Kelsey Nixon's 25 Most-Popular Recipes

Kelsey Nixon has a gift for sharing simple, approachable recipes that wow the taste buds, but some of her star recipes shine just a little bit brighter. Here are Kelsey's top 25 most-popular recipes for your tasting pleasure.

Photo By: Alice Gao ©2014, Cooking Channel, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Brian Kennedy ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Emmer Schmidt

Photo By: Emmer Schmidt, Armando Rafael Moutela

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

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Adrian Mueller ©2012, Adrian Mueller / AMueller.com, Cooking Channel, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Emmer Schmidt

Photo By: Emmer Schmidt

Slow Cooker Shredded Pork

Kelsey's slow-cooked pork is the perfect recipe for the busy professional or mom on the go. Set it in the morning, forget it all day and come home in the evening to a flavorful, fork-tender meal that melts in your mouth.

Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Shredded Pork

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Kelsey strikes the perfect cookie balance with this chewy-on-the-inside, crunchy-on-the-outside recipe.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies

French Onion Soup

Kelsey speeds up the cooking process for this rich onion soup by using crisped croutons under a blanket of nutty Gruyere cheese. 

Get the Recipe: French Onion Soup

Carmelitas

Crispy, chocolatey, salty caramel goodness — it's hard to overstate how addictive these sweet treats are. It's love at first bite, and her name is Carmelita.

Get the Recipe: Carmelitas

Lemon-Basil Orzotto

By substituting orzo for Arborio rice, Kelsey's lemon-basil orzotto cooks in just a fraction of the time compared with a traditional risotto. It's a tried-and-true fan favorite that's easy to make and even easier to enjoy.

Get the Recipe: Lemon-Basil Orzotto

Sugar Cookie Crust Fruit Pizza

Kelsey decorates a sweet cream cheese spread atop a crunchy cookie crust with a kaleidoscope of colorful fruit for a dessert that's as stunning as it is scrumptious.

Get the Recipe: Sugar Cookie Crust Fruit Pizza

Homemade French Baguettes

Nothing beats the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven. Turn your kitchen into your own private French bakery with this surprisingly simple recipe.

Get the Recipe: Homemade French Baguettes

Salted Caramel Sauce

This salted caramel sauce is pure yumminess, and it can be enjoyed as a dip with fruit and pretzels or as a topping for cakes and ice cream. Placed in individual jars, this sauce makes perfect party favors or holiday gifts.

Get the Recipe: Salted Caramel Sauce

Buttery Garlic Herb Knots

This recipe shows you how to use pizza dough to make pizzeria-style ooey gooey garlic knots with herbed compound butter.

Get the Recipe: Buttery Garlic Herb Knots

Charred Corn Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

This summer salad is easy to make and explodes with a combination of zesty and char-grilled flavor. It's the perfect side for a summer barbecue.

Get the Recipe: Charred Corn Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Turkey Roast Dip with Melted Gruyere

Top a baguette with herb-roasted turkey breast and Gruyere cheese, then toast it under the broiler until melted and bubbly.

Get the Recipe: Turkey Roast Dip with Melted Gruyere

Apple Crisp

Kelsey's apple crisp is our pick for the classic undone dessert. Her topping of oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts is perfectly sweet, crumbly and crunchy, especially when paired with vanilla ice cream.

Get the Recipe: Apple Crisp

Deviled Eggs with Candied Bacon

Crowd-pleasing deviled eggs become salty, sweet and indulgent with the addition of crunchy candied bacon.

Get the Recipe: Deviled Eggs with Candied Bacon

Skillet Bacon Mac and Cheese

This mac and cheese, topped with crispy bacon and fresh parsley, is cooked in a cast-iron skillet for an all-over crispy crust and an oozing cheesy center.

Get the Recipe: Skillet Bacon Mac and Cheese

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Making a sheet cake is the best bang for your buck when it comes to dessert for a group. To vamp it up, take small biscuit cutters and create tiered cakes that can be dusted with powdered sugar.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Ratatouille Tart with Caramelized Onion-Tomato Jam

Ratatouille is a traditional French dish made of stewed vegetables, including tomatoes, onions, zucchini, squash and eggplant, and it's the inspiration for Kelsey's rustic tart. This dish is topped with goat cheese and fresh oregano, and some might argue Kelsey's improved upon the classic.

Get the Recipe: Ratatouille Tart with Caramelized Onion-Tomato Jam

Stone Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Apricots, cherries, peaches and plums are called stone fruit due to their stone-like pits, but it's the juicy texture of the fruit itself that makes them so perfect in this salsa.

Get the Recipe: Stone Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Rapid Rolls

Think you don't possibly have the time that baking fresh bread requires? Kelsey's rapid rolls take less than an hour to prepare and will use up only 20 minutes of your oven time.

Get the Recipe: Rapid Rolls

Tres Leches Bread Pudding

Three kinds of milk and a generous amount of egg yolks create a custardlike consistency while toasted almonds provide the perfect amount of crunch in this extremely rich pudding.

Get the Recipe: Tres Leches Bread Pudding

Sesame-Ginger Salmon en Papillote

By baking salmon in parchment paper with just a couple tablespoons of an Asian-style marinade and crispy vegetables, Kelsey renders the fish extremely flavorful and moist.

Get the Recipe: Sesame-Ginger Salmon en Papillote

Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce

The perfect remedy for a long day? A fresh and flavorful meat sauce that's been slow-simmering for hours to top quickly boiled pasta.

Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Empanadas

Kelsey envelopes a spice-studded filling with a tender dough to ensure her make-ahead empanadas retain their vivid flavors even after days in the freezer.

Get the Recipe: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Empanadas

Cumin Scented Oven-Baked Ribs with Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce

Kelsey's oven-baked ribs are a total mess to eat, but they're totally worth it. The secret is in her spicy rub; we recommend making extra and storing it an airtight container.

Get the Recipe: Cumin Scented Oven-Baked Ribs with Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce

Sweet and Spicy Shredded Pork

Kelsey's sweet and spicy shredded pork recipe is comfort food that is easy to serve and pleases the masses. Plus it's extremely versatile: Try it in a salad, on a sandwich or add a little guac and salsa for shredded pork tacos.

Get the Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Shredded Pork

Lemon-Scented Crispy Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and Baby Carrots

The key to getting these chicken thighs extra crispy is putting a nice sear on them in the pan before placing them in the oven.

Get the Recipe: Lemon-Scented Crispy Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and Baby Carrots

Get more of Kelsey Nixon's essential techniques, equipment and foolproof tips you need to be the boss of your own kitchen.

Kelsey's Essentials