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The Best Dressed-Up Dishes and Drinks Featured on The Kitchen

Whether you're cooking for a special occasion or entertaining guests, the cast's impressive plates will wow a crowd.

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From: Jeff Mauro, Katie Lee, Marcela Valladolid, Sunny Anderson, and Geoffrey Zakarian

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Photo By: Jason DeCrow

Photo By: David Katz

Photo By: David Katz

Photo By: Todd Plitt ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Renee Comet

Photo By: Renee Comet

Photo By: Emile Wamsteker ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Alice Gao ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Jason Clairy ©Clairy Productions Inc.

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Renee Comet

Photo By: Jason Clairy ©Clairy Productions, Inc.

Photo By: Todd Plitt ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Risotto Scampi Fra Diavolo

Upgrade your usual risotto by adding diced tomatoes to the chicken stock, which is used to gently cook the rice, ladle by ladle. Spicy seared shrimp not only add heft to the dish but also offer a striking presentation.

Get the Recipe: Risotto Scampi Fra Diavolo

Hash Brown-Crusted Halibut with Mango Mint Relish

Jeff's elegant yet shockingly easy fish dinner comes together quickly thanks to one key ingredient: store-bought hash browns.

Get the Recipe: Hash Brown-Crusted Halibut with Mango Mint Relish

Spicy Chicken Tacos

Not just for Tuesday dinners, tacos can be a go-to party dish as well, especially when you want to achieve a relaxed, eat-with-your-hands vibe. These tacos, featuring a garlic puree and plenty of spicy, smoky ground chicken, will leave your guests wanting more.

Get the Recipe: Spicy Chicken Tacos

Sunny's Sunset Park Noodles

Sunny's deeply savory broth, made with Korean-style chile paste, deliver a bold punch of flavor, while a sunny-side-up egg in each bowl guarantees a wow-worthy presentation. 

Get the Recipe: Sunny's Sunset Park Noodle Bowl

Watermelon, Mint and Jalapeno Salsa

Skip the usual jarred salsa in favor of this fresh pick instead. A base of cool, sweet watermelon is balanced with spicy jalapenos to create a craveable appetizer. Bonus: It take just 10 quick minutes to prepare.

Get the Recipe: Watermelon, Mint and Jalapeno Salsa

Scampi

Just a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce lend a salty, deeply savory bite to the lemony sauce that accompanies GZ's tender shrimp. Turn the dish into a full meal by serving the seafood with pasta. 

Get the Recipe: Scampi

Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs

By slowly cooking the short ribs in a flavorful bath of red wine, tomatoes and stock, the meat has a chance to break down and become tender and succulent. GZ likes to serve the beef and veggies with creamy grits for a next-level finish.

Get the Recipe: Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs

Brownie Bombe

After making a batch of rich, chocolatey brownies, this recipe comes down to assembly as you layer the sliced brownies, ice cream and whipped cream in a bowl. The dessert needs to freeze for a few hours before serving, so be sure to plan ahead if you're preparing to serve this at a party.

Get the Recipe: Brownie Bombe

Roasted Pork Loin with Spanish Onion and Vermouth

Three layers of flavor — a spice rub on the meat, the horseradish-vermouth sauce in which the roast cooks and a topping of his parsley-pistachio Gremolata — ensure Geoffrey's pork loin turns out juicy and tender with over-the-top taste.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Pork Loin with Spanish Onion and Vermouth

Chocolate Stout Bundt Cake

Thanks to stout beer's natural cocoa flavor, it's a go-to addition to Marcela Valladolid's easy-to-make cake. She adds both cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate to guarantee a rich finished product.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Stout Bundt Cake

Ricotta Gnocchi

Airy and fluffy, Geoffrey Zakarian's ricotta-laced gnocchi can be prepped one day, then frozen for up to two weeks before they're cooked. Geoffrey opts to toss these impressive beauties with a pancetta-studded tomato sauce, but you can use whichever sauce is your favorite.

Get the Recipe: Ricotta Gnocchi

Cajun Baked Shrimp and Grits

It takes just a handful of ingredients to make Sunny Anderson's cheesy, creamy grits, which she tops with cooked lemon-scented shrimp for a wow-worthy presentation. Perhaps best of all, since shrimp take only minutes to cook in the oven, this elegant yet comforting dish can be on the table in just 45 minutes.

Get the Recipe: Sunny's Cajun Baked Shrimp and Grits

Prosciutto-Wrapped Halibut with Brussels Sprouts with Kale Couscous

A complete meal that comes together in a single pan, Katie Lee's 35-minute dinner stars meaty halibut, which Katie turns indulgent with a blanket of salty prosciutto. For a bit of extra texture, she adds a handful of chewy dried currants to the bed of couscous and vegetables below the fish.

Get the Recipe: Prosciutto-Wrapped Halibut with Brussels Sprouts and Kale Couscous

Turbo

A sprig of fresh rosemary threaded through a fresh blackberry is an ideal garnish for GZ's refreshing combination of black currant liqueur, hard cider and light lager.

Get the Recipe: Turbo

Zucchini and Goat Cheese Pinwheels

For an elegant appetizer, skip the standard cheese plate and roll up Katie's sun-dried-tomato-spiked goat cheese inside thinly sliced zucchini. This no-cook starter is ready to eat in only five quick minutes.

Get the Recipe: Zucchini and Goat Cheese Pinwheels

Southside Cocktail

As elegant as it is easy, GZ's five-minute cocktail features a gin base, plus bright lime juice and a fresh-mint garnish. 

Get the Recipe: Southside Cocktail

Beef Stew

The beauty of a stew is that you can feed a crowd a complete, hearty meal by making just one recipe. Katie's version features hefty vegetables like potatoes and carrots alongside chunks of tender beef in a rich, savory sauce.

Get the Recipe: Beef Stew

Tomato and Bocconcini Caprese

Similar to a traditional caprese with the hallmark ingredients of mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, GZ's updated appetizer features bite-size balls of mozzarella instead of larger sliced rounds of the cheese.

Get the Recipe: Tomato and Bocconcini Caprese

Peach Cobbler

When it comes to hosting a crowd, preparing a lot of single-serving desserts can be tricky, which is why big-batch treats, like Katie's indulgent cobbler, are ideal. Once you're ready to eat, just serve the cobbler in individual dishes for a party-ready presentation.

Get the Recipe: Peach Cobbler

Pan-Seared Chicken with Olives

Not your ordinary chicken breasts, Geoffrey's flavor-packed recipe features a tomato-olive Pan Sauce laced with a mixture of herbs and a dollop of Dijon for subtle tang. He rounds out the meal with a simple salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette.

Get the Recipe: Pan Seared Chicken with Olives

Sweet Potato and Mushroom Lasagna

Jeff Mauro's made-over lasagna features layer upon layer of herb-laced ricotta, but in place of classic sheets of pasta, he opts for thinly sliced sweet potatoes for a lighter alternative.

Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato and Mushroom Lasagna

Roasted Asparagus with Prosciutto, Pine Nuts and Shaved Parmesan

Marcela's next-level vegetable side dish comes together just as quickly as simply roasted asparagus — in only 25 minutes — but it's extra special thanks to a trio of tastes and textures from the salty prosciutto, crunchy pine nuts and rich Parmesan.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Asparagus with Prosciutto, Pine Nuts and Shaved Parmesan

Grapefruit Margarita

Made with tequila and orange liqueur, plus a splash of grapefruit juice for bright citrus flavor, GZ's easy margarita boasts a spicy surprise: a rim of salt that's been spiked with ground chipotle powder.

Get the Recipe: Grapefruit Margarita

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