13 Of Trisha Yearwood's Best Tips For Southern Cooking
You don't have to go to an expensive French culinary school to become a celebrity chef — and Trisha Yearwood is here to prove that. These days, she's the star of the Food Network program "Trisha's Southern Kitchen," but she's no Cordon Bleu graduate. Au contraire. Yearwood began her career as a country singer whose emotional music skyrocketed her to fame. She was nominated for 27 Grammy awards and eventually won three. However, she soon decided to pursue her passion for food and wrote a cookbook titled "George Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen." Her Southern cooking tips were so fabulous that the book made the New York Times Best Seller list.
Because Yearwood did not gain her culinary fame the traditional way, she knows that normal home chefs can learn to cook like professionals. As a result, she knows how to give cooking advice that's easy and accessible. The TV host is careful to break incredible Southern treats down into simple steps so that you can enjoy restaurant-quality food in the comfort of your own kitchen. Whether it's her advice to coat your fruit in flour before adding it to your pancakes, or her trick to making the perfect meatloaf, Trisha Yearwood offers culinary tips that will help you elevate your home cooking.
1. Coat your fruit in flour before adding it to pancakes
Nothing says "good morning" quite like a batch of fruit-filled pancakes, but that doesn't mean they always turn out well. Oftentimes, when home cooks are whipping up a batch of fruity flapjacks, they find that the chopped apples or sliced berries in their batter sink to the bottom. Unfortunately, this will leave you with a morning treat that is completely uneven. Generally speaking, the fruit will gather toward the bottom edge of the pancake, forming a condensed jelly-like substance that will grow tough against the pan.
Luckily, Trisha Yearwood has some awesome tips to prevent this phenomenon from ruining your morning meal. As she explained in an episode of "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" (via YouTube), "If you've ever had, like, a sweet bread or a cake where all of the fruit is at the bottom, it's because the fruit has nothing to hold on to ... so, if you cover the blueberries in flour, they'll evenly cook in the cake and they'll distribute themselves evenly." To use Yearwood's advice, fill a bowl with flour and mix your berries or chopped fruit into it. Once a thick white coat of flour has formed over the top, add it into your pancake batter and make perfect fruity flapjacks.
2. Use a graham cracker crust for your chocolate pie
Sometimes, the most delicious recipes are the ones that are the easiest to make at home. And because Trisha Yearwood is not your typical celebrity chef, her Southern cooking tips often keep things simple. Thus, when it comes to making a homemade chocolate pie, Yearwood recommends ditching the famously difficult pastry pie crust and instead preparing a simpler one, using crushed graham cracker bits. In an episode of "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" (via YouTube), the television host explained, "Graham cracker crust is not really typical, right? I mean, I don't know how you grew up ... I always had [my chocolate pie] with pastry [crust], but I love the graham cracker crust."
The reason that graham cracker crust works so well with a chocolate pie is that it adds an interesting layer of texture. In contrast to a traditional pastry crust, which is light and fluffy, a graham cracker one will be both crunchy and nutty. This will provide some much-needed contrast to the pie's silky smooth upper layer, giving you a dessert that's soft on the top and crisp on the bottom. The honey and cinnamon flavors in your crackers, meanwhile, will add a boost of flavor to your final creation. In practice, this means that they will have a deep chocolatey taste that's complemented by a warm finish.
3. Switch out marshmallows for nuts in sweet potato soufflé
If you are sick of drowning your sweet potato pie or soufflé in sweet sticky candy, you aren't alone. Trisha Yearwood is also over the old trend of pairing sweet potatoes with marshmallows. In an episode of "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" (via YouTube), Yearwood recalled how often these two ingredients have been served together, saying, "The sweet potato casserole from our childhood is covered with marshmallows, and I don't know. It just never really was my favorite."
Instead, Yearwood suggests making a sweet and savory topping, using a combination of chopped nuts, butter, brown sugar, and flour. To take a page out of the television host's book, just whip up your typical sweet potato soufflé and then sprinkle a thick layer of her special chopped nut blend over the top. This will give you a side that provides more texture than you would normally get from your typical gooey layer of marshmallows. As Yearwood explained on her show (via YouTube), "This just gets crunchy and sweeter and sweeter as it cooks."
As an added bonus, the nut crust tends to keep better than its candied counterpart. On Yearwood's show, her sister Beth Barnard was not afraid to chime in, relaying that marshmallow topping don't always keep for longer than a few hours. Yearwood agreed, and later revealed that the nut-covered sweet potatoes make excellent leftovers.
4. When making BBQ wings, add peaches to your sauce
Wings can taste great when cooked in a tasty sauce. However, there are plenty of delicious dressings out there that are way tastier than your typical store-bought fare. Trisha Yearwood, for example, loves making a homemade cooking sauce that involves BBQ ingredients, as well as fresh peaches. As she demonstrated on "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" (via YouTube) the country-singer-turned-celebrity-cook enjoys combining chopped peaches with tomato paste, onions, garlic, maple syrup, and vegetable stock. She then cooks down this mixture to create a thick fruity sauce that is perfect for smearing all over your chicken or turkey wings.
Even on its own, this sauce is simply delicious. While the traditional BBQ elements will create a rich, tangy flavor, the peaches will provide a burst of sweetness. This will neutralize the most acidic elements of this combination, namely the tomato paste and onions. It will also help balance out the pungency of the garlic, which can become overwhelming without the sweet notes of the fruit.
When you use it to cook your wings, however, this sauce really shines. Here, the natural sugars in the peaches are key, as they will help cut through the more concentrated flavors found in this specific cut of meat. Meanwhile, the remaining ingredients will prevent the sweetness of the cooked fruit from becoming overwhelming. In particular, the sharpness of the onions and garlic will highlight the meat's naturally savory flavors, allowing you to enjoy a well-rounded dish.
5. Use hot potatoes to make gnocchi
Oftentimes in the kitchen, temperature matters, and Trisha Yearwood knows it. In an episode of "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" (via YouTube), the television star unpacked the influence of heat on homemade gnocchi — and apparently, it's huge. Yearwood told her viewers to should start out by putting some hot potatoes through a ricer, as the colder ones will be much more difficult to shred. "I do want to tell you, if you are doing this at home, that you need a hot potato," she explained. "If these potatoes get cold, they get hard, and they're just almost impossible to push through, so you definitely want a hot potato."
While this is awesome advice, not all home cooks know how to put it to use. Freshly boiled potatoes can take a while to make, and oftentimes they are so hot when they come out of the pot that it can be difficult to handle them. Instead of going to this trouble, you can try making homemade gnocchi using your microwave. Just grab a fork, stab your potatoes a few times, and zap them on high until they are soft to the touch. Once they are ready, go ahead and peel them. Then, put your potatoes through a ricer. This process will seriously help you simplify your gnocchi recipe, allowing you to impress your table guests without any of the stress of boiling your tubers.
6. Make your turkey chili beautiful with white beans
When you close your eyes and imagine the perfect bowl of chili, what do you see? If it's a classic bowl of ground beef and tomatoes topped with shredded cheese, you probably aren't alone. After all, that's one of the most common types of chili out there, and it is certainly delicious. That being said, there is another way to prepare this traditional dish, using primarily monochromatic ingredients. By using white beans and poultry in her chili recipe, Trisha Yearwood manages to make a type of soup that resembles a big bowl of cream.
In an episode of "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" (via YouTube) the television cook opened up about her choice to make a bowl of beige chili, sharing that she adds two cans of white cannelloni beans. Apparently, this creates a gorgeous presentation. As Yearwood explained, "You can use whatever [beans] you like. I just thought that because this is sort of a light-colored chili, it would be really pretty to put these in here." As an added bonus, these scrumptious beans will add a rich, almost buttery flavor to your chili. They will also give it a smooth kind of texture. In Yearwood's words, this unique ingredient tastes "kind of creamy."
7. It's okay to use store-bought pizza dough
These days, not everybody has hours to spend in the kitchen. Thanks to busy calendars packed with responsibilities, the average home chef can't necessarily commit to making every single ingredient by hand. And while plenty of celebrity chefs don't understand this, Trisha Yearwood seems to get it. On "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" (via YouTube), the cookbook author said not to worry about making homemade pizza dough from scratch — recommending instead that her viewers buy it pre-made at the store.
While this advice may be controversial in some circles, it's actually quite sound. Yearwood's loaded pizza recipe, for example, calls for two full pounds of pizza dough, which is then topped with chicken, ham, tomatoes, pepperoni, bacon, cheese, and other ingredients. In this case, the less time you spend perfecting your pizza dough, the more time you will have to chop your veggies, cook your chicken, and shred your cheese. Purchasing store-bought dough, then, is the perfect way to create a pie that has truly high-quality toppings.
8. Be patient when cooking mushrooms
Not all secret ingredients can be found at the grocery store, and that's especially true for Trisha Yearwood's take on sautéed mushrooms. According to the TV chef, patience is the key to making sure that your mushrooms are cooked to succulent perfection. Speaking in an episode of "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" (via YouTube), Yearwood revealed the way she approaches this unique ingredient: "Well, you have to be kind of patient with a mushroom."
Because of this, the cookbook author advises against carelessly throwing your mushrooms into a skillet with a bunch of other veggies. After all, doing so can prevent you from giving ample time to this star ingredient. Instead, she recommends starting your mushrooms off in the pan by themselves, and slowly adding other elements in. This will guarantee that your mushrooms have the time they need to cook all the way through, allowing them to grow juicy and meaty, yet tender.
Although Yearwood clearly believes that patience can be a virtue, she also admits that it's not always easy for her to give veggies, like mushrooms, the time they need to cook. On her show, the former country singer even confessed, "Patience is not our superpower." Even so, she says to remain strong. In the end, properly prepared mushrooms will taste infinitely better.
9. Blend feta and cream cheese to stuff your peppers
Making stuffed peppers can be a real challenge, but Tisha Yearwood is here to keep the process simple. The TV cook uses a special cheese blend to ensure that her stuffed peppers are creamy, flavorful, and easy to make. Speaking in an episode of "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" (via YouTube), the celebrity recommended combining feta cheese with cream cheese to make the perfect stuffing. Apparently, the power of this combination is that neither flavor overpowers the other. As Yearwood explained, "I'm going to use eight ounces of chunky feta cheese, and I'm going to use some cream cheese. It kind of balances out that saltiness of the feta."
Interestingly, the cookbook author doesn't stop there. When preparing this unique filling, she also adds some fresh garlic, some olive oil, and a couple of banana peppers. Here, the buttery dairy flavors of the cream cheese help neutralize the pungency — not just of the feta, but also of the garlic, creating a blend that's more well-rounded. The olive oil further balances out the mixture, offsetting some of the acidity found in the feta and the banana peppers. Meanwhile, this last ingredient will add a distinctive peppery taste to the cheese mix. Ultimately, this will tie the taste of the creamy filling to the flavor of the larger pepper that you will stuff, creating a dish that is tasty and cohesive.
10. Upgrade your grilled cheese with fresh winter veggies
Grilled cheese sandwiches are undoubtedly among the most popular foods out there, but that doesn't mean that you can't make them even better. While there are plenty of ways to amp up your grilled cheese (Gordon Ramsey elevates his by adding onions), Trisha Yearwood has a unique strategy for making hers more sophisticated: add veggies. As she shared on her show "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" (via YouTube), she likes "elevating [grilled cheese] a little bit by adding some fresh winter vegetables to it."
Per the television program, some of the greens that Yearwood likes to include in her grilled cheese include baby spinach, chopped green cabbage, and even carrots. The key is that, although each of these elements is delicious, none is particularly pungent. The earthier carrots and cabbage duo can easily hide in the background of a particularly flavorful recipe. Similarly, baby spinach, while somewhat bitter, can get lost when served with stronger cheeses. Because of this, Yearwood pairs these veggies with the mild yet creamy Fontina cheese. Thanks to its soft, buttery flavor, this delightful ingredient works perfectly with the milder winter vegetables, allowing each one to shine, instead of being overpowered. The result is a delicate sandwich that combines several soft flavors in order to create a flavor that is subtle yet satisfying.
11. Use a double boiler to make chocolate cake
Sometimes, the difference between a home cook and a professional is having the righter equipment — and knowing when to use it. According to Trisha Yearwood, this is especially apparent when preparing a German chocolate cake. In an episode of "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" (via YouTube), the bestselling cookbook author revealed that a double boiler can make all the difference between a good cake and a great one.
Demonstrating the way that she melts chocolate, milk, and butter together in a pan, Yearwood shared, "I'm using a double boiler, which is really helpful because you don't want to scorch the milk, and you don't want the chocolate to seize up." According to Yearwood, the latter would be a bad outcome because the chocolate can separate. As a result, the former country singer recommends using a double boiler to increase the amount of control you have over the melting of your ingredients. Ultimately, this will help you prevent the ingredients from burning or becoming too grainy to work with.
12. When frying and breading fish, season your flour
It's no secret that seasoning can make or break a dish — and fried fish is no exception. When making this treat, however, many home cooks don't do more than add a dash of salt and pepper to their final creations. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this strategy, Tisha Yearwood has an idea for taking your seasoning game up another level.
Instead of adding salt and pepper to your already-fried fish, the celerity cook suggests adding some seafood seasoning directly to your frying batter. As she shared on "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" (via YouTube), "This is just really kind of the magic when it comes to frying and cooking fish." One of the reasons that this strategy works so well is that it boosts the overall flavor of your batter itself. Ultimately, this leaves you with dough that adds taste to your fish, instead of just masking its flavor.
13. Don't add too much egg to your meatloaf
Trisha Yearwood is a self-proclaimed "meatloaf snob." As she revealed in an episode of "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" (via YouTube), "I don't like it to be too dry. I don't like it to be too juicy. Both of those are not good." Because of this, Yearwood is careful not to add to much egg to her meatloaf, ensuring that it won't turn into a soppy mess. She also says that she prefers turkey meatloaf over the traditional beef version, as the meat is "leaner" and therefore less "mushy."
To make meatloaf the Yearwood way, try to shoot for a ratio of one and a half pounds of ground turkey for every egg that you add to the mix. Of this portion, the celebrity chef shared, "I've really kind of perfected the art of just enough egg to make it kind of moist, but not too much ... Nobody wants a mushy meatloaf."