Create Cooking Challenge 2024: Easy Peasy

The 2024 challenge searched for talented cooks who could deliver delicious dishes with six ingredients or less. The top 10 finalists showcased ingenuity and creativity to develop fantastic flavors with minimal ingredients.

Episodes

• Sweet Tea Barbecue

  Grand Prize Winner Scott Meeks uses Southern sweet tea as inspiration for a versatile barbecue sauce. Scott notes, "I always joke with my Southern mom that her sweet tea is more like a syrup. Then I thought, what if I replace the molasses in my BBQ recipe with sweet tea? Well, it worked!"

• Chorizo And Peppers Over Mascarpone Polenta

  Co-Second Prize Winner Iris Fairfax brings the flavor in this Italian-inspired easy dish. Iris notes, "I created this recipe in honor of the Italian ladies who helped teach me to cook, and as a homage to my Philadelphian roots. Sausage and pepper sandwiches from street vendors are popular here. I ditched the roll, swapped the Italian sausage for chorizo, and added creamy polenta."

• Simplified Mexican Chicken Adobo

  Co-Second Prize Winner Tristan Heath composes a simplified Mexican chicken adobo. Tristan notes, "This recipe is very simple, yet it packs a lot of flavor. I think that the use of canned chipotles in adobo is a clever way to simplify a complex recipe."

• Furikake Mahi Mahi With Roasted Kabocha Squash

  Jackie Carioscia makes a culture-blending dish featuring mahi mahi. Jackie notes, "I created this dish after a recent trip to Hawaii. I was intrigued by the small flecks of nori on my dish there, which led to an exploration of furikake. I decided to keep a Japanese theme and expanded my search to include kabocha squash, which I am now hooked on."

• Mirlitons New Orleans Style

  Kim Reynolds introduces us to New Orleans style mirlitons. Kim notes, "This recipe is easy for anyone to make and tastes delicious. It’s a dish that I love and my family makes its on all the holidays. It’s very versatile and can be made with chopped ham and crabmeat."

• Juicy Meatballs In Lemon Sauce

  Anita Sankar creates juicy meatballs in a lemon sauce. Anita notes, "I created this recipe to be made during a weeknight in 30 minutes. Since the weather is getting warmer, this lighter meatball dish replaces heavy meatballs in marinara. The bright flavor of lemon goes well with ground chicken or turkey."

• Indo-Jamaican Curry Tofu

  Venessa Taylor-Mishra makes an Indo-Jamaican curry tofu dish. Venessa notes, "I am a native of Jamaica and my husband is Indian, and we have a vegetarian American daughter. This curry tofu recipe is a fusion of spices and dishes from my Jamaican mother, and my Indian saas (mother-in-law). This meal is a blend of both worlds."

• Manzanilla And Gorgonzola Tapas

  Claudia Veysel makes tasty tapas in this easy recipe. Claudia notes, "As someone who loves to entertain, I enjoy introducing friends and family to fresh foods from the Middle East and Levantine regions. This olive and wine pairing recipe is a simple yet elegant tapas dish that is a fun and a delicious way to connect with others over good food."

• Quick And Easy Whipped Cream

  Vincent Williams shows the versatility of a quick and easy whipped cream. Vincent notes, "This recipe is very versatile. You can make it your own by using different extracts while preparing it. You can use it in a variety of applications, like making waffles or baking a cake."

• Avocado Chocolate Mousse

  Clara Young takes a healthy spin on a decadent chocolate mousse. Clara notes, "Traditional chocolate mousse can be tricky to make and heavy with eggs, cream, and butter. But here’s an easier, healthier, faster, and affordable way to make mousse using nature’s butter — avocados! It’s also low in calories, vegan, dairy free, egg free, and guilt free. It will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator."