Whenever I think the hype over the Pioneer Woman — aka Ree Drummond — has died down, she drops something new that everyone goes crazy for: a piece of floral cookware, a whole line of bedding, and, most recently, her very own Barbie. I quickly realized I either needed to jump on the bandwagon or move out of the way, because the Ree is here to stay — and it was time I tried one of her recipes to experience the hype for myself. My recipe of choice? Her uber-rich (and uber-popular) macaroni and cheese.

Get the recipe: Pioneer Woman’s Macaroni and Cheese

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When it came time to compare some of the most popular mac and cheese recipes on the internet, I was expecting to see four almost identical recipes. How different could the simple combo of cheese sauce and noodles actually be? But the second I saw Sunny Anderson’s version, I realized just how wrong I was.

At first, it was the title of the recipe that stood out to me: Spicy mac and cheese? Then it was the photo: What are those Texas toast crouton-looking things doing on top of the pasta? By the time I got to the ingredient list (cubes of cheese) and technique (no béchamel in sight), I had to find out: Is this the mac and cheese recipe my life has been missing? Or is it so far from the classic that I’ll be disappointed?

Get the recipe: Sunny Anderson’s Spicy Macaroni and Cheese

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Welcome to Snapshot Cooking, the home of Kitchn’s easiest recipes. These mini recipes are so simple you can practically cook from the before-and-after snapshot itself.

Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or signed up to bring something to the office potluck, you likely have appetizers on the brain this time of year. Snacks and small bites are synonymous with the season — but with everything else going on, the thought of starting from scratch is daunting. That’s why we came up with five ridiculously easy appetizers that you can make with just two common grocery store ingredients. In just a few minutes, you’re left with an impressive appetizer worthy of any and all holiday festivities.

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Whether it’s an impromptu holiday gathering and you’re rushing, or you simply procrastinated your menu planning, there’s a special version of awful that comes with needing to really quickly come up with a bunch of food for a ton of people. Especially things that aren’t just something-on-a-cracker and something-else-to-dip-pita in. But worry no more, as the Pioneer Woman has come to our rescue.

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Confession: I have never washed an avocado before eating it. I have never even thought about washing an avocado before eating it. That rough, thick outer shell just seems, to the naked eye, like a perfectly suitable layer of protection against disease, a far cry from the fragile leaves of say, my romaine lettuce. I’m going to start, though, and I suspect that many other people are in my position, because as it turns out, you do need to wash avocados. There’s a chance they might be contaminated with listeria.

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When Eric Ripert, the chef mastermind behind three-Michelin-star seafood restaurant Le Bernardin (and close friend of Anthony Bourdain), tells you how to cook something, it would be best to listen to him. His latest recommendation is probably not one you’re expecting, though. It doesn’t involve any fancy, expensive machinery that you’d only find in a professional kitchen. In fact, all you need is a toaster oven.

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When you head to a restaurant this time of year, you’re probably in search of a nice meal, a pleasant evening, and maybe a festive cocktail or two. You’re probably not heading out in search of a cold to catch. But it’s the season of germs everywhere, and ABC News set out to find where those germs lurk in restaurants around the country — and it may make you rethink using the salt and pepper shaker.

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Around the holiday season, people who like to siphon that fun, carefree feeling from the spate of year-end celebrations go into overdrive. People rail against Starbucks holiday cups and over-the-top Christmas light displays. The latest controversy – care of the CDC — concerns one of America’s favorite pastimes: eating raw cookie dough. But unfortunately, this one seems pretty valid.

Almost every year around the Christmas season, the CDC re-ups its warning against consuming raw cookie dough in any form. This year is no different, and if you’re feeling a bit of holiday mischievousness brewing, make way for the much more familiar feeling of holiday downer as you take a read-through.

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It looks like that Milky Way sitting in the vending machine at work is getting some sizzling competition.

Ohio local news station 10TV reports that Ohio State University students can now spend their parents’ hard-earned money on a little brain fuel. A bacon-vending machine, created by the Ohio Pork Council, has been installed in the animal sciences building at Ohio State University. It will be maintained by the meat science department (side note: why didn’t I major in this?!).

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One of the most hotly debated techniques in all of cooking is the easiest, best way to peel a hard-boiled egg. There are a lot of tips I’ve encountered over the years, including adding baking soda to the boiling water, blowing the egg out of its shell, and making sure the eggs are cold before peeling. But then I came across a new method in a recent video on Epicurious and I had to try it out.

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