Celebrity Mom Recipes Stars Still Crave: 13 Dishes From Jennifer Garner’s Cornbread to Dolly Parton’s Stone Soup

Celebrity mom recipes prove that even the biggest stars still want the food they grew up on. Jennifer Garner calls her mother for help with cornbread, Drew Barrymore still asks her mom for tuna noodle casserole and Dolly Parton remembers the stone soup her mother stretched to feed a big family. For these celebrity mom recipes we gathered dishes the stars themselves have credited to their mothers on their shows, in cookbooks and in interviews, and we left out any story we could not trace to a real source. These are simple, budget friendly home dishes, not restaurant food, and every one comes with an easy version you can cook tonight. From Martha Stewart’s potato pierogi to Mark Wahlberg’s favorite lasagna, here are 13 dishes that taste like home..

Jennifer Garner’s Mom Pat’s Buttermilk Cornbread Leads Our Celebrity Mom Recipes

During a July 2020 Instagram Live episode of her Pretend Cooking Show, Jennifer Garner made the cornbread she grew up on while her mom, Patricia, coached her by phone. Pat teased her for greasing the pan with olive oil, was surprised she had no buttermilk in the house and, when asked how long to bake it, simply said to bake it until it is brown. It is a plain Southern style cornbread with very little sugar, baked in a hot greased pan so the edges turn crisp..

You will need: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 3/4 cup cornmeal, 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 1 rounded teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 egg, 1 cup buttermilk, butter to serve.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 425F and put the oil in an 8 inch skillet or pan to heat. 2. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. 3. Beat the egg with the buttermilk and stir it in just until combined. 4. Pour the batter into the hot oiled pan. 5. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown, and serve warm with butter.

Jennifer Garner’s Grandmom Corn

In June 2024 Garner and her mom filmed a second family favorite: a creamy skillet corn her children call Grandmom Corn. Pat adapted the recipe from an old neighbor and showed her daughter the trick that makes it so tender: cut off only the tips of the kernels, then scrape the cob to get the sweet milky pulp. Garner said it tastes like summer and admitted she makes her version without sugar. Like the best celebrity mom recipes, it needs only fresh sweet corn, a little butter and a splash of milk.

You will need: 6 ears fresh sweet corn, 3 tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup milk or cream, 1 teaspoon sugar optional, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Slice just the tips of the kernels off each cob into a wide bowl. 2. Scrape the cobs with the back of the knife to collect the milky pulp. 3. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. 4. Add the corn, pulp and milk and stir often for 10 to 15 minutes until thick and creamy. 5. Season with salt, pepper and sugar if you like.

Drew Barrymore’s Mom’s Tuna Noodle Casserole

Drew Barrymore has called her mom’s tuna noodle casserole her favorite childhood dinner, and on The Drew Barrymore Show she said she still asks her mother to make it whenever they get together. She said the second she tastes it, it is like no time has gone by at all. Of all the celebrity mom recipes here, this one on the show’s website is pure weeknight comfort: egg noodles, canned tuna, peas and a creamy mushroom sauce under a crunchy topping. If you love old family dinners, try our meatloaf recipes that taste like Sunday supper at Mom’s too.

You will need: 8 oz egg noodles, 2 cans (5 oz each) tuna drained, 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup, 3/4 cup milk, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup panko, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1/2 cup crispy fried onions, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375F and cook the noodles 2 minutes less than the package says. 2. Stir the soup, milk, peas, tuna and half the cheese together. 3. Fold in the drained noodles and season. 4. Spread in a buttered baking dish and top with the remaining cheese, panko mixed with butter and the fried onions. 5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until bubbling and golden.

Martha Stewart’s Mother’s Potato Pierogi

Martha Stewart’s mother, Martha Kostyra, appeared in more than 40 segments of her daughter’s television shows, and her potato pierogi became one of the best known celebrity mom recipes. When she died in 2007, Stewart shared the family recipe, which makes about 60 dumplings. The dough is soft and tender thanks to sour cream, and the filling is mashed potato with butter, cheddar and cream cheese. Stewart noted that pierogi were traditionally a meatless dish for Lent before they became a favorite side dish.

You will need: Dough: 3 cups all purpose flour, 1 egg, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Filling: 2 lb potatoes peeled and boiled, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 cup shredded cheddar, 4 oz cream cheese, salt and pepper. Melted butter to serve.

How to make it: 1. Mix the flour, salt, egg, sour cream, milk and water and knead until smooth and elastic, then rest 20 minutes. 2. Mash the potatoes with butter, cheddar and cream cheese and season well. 3. Roll the dough thin and cut 3 inch circles. 4. Place a small ball of filling on each, fold into a half moon and pinch firmly to seal. 5. Boil in batches until they float, cook 1 minute more and serve with melted butter.

Dolly Parton’s Mama’s Stone Soup, the Humblest of Celebrity Mom Recipes

Dolly Parton grew up as one of 12 children in the Tennessee mountains, and she has told People that her mother, Avie Lee, turned lean times into a family tradition with stone soup. The children would pick out a stone, wash it and drop it into the pot, then everyone helped add whatever the garden and pantry had, usually potatoes, vegetables and a ham hock for flavor. The stone did not add much, but it made the little ones feel part of supper. Today you can skip the stone and keep the love.

You will need: 1 smoked ham hock, 8 cups water, 1 onion, 3 carrots, 2 celery ribs, 4 potatoes, 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, 2 cups chopped cabbage, 1 cup green beans, 1 cup corn, 1 bay leaf, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Simmer the ham hock in the water with the bay leaf for 1 hour. 2. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery and potatoes and simmer 20 minutes. 3. Stir in the tomatoes, cabbage, green beans and corn and cook 15 minutes more. 4. Pull the meat off the ham hock, chop it and return it to the pot. 5. Season with salt and pepper and serve with cornbread.

Eva Longoria’s Mom’s Chalupas, the First Dish She Learned

Eva Longoria grew up on a ranch in South Texas, and she has said chalupas were the first dish her mother, Ella, taught her to cook. In Tex-Mex kitchens a chalupa is a crisp flat corn tortilla piled with refried beans, cheese and fresh toppings, a little like an open faced taco. Longoria, who later wrote her own Mexican cookbooks, has credited family cooking with shaping her love of food. Cheap and quick, they are celebrity mom recipes made for a family dinner where everyone builds their own.

You will need: 8 corn tortillas, oil for frying, 1 can (16 oz) refried beans, 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack, 2 cups shredded lettuce, 2 tomatoes diced, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 avocado, salsa, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin.

How to make it: 1. Fry the tortillas in hot oil about 1 minute per side until crisp and drain them. 2. Warm the refried beans with the cumin. 3. Spread beans over each tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. 4. Bake at 400F for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese melts. 5. Top with lettuce, tomato, avocado, sour cream and salsa and serve right away.

Mark Wahlberg’s Favorite: His Mom Alma’s Lasagna

When Alma Wahlberg shared her family’s favorite recipes with A&E for the show Wahlburgers, she revealed that her lasagna is the dish Mark asks for most. She said he would call asking her to make it, then turn up late, once a whole day late, with friends in tow. Her version is meatless and easy: lasagna noodles layered with ricotta whipped with eggs and parsley, an Italian cheese blend and a jar of good tomato sauce. It is one of the simplest celebrity mom recipes to make for a crowd.

You will need: 12 lasagna noodles, 2 cups (15 oz) ricotta, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 3 cups shredded Italian cheese blend, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 1 jar (24 oz) tomato sauce, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375F and cook the noodles until just tender. 2. Mix the ricotta, eggs, parsley, half the parmesan, salt and pepper. 3. Spread sauce in a 9×13 dish, then layer noodles, ricotta, cheese blend and sauce three times. 4. Finish with sauce, cheese and parmesan and cover with foil. 5. Bake 40 minutes, uncover for 10 more and rest 15 minutes before slicing.

Celebrity Mom Recipes Go Big: Taylor Swift’s Mom Andrea’s Dinosaur Bone Ribs

In her Disney+ docuseries The End of an Era, Taylor Swift asks her mom, Andrea, to make the ribs Travis Kelce loves, which he calls dinosaur bones. Andrea made them for the 2024 Thanksgiving the two families shared at the Swift home in Nashville and joked that they were Texas size ribs. The family has not published her exact recipe, so this is our slow baked version of big, sticky beef ribs that fall off the bone, ideal for a holiday table.

You will need: 4 lb beef back ribs, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 cup barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 275F. 2. Mix the sugar and spices and rub all over the ribs. 3. Wrap the ribs tightly in foil and bake on a sheet pan for 3 hours until tender. 4. Stir the barbecue sauce with the vinegar, unwrap the ribs and brush them generously. 5. Raise the oven to 425F and roast 10 to 15 minutes until sticky and glazed.

Valerie Bertinelli’s Mom Nancy’s Chicken Cacciatore

Valerie Bertinelli has shared many family dishes on Food Network, and one that comes straight from her mother, Nancy, is chicken cacciatore. Food Network featured it among recipes from the stars’ moms and grandmas. Cacciatore means hunter style in Italian, and it is a rustic braise of chicken simmered with tomatoes, peppers, onions and mushrooms until the sauce turns rich and glossy. It is one of those celebrity mom recipes that tastes even better the next day, served over pasta, polenta or with crusty bread.

You will need: 8 bone-in chicken thighs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 onion, 1 red and 1 green bell pepper, 8 oz mushrooms, 4 garlic cloves, 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon capers optional, fresh basil, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Season the chicken and brown it well in olive oil, then set aside. 2. Cook the sliced onion, peppers and mushrooms in the same pan for 6 minutes. 3. Add the garlic, then the tomatoes, broth and oregano. 4. Return the chicken, cover and simmer 35 to 40 minutes until tender. 5. Stir in the capers, top with basil and serve over pasta or polenta.

Guy Fieri’s Mom Penny’s Southern Pecan Pie

Guy Fieri is famous for big flavors, but one of the recipes he treasures is his mother Penny’s Southern pecan pie, which Food Network shared in its collection of dishes from the stars’ moms. A classic pecan pie has a buttery crust, a gooey brown sugar and corn syrup custard and a crunchy layer of toasted pecans on top. Among celebrity mom recipes it is a true holiday favorite, and it is easy to make ahead because it slices best once it has cooled completely.

You will need: 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust, 3 eggs, 1 cup light corn syrup, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups pecan halves.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and fit the crust into a pie dish. 2. Whisk the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and salt. 3. Scatter the pecans over the crust and pour the filling over them. 4. Bake 50 to 60 minutes until the center is just set, covering the edges with foil if they brown fast. 5. Cool at least 2 hours before slicing.

Ayesha Curry’s Mom’s Brown Sugar Chicken

Ayesha Curry’s mother is from Jamaica, and Caribbean flavors run through her first cookbook, The Seasoned Life. Among the family recipes in the book, Curry singled out her mother’s brown sugar chicken as her favorite. Brown sugar, garlic and a little heat turn simple chicken pieces into a sticky, caramelized dinner that kids and grown ups both love. It is one of the easiest celebrity mom recipes in this list, and it bakes in one pan while you make rice and a salad.

You will need: 8 bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 4 garlic cloves minced, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, salt and pepper, green onions to serve.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 400F and season the chicken with salt and pepper. 2. Stir the brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, thyme, allspice and cayenne into a paste. 3. Rub it all over the chicken in a baking dish. 4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, basting twice, until sticky and cooked through. 5. Spoon over the pan juices and scatter with green onions.

Zendaya’s Mom’s Vegan Brownies

In March 2018 Zendaya shared her mom’s vegan brownie recipe with her fans on Twitter, and plant based bakers quickly passed it around. The appeal is simple: rich, fudgy chocolate squares made without eggs or butter, using pantry staples like oil, cocoa and plant milk. You do not have to be vegan to love them, and they are a smart bake to keep in mind when a friend has an egg or dairy allergy. Our version of these celebrity mom recipes keeps the same idea with an easy one bowl method.

You will need: 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 3/4 cup unsweetened almond or oat milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and line an 8 inch square pan with parchment. 2. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. 3. Stir in the oil, plant milk and vanilla until smooth and thick. 4. Fold in the chocolate chips and spread in the pan. 5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until the top is set and cool before cutting.

Geoffrey Zakarian’s Mother’s Shepherd’s Pie Rounds Out Our Celebrity Mom Recipes

Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian has shared a recipe he titled My Mother’s Shepherd’s Pie, honoring his mom, Viola, and it was included in Food Network’s roundup of recipes from the stars’ moms and grandmas. It is the ultimate family supper: savory ground meat and vegetables in a rich gravy under a thick blanket of buttery mashed potatoes, baked until the peaks turn golden. Traditional shepherd’s pie uses lamb, but beef works well too, and it freezes beautifully for busy nights.

You will need: 1 1/2 lb ground lamb or beef, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 cup beef broth, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup frozen peas, 2 1/2 lb potatoes, 4 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup milk, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Boil the potatoes, then mash with butter, milk, salt and pepper. 2. Brown the meat with the diced onion and carrots and add the garlic. 3. Stir in the tomato paste and flour, then the broth and Worcestershire and simmer 10 minutes. 4. Add the peas and spoon into a baking dish. 5. Top with the mashed potatoes, rough up the surface and bake at 400F for 25 minutes until golden.