Best-Selling Cookbook Author Elizabeth Heiskell Shares Her Go-To Ingredient For Almost Every Recipe

Elizabeth Gourlay Heiskell epitomizes “hostess with the most-ess.”

Not only does she know all the tricks to the art of stress-free serving, heading her own catering company for the past 22 years, but above all, she knows good food. 

Based out of Oxford, Mississippi, Heiskell is a passionate chef with three best-selling cookbooks full of her crowd-pleasing Southern creations (including my favorite pimiento cheese of all time). She shares her recipes and hosting secrets with viewers as a regular Today Show food contributor and has also made guest appearances on the Food Network’s The Kitchen.

As a seasoned caterer, accomplished chef, and adept culinary instructor, Heiskell can skillfully navigate any kitchen, yet her unpretentious (and never shy) approach to cooking and entertaining makes it all seem effortless. In fact, she makes hosting look so fun and easy, she’ll have you volunteering your house for the next get-together.

We were honored to have Heiskell serve as a judge in our first-ever Allrecipes Best Recipes Cook-Off, where she shared her expert insights on what it takes for a recipe to be a real winner (while adding plenty of spirit and spunk to our judging table).

After hosting the cook-off, I got the chance to speak to Heiskell about her top cooking tips and her favorite parts about participating in our inaugural cook-off.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the recipe contenders from Best Recipes 2023 Cook-Off. Did you have a favorite?

The chocolate truffle pie! Oh, that was so good, I’ve made it at home since the cook-off. It was just rich, decadent, silky—I mean, hands down, the best bite. Some of the judges didn’t think it was the best, they liked the potatoes more, but me, I loved it. And not because I have a sweet tooth either—I eat everything.

Did any of the recipes surprise you?

Oh, that breakfast casserole. You know, I don’t really eat tater tots aside from ordering them at Sonic. I don’t think about them too often. But, man, they just made the casserole so crispy. There was so much going on in there with the eggs, the cheese, and the bacon. But I do think it was the tater tots that made it so good. I just could not stop eating it. I even went back for a whole nother scoop of it. It was delicious.

We’re so glad you liked the recipes! But, as a longtime chef and recipe creator, you probably don’t always follow recipes by the book—or do you?

Never. I use recipes as guidelines or, really, inspiration. That’s been a challenging part of writing my own cookbooks. Sometimes, I’ll have a hard time writing the recipes on paper step-by-step, exactly like how I’ve made them in the past.

And, you know, the recipe is not your boss. It doesn’t know your family preferences, it doesn’t know what’s in your fridge, it doesn’t know the last time you went to the grocery store. Sure, you can always follow a recipe to a tee, that’s fine. But, as soon as you start to experiment, that’s when you can make something really wonderful. 

And, best of all, it doesn’t have to work out perfectly. You can always order a pizza. Chances are, you’ve got cereal and milk on hand. You’re not gonna starve.

Are there certain ingredients you always keep on hand to doctor or amp up a recipe?

Herbs—fresh herbs are my crutch. Not just in summer dishes, but in any kind of dish, year-round. They add so many layers of flavor. Fresh herbs are a savior.

And salt. In my kitchen, when a chef comes to me and says something tastes off, I almost always say, “more salt.” And that usually does it. 

And, you know, fresh vegetables. Use the produce that’s in season and you’re off to a great start—it’ll save you money too. Fresh asparagus, tomatoes. Getting the best quality vegetables that you can afford will do wonders. You’ve gotta do it—I mean, it really does make all the difference. If you start with [bad] tomatoes, you’re going to get a [bad] tomato dish!

With your cookbook, you gave us some ideas for what we can bring, what is your go-to dish to bring to the party?

I think it’d have to be my pimiento cheese. I do make that a lot. It’s nice because there’s always leftovers—it makes a lot—so you can leave them for your host to enjoy later in some pimiento cheese sandwiches. Everybody loves it, and it’s just so easy.

It’s the best! Last question. If we can have you back next year, what’s another category you’d like to see in the 2024 cook-off?

Eggs, I think that’s what we were missing. You think about the quiches, I mean, the deviled eggs.