#TBT: Sandra Lee
It’s Thursday, and while that means everyone is just one day away from the weekend, it also means it’s time to throw back — to an earlier period in Food Network’s history. Check back on FN Dish every Thursday to find the latest #tbt of your favorite chefs and get a retro look at their earliest days on TV.
With nearly a decade's worth of experience on Food Network, Sandra Lee knows the ins and outs of food television and what it takes to be successful on air. She's managed to find the sweet spot in which she's not only cooking tried-and-true quality recipes, but doing so in an approachable way that teaches fans and inspires them to get in the kitchen as well.
Sandra has hosted several series on Food Network, and each furthers her commitment to easy, family-friendly recipes that everyday home cooks can tackle. She's a firm believer in the semi-homemade concept of cooking — the notion that store-bought products can be used alongside fresh ingredients to create home-style dishes — and the idea even inspired one of her first shows, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. Every week she'd introduce dishes like Teriyaki Salmon Strips and 5-Bean Chili that combined simple shortcuts, like prepared teriyaki sauce and chili seasoning mix, respectively, with fresh goods, so that viewers could not only put food on the table quickly, but feel good about what they were serving as well.
In addition to showing fans her semi-homemade approach, Sandra also shares her simple cost-cutting strategies for the kitchen on her show Sandra's Money Saving Meals. Here she offers tips on getting the most value possible when grocery shopping and demonstrates how to put leftovers to work in Round 2 Recipes. Some of her most popular dishes include Pot Roast with Roasted Root Vegetables and Crispy Eggplant Parmesan, both family-focused suppers that are easy to prepare.
