A Food Network Inspired Meal

When it came to dinner last night, of course, I turned to the Food Network. There are thousands of recipes on Foodnetwork.com, so the hardest part was choosing which ones I wanted to use. Finally I decided I would turn to some of my favorite Food Network stars, Rachel Ray, Giada de Laurentiis, Paula Dean, Alton Brown, and Emeril Lagasse. That day, while watching 30 Minute Meals, I decided that I would make Rachel Ray’s Baked Fresh Chili Fries as an appetizer. They are healthy, quick and easy to do. Browsing the website, I decided on Giada De Laurentiis’ Twice Baked Potatoes with Mushrooms and Prosciutto because I love Giada and I love Prosciutto. Then, I stumbled upon Paula Dean’s Green Bean Bundles because I loved the creativity and the idea of combining the two. Alton Brown is always wise and intelligent, so I knew I could trust his Center Cut Tenderloin Roast as a centerpiece for my meal. And as a great way to finish up the meal, I would turn to my favorite desert with a festive twist: Emeril Lagasse’s Pumpkin Crème Brulee.  

For me, an everyday college student, preparation was easy and harmless thanks to my printed Food Network recipes. It did get a little tricky making five things at once but lucky for me I had a friend's help. Overall everything went smooth besides a minor burning of an oven mitt.

My favorite dish would have to be the crème brule. Ever since I was little, crème brule has been irresistible and with a little pumpkin flavor it was even more so.  To my surprise, Rachel Ray’s chili fries were my least favorite. They turned out a little dry and boring. I made them with green peppers instead of chili fries, like she did on her show. So maybe they would be a little better with chili peppers.  The green bean bundles came out to be amazing. The presentation makes your cooking look so fancy and skilled when it’s actually a very easy recipe to make. The roast was also very easy and successful. The rub had a great flavor thanks to the cumin and Alton Brown's expertise. Overall the meal was a huge success. 

Whether you are cooking for someone special or for the whole family, I would recommend this meal to anyone.  And remember, you don't need to be a world class chef to prepare amazing food. Amazing food is just one click away at the FoodNetwork.com! 

Here are the links to the easy to follow recipes!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/baked-fresh-chili-fries-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/twice-baked-potatoes-with-mushrooms-and-prosciutto-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/green-bean-bundles-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/center-cut-tenderloin-roast-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/pumpkin-creme-brulee-recipe/index.html