Get Served a Side of Laughter With Sunny Anderson's Spot-On Cooking Tips

Best Sunny Anderson Cooking Tips — Food Network star Sunny Anderson prides herself on making comfort food for "real life," aka dishes that are easy on the wallet and that come together quickly without sacrificing on flavor. But the best part about Sunny is her ability to make you feel like you're her best friend, just hanging next to her as she sautes some beef and shares her cooking tips. Sure, she'll make you laugh with her spot-on background music and sassy spelling choices, but somewhere in the middle of all that humor, you'll learn 10 different uses for gochujang. What's that? Don't worry, I'll let Sunny do the talking . . .

Fry eggs in chorizo fat.

Breakin the fast. Breakfast. Chorizo fat. #sunnyfoodvid #sunnybreakinthefast

A video posted by Sunny Anderson (@sunnyanderson) on May 31, 2016 at 7:22am PDT

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The secret to 4-ingredient mac 'n' cheese is gochujang.

Easy 4-ingredient Mac n Cheese...I SAAAAAAIIIID EASY FOUR-ingredient Mac n Cheese :-) 1. Boil some pasta (like you wanna make 2 large servings) in salted AND peppered water, mmkay? Big coarse ground pepper, mmmkay? Look at the pic :-). Use the kind of pasta that catches sauce. Spirals, tubes & such. 2. Save like a coffee mug worth of the hot boiling water as you drain the pasta. 3. Put the pasta back in the warm pot & add a spoonful of Gochujang. Whaaaaaaat? You dunno what that is? It's about to take over, be early on it with me. It's in a lil red, rectangular tub right next to the Sriracha & Sambal at awwwwwl the major grocers, trust. I looked into it, just for you. I fell in love with it more than 20 years ago while serving in S. Korea & it's finally here. It's funky & earthy in the best way, sweet, tangy & spicy! So only a spoonful will do. It's not expensive either. Don't be afraid to tap that grocery store worker on the shoulder & ask where it is. 4. Then add like 3 big spoonfuls of whipped cream cheese to the pot. Yup...do it. So that's 1 spoon of Gochujang to every 3 spoons of whipped cream cheese. Math in action if you need to multiply this. 5. Then cut like 2 inches off that big orange block of processed cheese encased in oddly strong aluminum foil and cube it. Don't hate, it's too early in the week for that, wait for like Saturday. Add that magical orange "cheese" stuff to the pot, mmkay? 6. Stir the pot like nasty comments from private accounts. Then, to loosen and make a sauce, add back some of that hot pasta water from step 2. Just enough to get it saucy. If you mess up just add more of the cheeses & Gochujang, & deal with having too much sauce for your pasta. You've just made 4 ingredient Mac n Cheese (Pasta, Gochujang, whipped cream cheese & magical orange cheese. Water, salt & pepper don't count). You also have plenty of parts left over to play in your kitchen. Gochujang is good in; meatloaf, mashed potatoes, burger patties, egg wash for frying chicken, soups, scrambled eggs, sautéed greens, pasta salads, on skin for roasting chicken, spreads, deviled eggs, and so much more like obviously "bibimbap" its most common use. #sunnyrecipeyo

A photo posted by Sunny Anderson (@sunnyanderson) on May 4, 2016 at 11:08am PDT

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Lime juice and extra virgin olive oil are essentials for avocado toast.

Lunchin on a come up ... -------------------My Avocado Toast------------------ 2 toasted slices of jillion-grain, jillion-sprouted bread 1 almost too ripe avocado, brown spots picked out with the tip of a knife Pinch of Kosher salt (there's no iodine, it tastes different, k?) Pinch of red chili flakes (it's not just for pizza, yo) Black pepper, grind it fresh or don't use it, deal? A squishy lime, not plastic (sowwy) That good EVOO (shout out to RR, mmmkay? All up in the dictionary & stuff) 1. In a bowl mash with a fork the avocado, salt, chili flakes & pepper. 2. Fork that stuff on the jillion toast then sprinkle with a bit more chili flakes if you care and then spritz some lime and drizzle some EVOO... WAYMENT...this is actually Guac Toast, k? #sunnyrecipeyo #avocadomafia

A photo posted by Sunny Anderson (@sunnyanderson) on Mar 19, 2016 at 1:59pm PDT

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Melt the cheese over a potato-and-egg hash — just be sure to use a non-stick pan.

Breaking the fast. Breakfast. #sunnybreakinthefast I like breakfast with my hot sauce. #sunnyfoodvid

A video posted by Sunny Anderson (@sunnyanderson) on May 15, 2016 at 10:13am PDT

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You can be a great cook with a messy fridge. Sunny gives you permission.

It's a mess, but I make miracles like mama on Thanksgiving.

A photo posted by Sunny Anderson (@sunnyanderson) on May 16, 2016 at 11:44am PDT

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Double-cook sweet potatoes for caramelized greatness.

I SAAAAAAIIIID Roasted Balsamic Sweet Potatoes AKA CARAMELIZED MINDS 3-4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 12 sprigs fresh thyme 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Kosher salt and black pepper 1 medium red onion, cut into chunks Olive oil, drizzle drizzle 1. Have a hankering for a taste of the holidays in May. 2. Preheat your oven to 375° F. 3. In a medium pot add some water. Cut the potatoes in chunks, look at the picture. That's a rubber spatula for size reference. Add the chunks to the water and bring to a boil. Cook until a fork can juuuuuust push in with a bit of effort. This is before the "potato salad stage", like al dente taters. Don't over do this. If you do, just make sweet potato mash and call it a day. Matter of fact, make it with the ingredients above and a pat or two of butter. I digress... 4. Drain the potatoes and set aside. In a large bowl add everything. It's up there in the list. Just add everything and stir it. Taste it, does it need more salt? Add some...then add the potatoes and gently fold over and over until they are coated. 5. Pour everything onto an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Extra credit if you have the non-stick kind. 6. Roast like 35-40 minutes, tossing halfway through. Eat it, not the thyme sprigs. I ate half of this last night, but I was being greedy. I'd say this serves 4 as a side dish. #sunnyrecipeyo

A photo posted by Sunny Anderson (@sunnyanderson) on May 11, 2016 at 3:48pm PDT

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Cook ground beef in a cast iron to sear the outsides.

Sizzlin Sirloin in my big mama cast iron pan. Close your eyes, sounds like rain... #sunnyfoodvid

A video posted by Sunny Anderson (@sunnyanderson) on May 6, 2016 at 5:28am PDT

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All ground beef needs is a little gochujang.

To me, sizzling or frying food sounds like gentle rain falling on a carport or concrete. This is 1. sirloin, 2. shredded carrots and 3. Gochujang hot pepper paste. Just a 4. lettuce wrap away from my mouth. No mas...1.2.3.4. what are you waiting for? Close your eyes and enjoy the rain. #sunnyrecipeyo #sunnyfoodvid

A video posted by Sunny Anderson (@sunnyanderson) on Apr 12, 2016 at 5:14pm PDT

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The key to smooth, homemade almond milk is straining the mixture with a wet paper towel inside a fine mesh sieve.

Get lit off homemade almond milk. 🔥🔥🔥 6 ounces whole almonds 7 cups water Blitz it on highest setting. Fridge it for 4 hours. Re-blitz in the middle or a couple of times while chillin. Strain it with a wet paper towel inside a fine mesh sieve. Add vanilla extract by the drop and agave nectar by the squirt, to taste. Reuse the almond solids again for 4-7 more cups of water, if you're cheap like meeeeeee. #sunnyrecipeyo Haaaiii. Speaking of nuts, refrigerate or freeze all nuts cuz they can go rancid. They are packed with natural oils. Haaaiii. #SunnySweatsTheTechnique

A photo posted by Sunny Anderson (@sunnyanderson) on Feb 22, 2016 at 6:39pm PST

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Gochugaru > Tajín

So classy with the plastic. Mango, cukes, scrawburries, pineapple, salt, fresh squeeze of lime. That's not tajin, mmmkay? It's gochugaru, get familiar if you dare...

A photo posted by Sunny Anderson (@sunnyanderson) on Feb 10, 2016 at 11:04am PST

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