's one of TV's most nerve-racking shows.

Even chef Joe Garcia — who ran the Michelin-starred restaurant Manzke in Los Angeles before taking over as culinary director of the legendary Hotel Bel-Air — finds the hit FX series far more stressful than his work.

"My job at Manzke was to make sure we were performing at a one-Michelin-star level, yet I was going home and watching them make sandwiches on 'The Bear,' and that was stressing me out more," Garcia told Business Insider during a recent interview.

Garcia said there's still "a lot of truth" to the show, which follows fictional chef Carmy as he tries to transform his brother's Chicago sandwich shop into a Michelin-starred restaurant.

The series references several real fine-dining establishments, including chef Thomas Keller's three-star Michelin restaurant, The French Laundry.

One small detail that stood out to Garcia, who spent six years at The French Laundry, was when Carmy wrote "Sense of Urgency" on a piece of tape and placed it in his kitchen. The same words are under every clock in every kitchen at Keller's restaurants. Garcia had once written his own makeshift "Sense of Urgency" sign on tape, much like Carmy, when The French Laundry was undergoing a renovation.

"It was a little snippet on one of the episodes, and people would normally miss it," he said. "But because it's so important to me in my life and career, I noticed it."

Garcia is also familiar with the pressure of pursuing a Michelin star, as Carmy does in the show's most recent season.

When Garcia was chef de cuisine at Manzke, the restaurant earned its first star within eight months of opening in March 2022. Garcia joined Hotel Bel-Air after Manzke closed in March due to financial struggles.

"If you talk to a chef and they tell you that it's not their dream, they're probably bullshitting you because who doesn't want it?" Garcia said about getting a Michelin star. "If you get it in eight months — it's a lot of added pressure. It's one thing to strive toward a Michelin star and work toward it, and it's another to try to protect it."

"But the show itself as a critique, it's just so overdramatized," Garcia added. "As someone who actually does this for a living, I know firsthand what it's like to do that. And I was more stressed going home and watching 'The Bear' on my couch than I was at Manzke."

Garcia said "The Bear" does a good job of capturing the demand and sacrifice of an industry "that's very difficult to exist in."

"It's not always just glamour, right?" he said. "It's nice to be seen and validated by something that is now part of pop culture and to have that lifestyle be known and understood. I think it's important for people to know what we go through."

Garcia also hopes the show might influence people to be kinder and more understanding when talking to restaurant staff.

"Sometimes, people come in, and they ask for the silliest and craziest things, and they expect everything to be handed to them immediately," Garcia said. "But we're human, just like everybody else."

• David Martin and Harry Shen are chefs from St Vincent's Care, a nursing home in Melbourne.
• The chefs understand that not all nursing homes have the budget, but they hope to raise standards.
• Their efforts come as nations worldwide are facing aging populations.

David Martin can still recall the conversation that changed his career path.

He was 25 and had spent the past decade working in the restaurant and fine dining scene. The hours were brutal — up to 16 hours a day — and he was on the verge of burnout.

His parents brought up the idea of working in a nursing home. They had a cousin who worked in that industry and suggested he try it.

"I told them, 'Why would I want to go to aged care? That's where people retire. My skills will go to waste,'" Martin recalled. Still, with an open mind, he decided to give it a shot.

He hasn't looked back since. Martin, now 35, is an executive chef manager at St Vincent's Care, a nursing home facility in Australia.

By his side is Harry Shen, 39, a senior head chef who also left the restaurant scene to try something different. They share the same vision: to raise the standard of food in aged healthcare.

Apart from working under top chefs, including Donovan Cooke, Shen had also picked up shifts at Australian nursing homes in the past. It was during that time that he noticed frozen food was often the norm.

So when he saw a job posting from St Vincent's for a chef to elevate nursing home food, it stood out.

"This is something I also wanted to do. To change things," he told Business Insider.

A premium offering

With Shen on board, Martin and his team worked during the pandemic to reinvent meal plans at one of St Vincent's healthcare centers in Kew, a suburb of Melbourne. The facility doubles as an aged care home and a hospital.

It's a more premium nursing home option. According to St Vincent's Care's website, a stay at a standard room in the facility costs 171 Australian dollars a night, or around $111 — almost double the basic daily fee for nursing homes in Australia, which is AU$63.57. The room has an ensuite toilet, and residents can access a café, cinema, and hairdressing salon within the facility.

A typical meal plan at St Vincent's is as follows: In the morning, residents are offered a continental breakfast and a tea cake of the day. For lunch, they have a main with a selected sauce, a starch, and two vegetables.

They end the meal with a sweet — warmed apple coconut strudels on some days and a green tea cheesecake on others — then round the day up with an afternoon tea snack and a generous dinner selection.

"We want to break the stereotype that aged care food is just a lump of food on a plate," Shen said.

Cooking for older residents does come with certain considerations. In particular, the chefs have to look out for residents who have dysphagia, a geriatric syndrome that affects swallowing. According to the Mayo Clinic, 10% to 33% of older adults have dysphagia and can face malnutrition as a result.

As such, the chefs provide a range of options for residents with different needs so that everyone — even those who struggle to swallow — can enjoy a hearty meal.

Nursing home food on the world stage

Martin and Shen wanted to show the world that nursing home food can — and should — be just as good as restaurant food.

In 2023, they decided to compete in culinary competitions together. After placing in several local competitions, they were approached to apply for the International Salon Culinaire, one of the world's top competitions for chefs. Previous winners of the competition include Gordon Ramsey and Michael Deane, a Michelin-star chef.

In March this year, the duo competed alongside top chefs worldwide over the three-day competition in London. Their dishes included coconut rice pudding with crème brûlée and seafood paella — food they can serve at a nursing home.

They emerged with two silver medals. But more than the accolades, they hoped that people would focus on the message they were trying to send.

The chefs are well aware that not all nursing homes have the same luxuries of staffing and budgets to prepare premium meals. Still, it's about setting a standard, they said.

"We want to make this industry better for now and into the future for our parents and grandparents to be respected in," Martin said.

"The main thing is the frame of mind. The chef can be creative, whether it's adding a bit more garnish for presentation or baking things in-house rather than buying," he continued.

A graying world

Shen and Martin's efforts come as nations worldwide are graying rapidly. In October, the World Health Organization called for an urgent transformation of care and support systems for older people. They projected that 1 in 6 people will be 60 or older by 2030. By 2050, this number will double to 2.1 billion.

In the US, the aging of the baby boomer generation means that the number of Americans ages 65 and older requiring nursing home care could increase by 75% by 2030, a recent report by the Population Reference Bureau found.

That's where the importance of food comes in.

Dr. Andrea Maier, a professor of medicine at the National University of Singapore's Centre of Healthy Longevity, told BI that raising food quality is especially important in nursing homes, where people are often at the final stages of their lives and need nutrition.

"If they don't have an appetite, they're losing muscle mass, and their health is deteriorating. So food needs to be fun." When food is fresh and well-plated, it gives residents motivation to eat, she added. "It's a double positive."

Then there are the emotional impacts of having a good meal.

"When you're in a care home, life is relatively unrushed. Dining is one thing that I think people look forward to other than engagement activities," said Wee Shiou Liang, an associate professor of Gerontology at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

"So, that experience is even more important."

Martin and Shen now collaborate as co-creative directors on menus in St Vincent's homes across New South Wales and Victoria. They also manage and mentor chefs in the region.

Neither chef intends to return to the restaurant scene. Seeing their impact on their residents has moved them to stay.

Working in end-of-life care, Martin said each meal, pastry, or salad could be the last dish their residents eat.

"And that's big to me because if you can give comfort to someone when they're in serious pain, that is a present to them," he said.

"They don't need to remember your name. They don't need to remember the dish. But if at that moment they realize they were at ease and were comforted by you — that's the heart of it."

• Professional chefs told Insider the best sweet and savory snacks to make in the air fryer.
• You can make plantain chips or crunchy chickpeas in the popular kitchen appliance.
• Fry up beignets or candied cashews to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Although you can definitely use air fryers to make an entire meal, they're also perfect for whipping up snacks.

So Insider spoke to professional chefs about their favorite small bites to make with the popular kitchen appliance. 

Buffalo cauliflower bites offer a kick of spice

Chris Curren, executive chef at and owner of The Graceful Ordinary, told Insider that Buffalo cauliflower bites are the perfect air-fryer snack. 

"These are a healthier alternative to Buffalo chicken bites," Curren said. "I like to bread mine to make sure they're extra crunchy."

To make these bites, coat cauliflower florets in Buffalo sauce and breadcrumbs and cook until crispy. 

Transform leftover pasta into a crunchy treat

Executive chef Garrison Price told Insider that he loves using the air fryer to turn cooked pasta into bite-sized snacks.

"A great air-fryer hack is coating leftover pasta with your favorite seasoning and cooking until you get crunchy, chip-like munchies," Price said. 

If the leftover pasta is dry, coat the pieces with a little oil to ensure they crisp up in the air fryer, then pair the finished bites with a dipping sauce for extra flavor. 

Make a quick batch of beignets in the air fryer

Beignets are a deep-fried pastry often associated with New Orleans and served with powdered sugar. 

"The air fryer is perfect for beignets because you don't have to mess around with bringing frying oil up to temperature," Curren said. "They also puff up really well in the air fryer."

You can adapt a standard recipe for the air fryer by brushing the shaped dough with oil and cooking until golden. Then dust the finished pastries with powdered sugar or a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

Air fryers make enjoying candied cashews easy

Making candied nuts often involves deep-frying or caramelizing the pieces on the stovetop, but using an air fryer is a simpler way to create this sweet snack.

"Toss raw cashews with a little water, spices or seasonings of your choice, and a spoonful or two of sugar," Price said. "Making them this way involves less oil and mess."

For candied nuts that combine sweet, spicy, and salty flavors, Price recommended trying Japanese togarashi seasoning — a spicy and umami blend of flavors — and a touch of coconut sugar.

Plantain chips are an easy, gluten-free snack

The chef Monti Carlo, a former "MasterChef" contestant, told Insider you could make homemade plantain chips in under 10 minutes by using an air fryer.

"All you need to do is cut a very green plantain into strips, coat with cooking spray and salt, and cook until golden," Carlo said. 

The chef advised that if you're watching your sodium intake, skip the salt and use nutritional yeast instead. 

Empanadas can sport sweet or savory fillings 

A type of turnover, empanadas are usually deep-fried or baked, but popping them in an air fryer can cut back on the mess.

"Even if you make your empanadas with store-bought dough, the air fryer guarantees your filling will be surrounded by a flaky and crisp pastry," Price said. 

Empanadas can be stuffed with seasoned meat, vegetables, cheese, or fruit, but make sure the edges are completely sealed or the filling may ooze out while cooking. 

The air fryer is great for making crunchy chickpeas

Carlo told Insider that crunchy chickpeas are her favorite air-fryer snacks.

"They're budget-friendly and you can season them with whatever you want," Carlo said. "I like using fresh rosemary, lemon zest, and Parmesan cheese."

Toss soaked or canned chickpeas with olive oil and seasoning then cook them in a preheated air fryer until golden and crispy. 

Elote is tasty and customizable

Elote is a Central and South American take on corn on the cob that's typically grilled and served with toppings like grated cheese, mayonnaise, chili powder, lemon juice, butter, or salt. 

"Making Elote in the air fryer is great because you can give the corn that crispiness without having to fire up the grill," Curren said. 

He recommended drizzling the corn with a spoonful or two of melted butter to give it extra flavor and color.

Brussels sprouts come out perfectly crispy in the air fryer

Curren said Brussels sprouts made in an air fryer are better than traditionally fried ones.

"A traditional fryer can leave Brussels sprouts greasy and overcooked, but you don't have those worries with an air fryer," Curren told Insider. 

To make crunchy, air-fried Brussels sprouts, halve or quarter the pieces and toss them with your choice of seasonings, salt, and a small amount of oil. Then cook until the centers are soft and the outer leaves are browned. 

Turn leftover pizza into bite-sized snacks

If you have leftover slices in your fridge, use an air fryer to transform them into a plate of crispy pizza bites.

"Unlike the microwave, the air fryer will make the pizza nice and crispy again," Curren said. "It's a great way to breathe new life into leftovers."

Simply cut the pizza into smaller pieces and pop them in the air fryer for five to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling.

This story was originally published in October 2021 and most recently updated on December 6, 2024.

• Culinary pros shared tips for how to make store-bought pies look homemade and taste even better. 
• Melting butter or cheese on top of a pie can help balance out its sweetness. 
• Decorate your dessert with a dusting of powdered sugar, frosted lettering, or caramel sauce. 

Make an herbed caramel sauce to add a gourmet flair to a store-bought pie.

Professional baker and winner of TLC's "Cake Boss: Next Great Baker" Dana Herbert told Business Insider that he recommends adding an herbed caramel sauce to ready-made pies.

"Add some cinnamon, rosemary, thyme, ginger, or cardamom to warm caramel sauce and serve it with the pie," Herbert said. "Even traditionally savory herbs can complement sweet desserts." 

If you're not sure whether a particular herb would pair well with your pie, Herbert recommended closing your eyes and smelling the herb or spice — if you can detect something sweet in the scent, it's probably OK to use.

Pop your store-bought pie out of its packaging to make it look homemade.

Alexandra Lourdes, co-owner of Saint Honoré Doughnuts and Beignets, told BI that the easiest way to elevate a store-bought pie is to simply remove it from its original packaging. 

"Make sure you take it out of the box it came in," Lourdes said. "If you place it in a new box, add a ribbon, or arrange it on a beautiful cake stand, no one will ever know it's not homemade."

Top blueberry or cherry pie with a dollop of lemon curd.

Introducing some lemon flavor can add complexity to and elevate the taste of a premade berry pie. 

"Make a super tangy lemon curd with lemon juice and plenty of zest," Herbert said. "The sourness will cut through some of the excessive sweetness found in store-bought blueberry and cherry pies." 

If you don't have time to make your own lemon curd, you can buy some from the grocery store and stir in a bit of fresh lemon juice and rind.

Melt butter on top for extra richness.

Kevin Cabrera, corporate executive chef at The Save Mart Companies, told BI that melting a bit of butter on top of a ready-made pie can help give it a homemade richness.  

"Halfway through warming your pie, directly insert thin slices of butter into the venting slits of the pie," Cabrera said. "This will give it a nice, moist flavor."

Adding too much butter might oversaturate the pie and lead to a soggy crust, so start with a tablespoon or two, and add more if necessary.

Sprinkle on some salt to balance overly sweet pies.

Carlo Lamagna, chef and owner of Magna PDX, told BI that a dose of salt can help tone down the sweetness in syrupy pies. 

"Salt helps accentuate flavors and balances out often overly sweet items," Lamagna said. 

If you don't want to sprinkle pure salt on your dessert, you can opt for crushed salted nuts, like peanuts or cashews, which will still do the trick and add extra texture.

Melt cheese onto the crust of your apple pie.

If you feel like taking some culinary risks, Lamagna suggested mixing up a classic store-bought apple pie by adding some sliced or shredded cheese.

"I grew up in the Midwest, so we would always melt a slice of cheddar on the top of apple pies," Lamagna said. "Don't be afraid to experiment with unconventional pairings."

Moderation is key to pulling off cheesy apple pie — don't layer on too much cheese, or you'll end up with an oily, salty crust.

Serve your pie with homemade whipped cream.

Chef and sommelier Melissa Smith told BI that serving a premade pie with fresh whipped cream is a great way to make the dessert taste and look gourmet.

All you need is a whisk, heavy cream, and powdered sugar. Consider using a piping bag to add the whipped cream to your pie for an elevated look. 

Smith said doing so will make your pie look "modern and classy, like something straight out of a magazine."

For bonus points, she recommended garnishing the piped cream with a few flakes of edible gold or a smattering of citrus zest.

A light dusting of powdered sugar is a fast way to dress up your pie.

Instead of making your own fresh whipped cream, you could also just grab a spoonful of powdered sugar. 

"A simple dusting of powdered sugar can really make your pie look more appetizing than if you simply served it bare and straight out of the container," Smith said. 

For flawless presentation, use a sieve to ensure an even coating of sugar and a stencil if you want to use the sugar to create clean and clear designs.

Add homemade lettering on top for a personal touch.

Just because your pie came straight from the grocery store doesn't mean it needs to look generic. 

"I'd add homemade lettering to the pie to make it your own," Lourdes said. "You can also add gold flakes or edible food glitter to make a statement." 

You can simply add your chosen phrase using frosting or make chocolate letters at home with silicone molds.

Top slices with ice cream for a pleasing temperature mix.

If you're serving a pie that's meant to be enjoyed warm, adding a scoop of high-quality ice cream can enhance the taste.

"Hot and cold foods are a dynamic pair," Cabrera said. "After warming it up, serve the pie with a generous scoop of slow-churned ice cream for a delectable dessert." 

Cabrera noted that you can't go wrong with vanilla ice cream, but you can also pick a rich chocolate or a fruity sorbet.

Sprinkle some bacon bits on top of your pie for a savory kick.

If you love marrying salty and sweet, adding a light dusting of bacon pieces to your pie might be a mouthwatering move. 

"The perfect way to improve an apple or peach pie is to grab your favorite bacon, cook it up, and toss it on the pie," Herbert said. 

For a Southern-inspired dessert, Herbert suggested using bourbon-flavored bacon on a pecan pie. 

Add fresh fruit to cream pies.

Liven up drab cream pies by topping them with chopped fresh fruit for added texture and color. 

"Find a fruit that would complement the type of cream pie you purchased," Lamagna said. "Cherries tend to go well with chocolate cream, and coconut works with banana cream."

Other tasty combos include peaches with vanilla cream, raspberries with lime cream, and banana with peanut-butter cream.

This story was originally published on November 3, 2020, and most recently updated on November 25, 2024.

• I made Alex Guarnaschelli, Alton Brown, and Ree Drummond's green-bean casseroles. 
• Guarnaschelli's casserole tasted like something from a high-end steak house.
• Drummond's version was the least traditional, and Brown's was the closest to my go-to recipe. 

Green-bean casserole is a nonnegotiable Thanksgiving side for me.

My go-to is the standard recipe made with canned green beans, condensed cream-of-mushroom soup, and French's fried onions.

But to make sure I'm not missing out on something better, I followed recipes from three celebrity chefs: Alton Brown, Ree Drummond, and Alex Guarnaschelli.

Here's how they stacked up in my attempt to find the best green-bean casserole.

Each chef called for the green beans to be blanched in advance, so I started there.

Each recipe called for trimmed, fresh green beans that had been blanched in boiling water for a few minutes and cooled in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

The boiling times varied between two and five minutes. But since I like my green beans extra smooshy in the casserole, I blanched all the beans for five minutes before moving them to an ice bath.

Brown’s ingredients seemed the most traditional.

Brown's green-bean casserole most closely resembled the dish I've been making my entire adult life.

The ingredients included breaded onions, green beans, and a mushroom sauce. Everything was pretty simple and straightforward.

The sauce was basically homemade mushroom soup.

Brown's recipe involved creating a sauce that seemed a lot like cream-of-mushroom soup to me. It included chopped mushrooms, butter, chicken broth, and half-and-half.

The sauce was simple to make and tasted amazing. I immediately knew it would be similar to the canned version I typically use, but fresher and more flavorful.

I followed the chef's precise instructions for the onions.

For the crunchy garnish, Brown called for yellow onions, halved and sliced thin.

I coated the slices in flour, panko, and salt and baked them until they were nice and crispy.

I combined all the separate parts to bake the casserole.

After all the components were ready, I started assembling the casserole by combining the green beans, mushroom sauce, and ¼ of the onions.

I topped everything with the rest of the crispy onions and baked it for 15 minutes at 475 degrees Fahrenheit.

As I expected, Brown’s recipe tasted the most like traditional versions of the dish.

It was obvious from looks alone that Brown's casserole was the most traditional of the three. It looked like the green-bean casseroles I've made for years, and it had the same flavor profile.

But Brown's version was better than mine. It was an elevated, fresher, more flavorful version of what I've been serving for years.

I just might start making it for future Thanksgiving dinners.

Guarnaschelli’s recipe called for Dijon mustard and pan-fried red onion.

There were lots of familiar ingredients in Guarnaschelli's casserole recipe, like mushrooms, green beans, and onion.

But the chef called for a red onion, and the sauce for the casserole contained tangy Dijon mustard.

The onions were the star of Guarnaschelli’s casserole.

Like Brown, Guarnaschelli had specific instructions for preparing the onion in her recipe. It was to be sliced into super-thin rounds before coating and frying.

I was more than a little nervous to fry the rings of red onion in several cups of canola oil, but the process was easier than I anticipated.

After tossing the onions in flour, I fried them in batches, allowing them to drain on paper towels before salting them.

Of all three casserole toppings, these were the crispiest, tastiest, and most flavorful.

I then started on the sauce, which was fairly straightforward.

Other than the addition of Dijon, Guarnaschelli's sauce was familiar and straightforward to make.

Once I had everything ready, I garnished the top with the crispy onions and baked everything for about 10 minutes at 350 F.

The recipe was an elevated version of the classic dish.

I may save traditional green-bean casseroles, like Brown's, for Thanksgiving dinner. But I'd make Guarnaschelli's version as a side dish for any elevated meal at home.

The tanginess of the Dijon mustard combined with the salty crispiness of the fried red onion would make this a perfect side for everything from grilled steaks to barbecued meats.

Drummond’s green-bean casserole was completely different from what I was used to.

Drummond's casserole abandoned traditional inclusions like crispy onion and mushrooms, and instead called for bacon, diced red bell pepper, and a creamy cheddar-cheese sauce.

I was immediately intrigued by how it would turn out.

Drummond’s cheese sauce and bold red bell pepper seemed strange to me.

I followed the recipe to a T, but I couldn't help but wonder how it would compare to my traditional and beloved green-bean casserole.

Most of the steps involved mixing the ingredients for the cheesy sauce in a pan on the stove before adding in the cooked bacon and blanched green beans.

Instead of crispy onions, I topped the casserole with breadcrumbs before baking it for 30 minutes at 350 F.

I enjoyed her take on the dish, but I'd make one tweak next time.

The bacon-y, cheesy dish was surprisingly delicious, although it tasted nothing like any green-bean casserole I've had before.

Next time, I'd add a few pats of butter to the breadcrumb topping to get it a bit more golden brown.

I particularly liked the flavors brought into the dish by the sharp cheddar cheese and red bell pepper — I could see this being a fun side dish to serve at a summer barbecue.

My husband preferred this one and said if you're trying to take a standout dish to a Thanksgiving potluck, this would turn heads.

The best green-bean casserole didn't pass the leftovers test.

Right out of the oven, Guarnaschelli's crispy, salty, oniony dish was my absolute favorite. The creamy mustard sauce gave it an elevated and decadent vibe, and the onions were packed with flavor.

But I think the best part of any holiday meal is the leftovers. The following day, Brown's green-bean casserole emerged as the best of the three.

As the traditional creamy, mushroom-laden sauce sat with the green beans, the flavors got even better. For Thanksgiving, I think Brown's recipe is the winner here.

Drummond's recipe was delicious, but it just didn't seem like a green-bean casserole to me. If I make it again, it'll likely be at other times of the year.

This story was originally published in November 2023 and most recently updated on November 26, 2024.

• Business Insider asked chefs, bakers, and food writers about their favorite air-fryer desserts.
• They suggested using the appliance to make quick chocolate-chip cookies and brownies. 
• More complex desserts, like apple pie and cannoli shells, are also easy to make in an air fryer. 

Air fryers are known for their ability to give savory food a satisfying crunch without excess oil, but the trendy appliance is also capable of whipping up quick and easy desserts. 

Business Insider spoke with professional chefs, bakers, and food writers to share their favorite classic desserts to bake in the countertop appliance.

Here are some sweet treats you probably didn't know you can make in an air fryer.

Brownies are a quick and simple air-fryer dessert

Chris Riley, the chef and founder of The Darling Kitchen, told BI that you can use an air fryer to make perfectly tender brownies.

"The air fryer is perfect for making a small batch of brownies without heating up the whole house with the oven," he said.

Most air fryers are smaller than traditional ovens, so to make sure you don't end up with leftover mix, Riley suggested dividing your recipe in half or baking your batter in multiple smaller batches.

You can make apple pie in record time 

Air fryers are a great shortcut for making small fruit pies.

"This classic dessert can easily be prepared in an air fryer without having to turn on the oven. If you use ready-made apple crust, you can make this tasty treat in under half an hour," Riley told BI.

To decrease the chances of your pie bubbling over, allow the sliced apples to rest in a bowl for 30 minutes, and drain the excess liquid before adding them to your pie crust. 

Nutella pastry rolls are a deliciously easy treat

Chef and author Maria Liberati told BI that you can use hazelnut spread and store-bought pastry dough to create a quick and tasty dessert in the air fryer. 

"Spread Nutella between two strips of puff-pastry dough, brush the top strip with milk and brown sugar, roll it up, and then bake in the air fryer for five minutes at 400 degrees," she said. 

If you're using a large sheet of premade pastry dough, be sure to cut an even number of strips so that each roll has a top and bottom layer.

Chocolate-chip cookies are one of the quickest air-fryer desserts 

Chocolate-chip cookies are another classic dessert you can easily make in an air fryer.

"Chocolate-chip cookies bake in around five minutes in the air fryer," Riley told BI. "They get perfectly crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside."

If you want to save even more time, use store-bought dough or prepare a large batch ahead of time and bake individual cookies as needed. 

Air fryers are ideal for making homemade cannoli shells

Cannoli are Italian pastries made by filling tubes of fried pastry dough with sweet ricotta cream. Riley said the shells are easy to make in an air fryer. 

"You can make cannoli shells in an air fryer with a lot less work than usual by using store-bought pie dough," he told BI. "No one will suspect that this exquisite dessert came right out of your air fryer."

If you don't have cannoli tube forms, you can wrap your pastry dough around sturdy aluminum foil shaped into cylinders. 

You can shorten the baking time of banana bread 

Jessica Randhawa, a chef and the writer of The Forked Spoon, told BI that an air fryer is a great way to get banana bread that's perfectly chewy on the outside and soft on the inside.  

"Making banana bread is easy in an air fryer and the fast cooking time means that it can be enjoyed with your morning coffee, as an afternoon snack, or late-night dessert," she said. 

Use mini cake tins or Bundt pans to bake single portions of banana bread in the air fryer, and be sure to adjust your recipe and cooking time accordingly. 

Oatmeal cookies are easy and perfectly chewy

The dense, chewy texture of oatmeal cookies pairs perfectly with the crisping abilities of an air fryer. 

"Oatmeal cookies cook great in an air fryer," Randhawa said. "They come out soft yet chewy and are even better when they're loaded with gooey chocolate chips and spices."

This story was originally published in November 2020 and most recently updated on November 20, 2024. 

Read More:

• Chefs share 16 of the best foods to make in an air fryer
• Chefs and bakers share 10 amazing desserts you can make in an air fryer
• I made chocolate chip cookies using 3 celebrity chefs' recipes, and the best is the simplest
• 9 mistakes you're making when using your air fryer