How The Half Baked Harvest’s Tieghan Gerard Eats at Home

If there’s one thing you should know about Half Baked Harvest’s Tieghan Gerard, it’s that she loves avocados. And I mean loves. Her favorite food? Avocado. Go-to midday snack? Avocado toast with sea salt, lemon, and chili flakes. Favorite weeknight meal? Tacos…topped with avocado, of course. “Whenever I cook, at least one family member will ask me, ‘Are you going to put avocado on that?’” she tells Glamour with a laugh.

As someone who wears a Susan Alexandra avocado necklace everyday, I can relate. So it’s no surprise that Half Baked Harvest, the recipe brand created by Tieghan Gerard in 2012, got me through the pandemic. Her recipes also got my family through the pandemic. And my boyfriend. And my friends. You might not know Tieghan Gerard by name, but if you’ve spent any time on Instagram, you’ve certainly seen the colorful swirls of pasta or decadent chocolate confections she creates and photographs on the @HalfBakedHarvest account, which is followed by 4 million people and counting. (And don’t worry, not everything includes avocado.)

When COVID-19 hit, Gerard was in Los Angeles, smack dab in the middle of the book tour for her second cookbook, Super Simple. She headed back home to the mountains of Colorado, where she was raised with her seven siblings. But instead of hitting pause as the world shut down, Gerard went full steam ahead, guns blazing. “It was honestly the craziest time,” she says of churning out endless recipes for her follower,s who were newly homebound, waiting with their mouths watering. Those recipes turned into Gerard’s newest cookbook, Half Baked Harvest Every Day, filled with 120 comforting, wholesome recipes. (I personally can vouch for the Zuppa Toscana With Gnocchi and the Saucy Garlic Peanut Noodles With Sesame Sweet Potatoes as worthy recipe repeaters.) 

“With Every Day, I wanted to create recipes that are adaptable for everyone. I brought more color into the recipes and focused on flavor,” she says. “There are lots of different vegetables and whole grains. You’re meant to cook the recipes and enjoy them with your friends and family.”

Glamour: What four staples are always in your pantry or fridge?

Tieghan Gerard: A really good olive oil, dry pastas and rice, cheese, and avocados. I always have avocados in my fridge. I live next door to my parents, and during the holidays all of my siblings are here, so the amount of avocados we go through is insane. On any given day I probably have 12 on the counter and 12 in the fridge. If I’m making guacamole, I’m using, like, 10 avocados.

What do you listen to while cooking?

I love listening to business podcasts. I love to learn, and I tend to learn through podcasts. They are my favorite way to explore new things. I like listening to how people build their brands, product development, and things like that. I think I’ve gone through all of How I Built This, and I love The Skinny Confidential. I’m also a big fan of Armchair Expert.

What’s an edible impulse buy you can never resist?

I love dates. I eat them like candy.

What does comfort food mean to you?

It can mean so many different things. To me, it means foods that bring back really great memories, and that make you feel warm and cozy. A meal that you can really lean into and enjoy with your friends and family. I love warm foods, so to me, a comfort dish always has to be warm. It doesn’t necessarily need to be hearty or rich. I think that even simple roasted vegetables are a comforting part of a meal. I love anything that brings me back. Growing up, my mom would make really simple roasted chicken with rice, roasted broccoli, and bread on Sunday nights. To me, that’s a comfort meal because it brings back great memories.

What dish did you cook the most during the pandemic?

I made a lot of cozy meals during the pandemic—I did a lot of pastas with cheese, to be completely honest. I also made a lot of sheet-pan and one-skillet dinners using pantry staples since people weren’t going to the grocery store as often. One of my favorites is a chicken and orzo dish that’s made in one skillet with tons of dried or fresh herbs—whatever you have on hand. It’s really simple and flavorful. 

What tool gets the most use in your kitchen?

Definitely my cast-iron skillet by Staub.

You’re one of eight siblings—what are your brothers’ and sisters’ favorite meals that you make?

Each sibling is different, but the all-around favorite currently is my penne alla vodka. Especially if I throw in some spicy pesto and make spicy pesto penne alla vodka. It’s a real family favorite. And when I throw in some Italian chicken or spicy Italian sausage, the boys are really happy.

And what’s your favorite meal to make?

I’m such a seasonal cook and love to play off of the emotions that come with each season. But right now I love making chili. It’s so comforting and easy, and it smells really good. I also love making any kind of taco.

What’s something you’ve been dying to cook but haven’t gotten around to yet?

I have yet to make tiramisu. There are certain desserts that just sound like too much work, and I want to save them for a day when I really need a project.

What’s your go-to hostess gift?

I love to give a candle. Sometimes I’ll give a Staub cast-iron skillet, but if I’m going a more affordable route, I’ll always bring a candle.

What’s the last food product you bought?

I just bought some pappardelle off Amazon because I couldn’t find it in the store. Shopping can be hard in the mountains!

What’s your typical breakfast routine?

I always start with fruit and coffee. If I want something more substantial, I’ll do toast, some homemade granola, or eggs.

If you had $20 to spend at the farmer’s market, what would you buy?

It really depends on the season, but I would definitely gravitate toward fresh fruit, since they always have unique and beautiful options that you can’t always get at the grocery store. I love walking through farmer’s markets. I can go crazy there—I love looking at all of the colors and get so excited just strolling.

What’s your favorite holiday dish to cook or to eat?

I love holiday dishes, especially Christmas dishes. I get so bored cooking Thanksgiving dishes, to be completely honest. Every Christmas Eve, we used to eat beef tenderloin as a family. But this year we did a bunch of rib eyes from Five Marys Farm in California. We made some on the grill and some in a skillet, and I made some butter sauces. I had a lot of fun with those because I don’t usually play with that kind of meat day-to-day.

But my favorite holiday meal to eat is my mom’s Chex Mix. She basically follows the recipe on the back of the Chex Mix box, but she doubles the seasoning and the butter. It’s salty and so delicious. Doubling the butter and seasoning is the move.