You only need six ingredients for this simple side dish: kosher salt, potatoes, whole milk, unsalted butter, buttermilk, and black pepper.

Garten recommends using a potato that's easy to boil, such as Yukon Gold. Russets would work well, too: Compared to other potatoes, these varieties contain more starch, which breaks down when mashed into a light and fluffy texture.

Yukons are my personal preference; I've found them to be slightly creamier than other options.

Once I collected my ingredients — and set a big pot of well-salted water to boil on the stove — I started on the prep work.

The first step here is peeling the potatoes, but don't worry about doing it perfectly.

I've found that, as long as the spuds are clean, a few pieces of potato skin in the mix won't really change the dish's quality. Some home chefs might even like to leave a bit of skin on for extra texture.

The potatoes should then be cut into roughly equal-sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.

Garten recommends 1 ½-inch cubes, but it's OK if you're not super precise, since everything will be mashed together later.

Once the water came to a boil on the stove, I added the prepped potatoes and reduced the heat to maintain a gentle simmer with the lid off.

An important part of the recipe is to avoid boiling the potatoes, which can make them turn gummy. Instead, keep the water at a nice simmer until you can easily pierce the spuds with a paring knife. This took me between 10 and 15 minutes.

When they're done, drain the potatoes in the sink and return them to the pot to finish the dish.

Next, I created a mixture of melted butter and whole milk to infuse the cooked potatoes with rich, creamy flavor and texture.

A key step in Garten's recipe is to warm these two ingredients in a small saucepan while the potatoes cook. The butter will melt into the milk, causing an emulsion.

Dry spuds absorb hot liquids better than cold ones, and you'll have an easier time combining the ingredients without any cold lumps of butter.

Just don't let the mixture come to a boil, which can cause the milk to separate from the butter.

When the potatoes are done cooking, strain the water over the sink and return them to the pot. Now, it's time to start mashing.

Garten's recipe calls for using a food mill to break down the potatoes, but I live in a New York City apartment with barely enough room to store a large pot. So, I used a good old-fashioned potato masher.

Once I'd crushed the potatoes into a mostly uniform mush, I added the warm butter and incorporated it with a rubber spatula, per Garten's instructions.

Once you've folded the butter and milk into the potatoes, it's time for the star ingredient: buttermilk.

I halved Garten's recipe, which typically feeds five or six, and decided to add a half cup of buttermilk. At first, I was worried I'd overdone it — my mash looked soupy.

After a little more stirring and time, though, the starchy potatoes absorbed the buttermilk, and I had myself an incredibly light and fluffy mash.

Adding the right amount of salt and pepper is essential for any dish, but mashed potatoes are often tragically overlooked in the seasoning department.

Garten recommends adding another 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper to the mash, and I agree wholeheartedly.

The result is a rich, tangy, and flavorful side dish you don't need to wait for a holiday to make. In my opinion, the buttermilk stole the show: I've found that potatoes can be a bit "blah" when not properly seasoned, and this recipe had a slightly acidic quality that I loved.

I'll be bringing these potatoes to Thanksgiving dinner this year, and every holiday party for the foreseeable future.

This story was originally published on November 20, 2025, and most recently updated on October 22, 2026.

I've made many of Ramsay's delicious dishes — including his 15-minute pasta and 10-minute burger — but had never whipped up one of his desserts.

That changed when I came across his recipe for the "world's best brownies."

With a name like that, I obviously had to try it.

To make a serving of 15-20 brownies, you'll need:

• ½ pound of dark chocolate, broken into squares or roughly chopped
• ¼ pound of dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks (optional)
• ½ pound of butter, diced, plus extra for greasing
• ¾ cup of caster sugar (granulated sugar also works)
• ½ cup of light-brown sugar
• ½ cup of all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Ramsay lists two separate chocolate measurements because the small chunks are added to the brownies in the middle of the baking process. To simplify things, I bought two bags of dark chocolate chunks (each was 10 ounces/283 grams) for this recipe.

I used one full bag for melting the chocolate and a third of the second bag while adding more chunks to my brownies. It was a little more chocolate than Ramsay intended, but I loved the results.

After setting the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, I greased my pan and lined it with parchment paper.

Then I diced the butter and threw it into a heatproof bowl with my chocolate. Since I didn't have enough pans to melt the chocolate over the stove (known as the double-boiler or bain-marie method), I used the microwave instead. Ramsay recommends throwing the chocolate and butter into the microwave for 3 minutes, but my mixture was ready in 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

I sifted the flour and salt over the batter, then stirred everything together until it was smooth and combined.

I baked my brownies for 20 minutes, then took my pan out of the oven so I could add the extra chocolate chunks. Ramsay's recipe says you should "vigorously throw the chunks of chocolate" into the brownie mix at this stage, which was surprisingly therapeutic.

I let the brownies bake for an additional 20 minutes, then let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Ramsay's decision to stick to dark chocolate really helps this recipe shine, because the brownies are indulgent without tasting sickly sweet. I also loved how many chocolate chunks were stuffed into each brownie, adding some texture to all that fudginess.

I made these brownies for my fiancé, who said he loved their "smooth, irresistible chocolate flavor."

These brownies taste fantastic on their own, but adding some vanilla ice cream would make an incredible dessert.

Get the full recipe for Gordon Ramsay's "world's best brownies" here.

Before she was a Food Network star, Garten ran a beloved specialty food shop in the Hamptons, ditching her White House job to follow her passion.

In her first cookbook, "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook," Garten writes that these brownies used to fly off the shelves and that she sold "like a thousand" a week.

To make a serving of 20 (large) brownies, you'll need:

• 1 pound of unsalted butter
• 1 pound, plus 12 ounces, of semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 ounces of bitter chocolate
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 3 cups of chopped walnuts
• 2 ¼ cups of sugar
• 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons of instant coffee granules
• 2 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt

I set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then buttered and floured my pan.

I had enough pans to use the bain-marie method while I was making Garten's brownies. So I melted my butter, bitter chocolate, and one pound of the chocolate chips in a saucepan that was placed over a pot of simmering water.

I added my eggs, vanilla, sugar, and instant coffee to a bowl. Garten says in her recipe to stir the ingredients together without beating the eggs, so be careful!

I kept stirring as I added the melted chocolate and butter, then allowed the mixture to cool to room temperature. You don't want the batter to melt the chocolate chips, which Garten says will ruin the brownies.

I sifted my dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then added them to the cooled chocolate mixture.

Garten says this trick helps prevent the chocolate chips and walnuts from sinking to the bottom of the brownies while they're in the oven.

After the first 20 minutes, I hit the baking sheet against the oven rack. Garten says this helps release air that builds up between the brownies and the pan during baking.

Each bite of Garten's brownies tasted deliciously rich and fudgy, and I loved how much crunch the walnuts and chocolate chips added. I'm not surprised they used to be one of Garten's most popular dishes at Barefoot Contessa.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's outrageous brownies here.

There are really no losers here because both Ramsay's and Garten's recipes are delicious and easy to make, but I was a slightly bigger fan of Ramsay's dark chocolate brownies. I love the fact that, save for two bags of chocolate chips, I already had all the ingredients for Ramsay's brownies in the pantry. It's one of the quickest and easiest desserts you could make in a pinch, but it still tastes really impressive.

But Garten's brownies are still really good! And anyone who prefers a little extra crunch should give them a try as well.

Either way, you'll have a pan of delicious brownies.

The start of fall is so hectic. Work ramps back up, school is back in session, and the prep and stress of the holidays begin to creep in.

Travel-friendly and loaded with protein, a breakfast sandwich is just what you need. And Garten's version only requires five ingredients: English muffins, whole milk, avocado, bacon, cheddar cheese, and eggs that you can cook in the microwave.

Everything in Garten's breakfast sandwich works so well together. She recommends using thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, which provides a crispy contrast to the soft eggs. Spreading the avocado on the bottom adds both flavor and nutrients, and I love the tanginess of the sharp white cheddar.

If you're making this sandwich for more than two people, I recommend cooking the eggs on the stove rather than in the microwave to save time. But this is a great recipe to teach your kids so they can make breakfast on their own. And if you're a college student, you could easily whip this up in a dorm.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's bacon, egg, and cheddar sandwich here.

I began testing Garten's soup recipes in 2023 and knew something was missing after I kept using boxed stock. "Store-bought is fine!" might be Garten's most famous catchphrase, but she believes homemade chicken stock is akin to "liquid gold."

"Nothing available on the market has the depth of flavor or richness of stock you've made yourself," she wrote in "Go-To Dinners," her October 2022 cookbook. "It contributes such great body and aroma to so many dishes. Plus, having a big pot of chicken stock simmering away on my stove just makes me feel good."

Garten's stock is packed with flavor because it involves simmering three roasting chickens for hours alongside carrots, onions, celery, parsnips, garlic, and plenty of herbs.

There's no flavor left in the chicken once the stock is ready. If you'd rather save the meat for meals, you can always take the chicken out once it's cooked through and continue to simmer the aromatics. I also recommend freezing chicken bones so you always have some on hand for more stock.

Garten's recipe provides nearly nine quarts of stock, and you can store it in the freezer for up to six months.

My absolute favorite Barefoot Contessa soup to make with the stock is Garten's chicken pot pie soup, which I whip up anytime my fiancé and I are craving a bowl of comfort. Her ravioli en brodo is a delicious twist on chicken noodle, while her Italian wedding soup is light and bright.

If you want to switch things up from soup, you can also use the stock to make Garten's one-pot chicken and orzo — another delicious meal for chilly nights.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's homemade chicken stock here.

Garten served traditional chili for two decades at the specialty food store she ran in the Hamptons before becoming a cookbook author and Food Network star.

When Garten decided to switch up the chili and use chicken instead of beef, it became even more popular than the original recipe.

The dish also features red and yellow bell peppers, fresh basil, and a variety of seasonings, including chili powder, ground cumin, and red pepper flakes.

Garten serves the chili topped with green onions, cheddar cheese, corn chips, and sour cream.

The tomatoes and spices build a rich broth, and each bite of chicken is so tender and juicy.

It's also a great dish for hosting because you can lay out the toppings in individual dishes, allowing everyone to personalize their bowl to their own preference.

Plus, who doesn't love a bowl of chili on football Sunday?

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's chicken chili here.

My pasta cravings always hit when temperatures start to dip. And during this busy season, Garten's weeknight Bolognese is a perfect fit.

The recipe includes ground sirloin, crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil, but it's designed to be adaptable and pantry-friendly.

Garten says you could easily swap the sirloin for any ground meat and skip the cream and basil if you need. And while she recommends using orecchiette, any dried pasta will work with this recipe.

It's pretty incredible how much flavor Garten manages to create in a dish that traditionally simmers for hours on end. The rich sauce bursts through every bite of the small pasta shells, which I personally loved for this dish, and the freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top makes it feel extra comforting and indulgent.

"It's a very meaty, very hearty pasta," my dad said before declaring that the dish was "perfect."

We loved the dish so much that it earned the second spot in my ongoing ranking of Barefoot Contessa pasta dishes.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's weeknight Bolognese here.

The rigatoni pasta is paired with sausage and fennel, plus some onion, garlic, heavy cream, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and a few additional ingredients.

It all comes together in a big pot or Dutch oven, and you'll have dinner on the table in an hour.

"You can make the whole thing in one big pot, bring it to the table, and everyone loves it," Garten told her viewers in a 2017 episode of "Barefoot Contessa."

With its beautiful golden hue and rich, meaty sauce, Garten's one-pot pasta is the kind of dish that lifts your spirits. There's also lovely depth to the flavor, thanks to the sweet sausage, salty Parm, and the bite from the fennel.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's rigatoni with sausage and fennel here.

"We used to have all kinds of cakes like this out on the bakery counter, and you could come buy a whole cake, but you could also buy a piece," Garten said in an early episode of her Food Network show. "It's not fancy, just really delicious and earthy, and you always want to come back for more."

The recipe includes Granny Smith apples, rum, raisins, pecans, and plenty of sugar and spice.

Soaking the golden raisins in rum gave them a flavor that almost reminded me of caramel, and their sweetness helped temper the Granny Smith apples' sourness. All the spices infused the moist cake with a warm nuttiness, while the pecans added some delicious crunch.

I followed Garten's advice and tried the cake with some ice cream and caramel, which were delicious additions. But the cake isn't super sweet, so you could also enjoy it on its own with some tea or coffee for breakfast.

Now it's really starting to feel like fall.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's apple spice cake here.

Is there a dish you love making in the fall season? Share it with us in the comments. And check out more easy recipes here.