Top 10 Best Food Network Recipes of 2010 By mollie [89 more lists]

2010 was the year comfort food reigned, and soothing culinary classics filled the Food Network airwaves -- not to mention the stomachs of many a satisfied viewer. With the cultural and culinary zeitgeist leaning heavily towards simplicity, artisan craftsmanship and soothing nostalgia, Food Network's 2010 recipes tended to feature back-to-basics techniques and down-home dishes.

But, of course, this being 2010, there were also a few recipes more notable for their virality than anything else. For example, Sandra Lee's Channukah Cake -- a monstrous concoction of good intentions and hilariously bad execution, made momentarily famous in the blogosphere for how bad it was. Of course, no matter what the recipe, viewers tuned in to watch Food Network's famous chefs in record numbers in 2010, making it even more popular than ever. And, making many a home cook -- and their friends and families -- very happy.

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1

Alton Brown's Baked Mac + Cheese

What's more comforting than mac and cheese? Alton Brown's reassuring witticisms as he teaches you how to make the perfect Panko-breaded mac and cheese casserole. This recipe exemplified all the culinary trends of 2010 -- soothing comfort food with a gourmet (but affordable) twist. Throw in Alton's helpful hints, and a few dashes of paprika, and you've got a fancier version of this classic, creamy treat. No blue box required.
2

Ina Garten's Roast Chicken

Ina Garten is a master of making intimidating culinary techniques totally approachable. Maybe it's her calm voice, or the fact that her Hamptons kitchen has magical powers (seriously, dishes don't ever seem to get dirty there.) Whatever it is, Ina is the best Food Network personality to tune into when you want to learn professional tips and tricks in an approachable way (sorry Anne Burrell, but your magic hair is no match for Ina's magic kitchen).

In 2010, Ina tackled the ultimate test of a cook's culinary mettle - the perfect roast chicken. This dish is one of those iconic meals every home cook wants to have in their recipe arsenal. And, Ina's roast chicken recipe from 2010's Back to Basics episode is so good, it pretty much guarantees that you'll be a master of this must-have meal by the time you're done watching it.
3

Alton Brown's Bonfire Of The Vegetables

2010 was also the year that the greening of food became a big part of the nation's culinary conversation. From the first Iron Chef episode of the year, in which chefs competed to make the best use of veggies from the White House garden, to numerous trends like meatless Mondays and flexitarianism, veggie recipes sprouted up all over the culinary world, and all over Food Network in 2010. This is one of the best ones, featuring the timeless -- and tasty -- combo of grilling, veggies and Alton Brown's wordplay.
4

Bobby And Paula Get Crabs (And Then Make Dip Out Of Them)

Paula Deen's son Bobby joined her in concocting this tasty crab dip recipe. From the use of affordable lump crabmeat to the spicy pepper jack cheese, this dip is creamy, comforting and completely on trend for 2010. Plus, it's easy, delicious and one of the few Paula Deen recipes you can actually enjoy without having a cardiologist on call -- there's not even any butter in it!
5

Giada De Laurentiss's Meaty Mushroom Lasagna

This is a simple, savory dish that could feed an entire family for less than what it costs to take that whole family out to the local Italian joint. The prosciutto and parmesan give this dish an unusual, upscale feel, while the assorted mushrooms add a ton of flavor and texture. Plus, you get to tell your kids you're feeding them fungus -- always a great way to get the family dinner discussion started.
6

The Neely's Deep Fried Turkey

Deep fried turkey isn't exactly a 2010-specific trend -- it's a bit of culinary kitsch that's been gaining in popularity for years. But, this year, the Neely's nailed down a simple and safe way of doing this sometimes dangerous Thanksgiving dish, sans the potential for painful third degree burns. Plus, their version gets the added bonus of a special seasoning rub from the barbecue gurus themselves, which elevates this simple bird into something so much better.
7

Sandra Lee's Channukah Cake

In the words of Serious Eats, this cake is "An angel food cake filled with marshmallows, covered in blue frosting, and decorated with strands of fake pearls. You don't have to be Jewish to know that by serving Sandra Lee's Star of David angel food cake, you have failed." And, indeed, this cake was an epic fail in every way.

Except, of course, in the virality department. In fact, its sheer absurdity -- and the fact that the domestic goddess used non-kosher marshmallows on a Channukah cake -- gave this particular concoction its very own fifteen minutes of fame on the blogosphere in December of 2010. Much like the miraculous oil Channukah is meant to celebrate, the cake's fame lasted far longer than it should have. Fortunately, the bloggers eventually found her Kwanzaa cake, which stole the spotlight right out from under this big, blue monstrosity.
8

Rachael Ray's Surprisingly Simple Late Night Bacon

I could say something about how ridiculously, absurdly easy this recipe from December 2010 is. Or, point to the many comments wondering when Rachael was going to follow up with similar recipes for Cup 'O Noodles or midnight bowls of Captain Crunch. But, instead, I'm just going to paste in the recipe exactly as it appeared on the Food Network website:

Ingredients
8 slices bacon

Directions
Place 2 sheets of paper towel on a microwave safe plate, lay the bacon out on the paper towel not overlapping the slices. Place 2 more sheets of paper towel on top. Place in the microwave on high for 4 to 6 minutes.
9

Brian Boitano's West Coast Burger

First of all, the video on the left is not the video for this recipe, just a great clip that perfectly illustrates why What Would Brian Boitano Make is easily the most fun cooking show of all time (not to mention the most fah-bulous. Sorry Paula.)

Sadly, I couldn't find a clip of this brilliant burger recipe, which is basically a homemade version of the iconic In & Out Double Double -- a burger that possesses the power to make the mouth of anyone who has ever had one water at the mere mention of its name.

But, you can find the full recipe here. And, from the perfectly caramelized grilled onions to the superbly calibrated special sauce, this is one burger recipe that's well worth bookmarking.
10

Alex Guarnaschelli's Chocolate Truffles

If anyone knows how to make an indulgent treat sound both soothing and seductive, it's Alex Guarnaschelli. Just check out her Tweets. So, of course, she was the perfect person to make 2010's ultimate decadent dessert recipe -- the perfect chocolate truffle.

This truffle recipe produces amazing little rum-soaked treats, rolled in sprinkles and topped with surprisingly savory little nuggets of sea salt -- the use of sea salt in desserts being one of 2010's biggest culinary trends, of course. They're a relatively inexpensive, incredibly indulgent, completely comforting bit of homemade, hand-rolled heaven. And, my mouth is officially watering just thinking about them.