52 of Ina Garten’s best recipes she’s shared on TODAY

From her iconic engagement roast chicken to outrageous brownies and rich lemon bars, Ina Garten’s recipes stand the test of time. The Barefoot Contessa has visited the TODAY kitchen too many times to count — and she’s shared some of her best recipes along the way.

One of the biggest principles that guides Garten’s cooking is using high-quality ingredients: the good vanilla (not the imitation stuff), cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, top-shelf alcohol and farm-fresh produce. Yes, the concept has become a viral meme, but using “the good stuff” will make a big difference in your recipes.

Ahead, we’re highlighting more than 50 of Garten’s best recipes, best enjoyed while hosting friends or curled up on the couch reading her newly released memoir.

This cozy chicken starts with homemade chicken stock: Garten wouldn’t have it any other way. She makes a big batch of stock with three whole roasting chickens, plus plenty of aromatics. Once it’s ready, she gets to work on this one-pot dish, which features fennel, leeks, saffron, orzo and, of course, chicken.

Hosting a party? This quick and easy appetizer is one of Garten’s favorites when hosting guests. With a duo of fig jam and fresh figs, funky goat cheese and syrupy balsamic vinegar, this bite is so much more than the sum of its parts.

In Garten’s words, this sandwich is what would happen if bagel and lox took a trip to Paris. Choose high-quality fresh croissant, slice them and fill them with creamy mascarpone cheese, fresh herbs, capers and smoked salmon.

These sharp cheddar crackers get a kick from a touch of chipotle powder. Make the dough a day or two before hosting, then slice and bake the crackers just before your guests arrive. How easy is that?

This seasonally-inspired cocktail recipe serves one, but you can easily scale it up for a crowd. It features a combination of dried cranberries and cranberry juice for the best flavor and a ruby-red hue.

Blink and you’ll miss the list of ingredients needed for this oh-so-easy appetizer. Start with really good, crusty bread and top slices with goat cheese and Castelvetrano olives for a simple party starter.

Rather than just grabbing the jarred stuff, make your own marinated feta with Garten’s simple recipe. Start with high-quality feta cheese and season it with assorted dried herbs and grassy olive oil. The longer it sits, the better it tastes, making it the ultimate make-ahead dish.

Garten likes to use a duo of butter and shortening in her all-purpose pie dough, which can be made in advance and stored in the freezer for two to three months. Make it now and unwrap it just before Thanksgiving Day.

In celebration of the 2024 Paris Olympics, culinary correspondent Garten shared her recipe for perfect crème brulée. This one only requires about 10 minutes of prep work, leaving you with plenty of time to enjoy your guests.

A good Caesar salad can be great with homemade dressing. Garten’s recipe is made with good olive oil, an egg yolk, mustard, garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, salt and pepper. It’s punchy, flavorful and so much better than the store-bought stuff.

Dress up a fully-cooked spiral ham with a simple glaze featuring Dijon mustard, mango chutney, garlic, brown sugar and orange. Pour the glaze over the ham and heat it through in the oven.

Forget about the canned stuff! Garten delivers with this fruity side dish that’s bursting with whole cranberries, Granny Smith apples, raisins, pecans and orange zest. It’s a bright contrast to an otherwise rich and savory Thanksgiving feast.

Think you can’t make your turkey before Thanksgiving Day? Think again. This too-good-to-be-true recipe will walk you through how to make both the turkey and gravy in advance of the holiday.

In the spirit of getting ahead of dinner, this family-friendly make-ahead mac and cheese is one of Garten’s most popular recipes. Par-cook the pasta noodles and let it absorb the cheese sauce overnight. The result is an easier, more flavorful casserole that everyone will want to try.

The secret to Garten’s golden-brown biscuits is cold butter, which will melt as the biscuits bake, creating flaky layers and pockets of buttery rich flavor.

This is far from your average bowl of vanilla ice cream. Dress up your favorite store-bought brand with two ingredients: limoncello and biscotti.

You only need four ingredients for this sweet-meets-savory sandwich: good bakery white bread, butter, mango chutney and white cheddar (the sharper, the better).

A duo of russet potatoes and yellow onions join forces for these traditional crispy latkes. Pro tip: Place the grated vegetables in a dish towel and squeeze to ring out any excess liquid, which will prevent soggy latkes.

Use good — and we mean really good — butter for these shortbread cookies, which get most of their rich flavor from the dairy. A splash of vanilla extract helps to round out the flavor and provide sweetness.

When it comes to mashed potatoes, Garten doesn’t skimp on the good stuff. These spuds are all dolled up with half-and-half, butter, sour cream and Parmesan cheese.

Everyone at your football-watching party will forget about the game when they dig into these fresh nachos, which are loaded with a creamy crab topping, tomatoes, avocado, onions and lime.

For the ultimate fall drink, start with farm-fresh apple cider and warm it on the stovetop with whole spices (think: star anise and cloves), bourbon and more apple slices for serving.

If you’ve never tried cooking acorn squash before, this is your sign to start. Garten’s easy and flavorful recipe doesn’t take much effort, but the result sure is sweet.

Good bourbon is the name of the game for this sweet and moist cake that’s perfect for serving on the High Holidays. “I like it moist, spicy, and topped with toasted almonds,” says Garten.

Preparing brisket may sound intimidating, but this no-fuss, one-pot recipe is doable for home cooks of every level.

A trio of kale, Brussels sprouts and radicchio serves as the base for this simple side dish that adds crunch and color to your dinner table.

Two varieties of potatoes — Yukon golds and Idaho baking spuds — form the base for these crispy potatoes, which appeared in Garten’s cookbook “Cooking for Jeffrey.”

A simple staple side dish, period. Broccolini, which has a sweeter flavor than broccoli rabe, is dressed with nothing more than olive oil, salt and pepper.

There’s a few Garten recipes that are as iconic as the Barefoot Contessa herself — this lemony spatchcock roast chicken, which comes together in under an hour, is one of them.

Pork tenderloin is simply begging to be cooked with cider, maple syrup and whole warming spices, which give the meat a welcome seasonal spin. Serve alongside a make-ahead spiced plum chutney.

With a sharp, anchovy-based dressing and generous shavings of pecorino cheese, this kale salad is nearly in Caesar territory.

Filet mignon is good when it’s simply seasoned with salt and pepper and seared in a cast-iron skillet. But it becomes a memorable main when served with creamy mushrooms.

Move aside, cranberry sauce! This chunky chutney is made with fresh plums, Granny Smith apples, port wine, orange juice and warming spices.

Forget about the bottled stuff. This spicy margarita is made with all the good stuff — freshly squeezed lime and lemon juice, tequila, Triple Sec and fresh jalapeño peppers.

When you’re bored with all the usual ways to serve roast chicken, try this light and bright preparation. A lemony dry-brined chicken is roasted and served over arugula salad with a Dijon vinaigrette and homemade croutons.

Say goodbye to dry, bland cornbread, thanks to this recipe, which uses sour cream for moistness and two sticks of buttery for a rich flavor.

When butter and cream aren’t enough, make these over-the-top mashed potatoes with goat cheese, sour cream and half-and-half. Transfer the mash to a baking dish, top with grated Parmesan cheese and bake until golden brown.

Apples and pork are natural pairing. Here, pork tenderloins are wrapped in salty prosciutto, which gets perfectly crispy when baked.

It’s time for cauliflower to have its moment in the spotlight! Combine roasted cauliflower with mascarpone, Gruyère, prosciutto and nutmeg, then serve over toast for the perfect bite-sized vegetarian entrée.

Sweet bay scallops are the star of this zesty ceviche, which comes together in under one hour. Toss the scallops with cucumbers, shallots, scallions, avocado, bell pepper, parsley, jalapeño pepper and garlic for a colorful starter or side dish.

Get Garten’s recipe for a timeless daiquiri, which is made with good-quality dark rum, lime juice, sugar and — checks notes — that’s it!

Serve this seasonal salad with — what else? — but one of Garten’s favorite roast chicken recipes. It’s made with winter produce such as radicchio, endive, arugula, oranges, olives and a punchy lemon vinaigrette.

Garten shares her version of the classic 1980s chicken recipe, which is studded with prunes, olives, capers and lots of garlic.

Think of this as eggplant Parmesan in the form of a rich and creamy soup. If you have any leftovers, Ina recommends stirring them into pasta and baking for an all-new dish.

Somewhere in between pavlova and chocolate cream pie is this rich and luscious dessert, which comes from Garten’s longtime friend, Anna Pump. The flavor of the chocolate filling is enhanced with Kahlúa and freshly brewed espresso.

Repurpose last night’s short ribs in this hearty, savory breakfast entrée. It’s chockful of potatoes, bacon, onions, Brussels sprouts and soft-boiled eggs.

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are dredged in mustard and buttery, lemony breadcrumbs before they’re pan-fried. Serve over a bed of wild frisée lettuce with fingerling potatoes.

This isn’t a boring, old-fashioned ice cream sundae. Homemade peanut and popcorn brittle, scratch-made chocolate sauce and whipped cream (not the canned stuff) is served over creamy ice cream or gelato.

If you have a bounty of freshly picked apples and no idea what to make, try Garten’s applesauce. She recommends a duo of McIntosh, which cook down into a perfect mash, and Granny Smith for a slightly tart flavor.

For the ultimate tomato soup, start with canned San Marzano tomatoes, which offer a rich, sweet flavor. Saffron threads contribute to the vibrant hue and offer subtle floral notes.

A combination of vanilla and almond extracts introduces a lovely nutty flavor to these pecan-topped shortbread cookies.