Ina Garten Reveals Her Absolute Favorite Holiday Food

Raise your hand if you've ever recreated one of Ina Garten's dinners. Or bought Hellmann's mayonnaise because of her endorsement. Or envied the guests gathered around her table, awing as she unveils course after course. Ina fans, we see you.

No doubt, the Barefoot Contessa has mastered the art of everyday entertaining. But imagine feasting with her and Jeffrey for the holidays. No, we're not on the Garten home's guest list, not this year. But Ina did cue us in on her one go-to holiday dish when she joined us on Homemade, the Allrecipes podcast.

Ina considers this dish not only her favorite but "the easiest meal in the world to make," she told us. At the same time, she said "it's luxurious, so it's good for the holidays." It's none other than a roasted filet of beef.

As it turns out, even on special occasions, the Barefoot Contessa opts for simple recipes with good ingredients. And filet of beef (also known as beef tenderloin) certainly delivers.

"You can make all different kinds of sauces. You can make a cold horseradish sauce or you can make a hot gorgonzola sauce. You can just serve it with mustard, and you've got a great dinner that's really special and it doesn't take any time at all," Ina said.

Another perk: It's easier to carve than the traditional turkey. "All you have to do is just slice it, and if it's slow roasted, it comes out perfectly. The perfect temperature, like, perfectly rare all the way through," Ina told us. "It's just great."

Episode Transcript

You'll find recipes for this cut of meat on her website, including Filet of Beef with Gorgonzola Sauce, Balsamic Roasted Beef, and Slow-Roasted Filet of Beef with Basil Parmesan Mayonnaise. So, if you can't join Ina for the holidays, you can at least borrow her recipes. How easy is that?

Download this episode of Homemade for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts beginning December 9.