We Tried Dozens of Famous Celebrity Recipes in 2023 — These Are the Ones We’ll Make Forever

Collette Reitz
Collette ReitzSpecial Projects Editor
Working across AT Media brands, I see through the completion of large-scale editorial projects from their inception. I've worked as an editor in digital media for nearly seven years, covering food and trending news at Elite Daily before coming to ATM. I love using em dashes and running along the Chicago lakefront.
published Dec 28, 2023
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Dolly Parton's Stampede soup with inset photo of Dolly in the upper left
Credit: Main photo: Nathan Hutsenpiller; Inset photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for NBC

Sure, you’ve followed celebrity chefs like Ina Garten and Martha Stewart for years. But it turns out that actors and singers like Reese Witherspoon, Dolly Parton, and Jennifer Garner have culinary skills you’ve been missing out on. To help bring you up to speed, here are the 16 best recipes from famous people we tried in 2023. 

Parton has four recipes on this list, including her legendary Stampede soup, and you can make Witherspoon’s favorite Southern classic, a sour cream cake. You’ll also spot dishes from Garten, Stewart, and other big-name cooking pros like Ree Drummond, Rachael Ray, and Giada De Laurentiis. Of course, your celeb cooking era wouldn’t be complete without trying the chicken recipe Taylor Swift considers a must-have at dinner parties. 

1 / 16
Nathan Hutsenpiller
Dolly Parton’s "Stampede Soup"

When you want a simple recipe that comes together in less than 20 minutes *and* is inspired by the one and only Dolly Parton, you make Stampede soup. Served at the Dolly Parton Stampede dinner experience, it's a creamy vegetable soup that hits the spot.

Go to Recipe
2 / 16
Lena Abraham
Dolly Parton’s Coleslaw Recipe

This recipe from Parton's 1989 cookbook looks a lot like a classic coleslaw, but she throws in some curveballs (sweet pickle juice and chopped dill pickles!). The dressing is expertly balanced; it’s both sweet and savory, creamy and acidic, rich and bright — quite literally the perfect adornment for shredded raw cabbage.

Go to Recipe
3 / 16
Molly Allen
Reese Witherspoon’s Favorite Southern Cake

Witherspoon also has a cookbook; in it, she shares a recipe for a classic Southern sour cream cake her grandma always made. The flavor of this cake is spot-on. It's moist, with strong notes of vanilla, and the frosting is sweet, but not overwhelmingly so.

Go to Recipe
4 / 16
Kiersten Hickman
Jennifer Garner's “Cloud Cookies”

Garner used Sarabeth's recipe for cloud cookies to make crispy cookies with little air pockets throughout. The superfine sugar (also known as caster sugar) is the secret ingredient to getting fluffy cookies, and they get a delicious texture from the chocolate chips and almonds.

Go to Recipe
5 / 16
Nathan Hutsenpiller
Martha Stewart’s Minestrone Soup

A culinary icon like Stewart makes this veggie-filled bowl flavorful with every bite. She also suggests adding an end piece of prosciutto to the mix before simmering for even more flavor.

Go to Recipe
6 / 16
Lena Abraham
Dolly Parton’s 5-Layer Casserole

This quick-to-prep meal is a good candidate for a new go-to in your dinner rotation. The combination of savory beef, creamy potatoes, sweet onions, earthy peppers, and acidic tomatoes strikes an impressive balance of flavors that'll keep you coming back for bite after bite.

Go to Recipe
7 / 16
Nathan Hutsenpiller
Martha Stewart’s One-Pan Pasta

You don't even need to make sauce for this tasty one-pan meal. The ingredients are simple, yet the tomatoes, onion, garlic, red pepper, and basil all work cohesively to create a beautiful aroma and outstanding flavor.

Go to Recipe
8 / 16
Choya Johnson
Ina Garten’s Baked Potatoes

Crispy potato skin and creamy whipped feta cheese combine in this baked potato recipe from Garten. Freshly chopped rosemary, chives, and thyme take the flavor to the next level.

Go to Recipe
9 / 16
Lena Abraham
Ree Drummond’s Cozy Potato Soup

With the rich, smoky flavor of bacon prominently featured, this soup tastes a bit like a loaded baked potato in soup form. Texturally, it's similar to pot pie filling, with a thick, creamy broth filled with tender pieces of potatoes, carrots, and celery. Drummond's instructions for partial blending yielded a smooth, velvety broth and a pleasant texture.

Go to Recipe
10 / 16
Nathan Hutsenpiller
Dolly Parton’s Pecan Chicken Salad

If anyone knows the struggle of working 9 to 5 and needing an easy yet delicious meal that can be thrown together in minutes, it’s the queen of country herself. Celery, onion, chicken, mayo, pecans, and Dijon mustard combine to make a creamy, hearty chicken salad in this quick-cooking meal.

Go to Recipe
11 / 16
Nathan Hutsenpiller
Rachael Ray’s Favorite Cozy One-Pot Soup

Clean out your fridge with Ray's one-pot soup featuring beans, greens, and macaroni. The simple yet impactful addition of lemon juice and a fresh topping of shaved Parmesan make each bite so satisfying. And don't forget a baguette for dunking!

Go to Recipe
12 / 16
Molly Allen
Martha Stewart’s Famous "Cloud Cake"

This vintage-inspired cake starts with very simple ingredients but has quite a few steps, including an egg white-based meringue batter and Martha’s fluffy seven-minute frosting. It's worth the effort for the melt-in-your-mouth airy texture.

Go to Recipe
13 / 16
Nathan Hutsenpiller
Ree Drummond's Famous "Chicken Spaghetti"

This recipe will make your entire kitchen smell delicious. Even if breaking the spaghetti into 2-inch pieces before cooking feels wrong, you'll be glad you did when you taste creamy chicken and pasta in every bite.

Go to Recipe
14 / 16
Choya Johnson
Ree Drummond’s Cowboy Quiche

Delivering a personalized spin on the classic quiche dish, the “cowboy”-style recipe swaps out Swiss cheese and mushrooms for caramelized onions, sharp cheese, and a heaping amount of bacon. It’s a hearty and filling dish basically made for those breakfast-for-dinner nights.

Go to Recipe
15 / 16
Nathan Hutsenpiller
Giada De Laurentiis’ "Roman-Style Chicken"

The Food Network star uses minimal ingredients for this recipe and brings out the best parts of Italian cuisine in the process. The rich sauce created by the mixture of chicken stock, tomatoes, and white wine helps this simple dish turn into an absolute showstopper.

Go to Recipe
16 / 16
Lena Abraham
Taylor Swift’s Favorite Chicken Recipe

Swift once cited Nigella Lawson’s Mughlai Chicken as one of her trusty go-tos for entertaining. With ultra-tender chicken and a sweetly spiced cream sauce, it’s easy to see why she deems this recipe party-worthy. The warming spices make it an intensely cozy dish, especially when paired with rice or naan.

Go to Recipe