Food Network Chef Robert Irvine Shares His Holiday Cooking and Entertaining Tips! (EXCLUSIVE)

With the holiday season upon us, everyone is already busy preparing for scrumptious meals and to host special guests. So, lucky for you, Chef Robert Irvine is exclusively dishing his best cooking and entertaining tips to ensure your holidays go off without a hitch! During a recent interview with Closer Weekly, the Food Network star said his favorite advice is, “don’t go above and beyond and attempt something new to show off; stick with what you know.”

As for what he loves to serve during the holidays? Robert confessed his go-to dish is three cheese pumpkin lasagna. “Pumpkin purée adds that perfect creamy richness — without being overly sweet,” he shared. The 52-year-old TV star also whips up a few yummy hors-d’oeuvres including cherry tomatoes stuffed with chicken-apple salad. “[They] are easy and perfect one-bite foods that won’t fill you up too much so you can still enjoy the main course,” he continued.

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For anyone who isn’t the best cook, Robert suggested making fish! “You can’t mess up fish. It’s quick and a cinch for even the worst of cooks. Season it with salt and pepper, hard sear it in a pan. Create a salad of poached asparagus, tomatoes, and artichoke with a bit of vinaigrette to go underneath the salmon. You’ll be a superstar!” he told Closer. But for Robert and his family, their favorite holiday meal is a classic. “Having a Christmas ham has been a tradition since I was a kid and it’s something that we continue each year,” the Dinner: Impossible star confessed.

“We [also] love a good piece of salmon or a bean salad. And of course, you have to have some kind of dessert – chocolate mousse is a winner in our house,” he said, referring to his wife, Gail Kim, and two daughters, Annalise and Talia. Throughout his career as a celebrity chef, Robert has starred on several hit Food Network shows, hosted a daytime talk show, and authored three cookbooks — so what’s next? “I just opened a full-service restaurant, Robert Irvine’s Public House, this summer inside the Tropicana in Las Vegas. But stay tuned — I’ve always got something up my sleeve!” he shared. We can’t wait to see what Robert does next!