5 Cooking Tips From a 3-Time ‘Guy’s Grocery Games’ Champion

If you’re seeking inspiration about how to put feta or cheddar to good use — or if you’re curious about how to walk away with the check at the end of Guy’s Grocery Games — you’d be hard-pressed to find a better taste-bud tour guide than MacKenzie Smith.

Since 2010, she’s been the recipe developer and food stylist behind the comfort food blog Grilled Cheese Social. What started as a passion project documenting over-the-top grilled cheese sandwiches slowly evolved into a full-time job with a delightful mission: “make weeknight cooking feel fun, approachable, and achievable for real people no matter where they live.”

This is a category of cooking MacKenzie knows well, as a busy mom to Poppy, 6, and Jett, 4½. “They are my toughest — and cutest — taste testers! Both definitely keep me grounded when it comes to creating recipes that real families will actually eat,” MacKenzie adds.

Go Ahead, Make Us Melt

Over the last 15-plus years, MacKenzie has tested, perfected and shared hundreds of recipes, including one of the most viral culinary creations of the last decade.

“One of my Finnish girlfriends, Mila, told me I had to try this pasta recipe that was going viral in her country, and it sounded too good to be true! So, she translated the recipe for me, I shared it on TikTok, Instagram and my blog, then BOOM. Baked Feta Pasta took off,” MacKenzie recalls.

She was the first American creator to post about the viral Finnish recipe in the United States, and believes that it skyrocketed across social media and sparked supermarket feta shortages because “it was inexpensive, visually appealing, incredibly easy and used ingredients people could actually find [well, until they sold out]. Most importantly, the payoff was huge compared to the effort involved,” MacKenzie tells Food Network. “People seem to love recipes that make them feel like a five-star chef without requiring culinary school skills, and Baked Feta Pasta delivered exactly that! I'm still not sick of it.”

A Robust Culinary Toolbox

Considering the fact that this culinary industry veteran has made a splash on social media, has styled food for major restaurant chains and has garnered a fan club full of millions of home cooks, it’s probably no surprise that MacKenzie caught the attention of Guy Fieri.

MacKenzie has been a contestant on five episodes of Guy’s Grocery Games to date. And her track record is impressive. From those five appearances, MacKenzie has taken home the supersized check three times. (Don’t miss “Cheesier” from Season 13, “Bigger Better Burgers All Stars” from Season 18 and Season 41's “Guilty Pleasures.")

In case you, too, have ambitions of conquering cart swap, express lane or one-ingredient-per-aisle challenges, MacKenzie has a few nuggets of wisdom to share.

“To succeed on Guy’s Grocery Games, it’s crucial to stay calm, to be flexible and to be true to yourself and the food you actually enjoy,” MacKenzie says. “The show is designed to throw curveballs at you, so if you spend too much time trying to figure out what you’re going to make before it even starts, you will get yourself stuck mentally and physically. I always try to focus on building a dish that feels like me while also being balanced, technically sound, beautiful, exciting and, of course, delicious. Creativity matters, but flavor and gameplay matters the most!”

Bringing It Home

Sure, MacKenzie can slay the competition at Flavortown Market. But she’s a firm believer that her sweet spot is right at home, seated around the table with her family.

“The meals my family requests most aren't the over-the-top fancy recipes. It's usually the quick dishes that are dependable, easy and comforting. Conveniently for me, these are all delicious without making dinner harder or messier than it needs to be!”

On the regular rotation lately? Marry Me Tortellini, Garlic Expressions Grilled Chicken (“My fam’s absolute favorite,” MacKenzie swears), White Cheddar Mac and Cheese, and Crispy Chicken Cutlets. You’ll find some of these — and many more weeknight-friendly features — in MacKenzie’s upcoming cookbook, set to debut in early 2027. (In the meantime, you can buy her first cookbook, Grilled Cheese Social: Super Fun Recipes for Super Fun Times, on her website.)

5 Tips for Home Cooks, Straight From a Guy’s Grocery Games Champion

There’s no need to wait until then to get started perking up your menu, MacKenzie admits. Ahead, she spills her easy, achievable advice to level up your menu starting at your very next meal.

• Keep a “back pocket meal” in your pantry. When you’re short on time and/or energy, a few intentional ingredients can be your supper SOS, MacKenzie says. As long as she has a box of pasta, a can of beans, some broth, frozen vegetables and a few different cheeses on hand, she’s only mere minutes away from a nourishing meal like white bean soup or cheesy broccoli pasta.
• Sneak in one "special" ingredient. In addition to a handful of versatile meal starters, MacKenzie always stocks impactful extras like chili crisp, pickled onions and hot honey. Choose one to spiff up something like pizza, a sandwich or a salad to “add so much flavor and excitement without a lot of extra work,” MacKenzie says.
• Keep texture top of mind. It’s easy to get distracted by dialing in the flavor and forget all about introducing some element of craving-inducing consistency. “Incorporating something crunchy like toasted breadcrumbs, candied nuts, crispy onions or tortilla strips can instantly make a meal feel more satisfying,” MacKenzie notes. (We’re already dreaming about stuffing our next grilled cheese with French-fried onions!)
• Recycle the building blocks. Instead of starting from scratch with a new dinner every single day, MacKenzie gives you a permission slip to repurpose ingredients throughout the week: “Grill extra chicken on Monday and turn it into tacos, salads, grain bowls or chicken salad sandwiches later. It saves time and reduces decision fatigue.”
• Add acid at the end. One of the most effective ways to brighten up and lend balance to a dish without increasing the work or calories? Finish with a squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar or a spoonful of pickled vegetables. MacKenzie tells us that “this can wake up an entire dish.”