Taste Buds

Season 3

Season 3 of Taste Buds brings more fun with my Emmy-nominated take on foodie fun throughout the Twin Cities and beyond. I’m joined by foodies, food producers and chefs as we explore the food creators in our community, get inspired by them and head back to my home to make dishes that even the most intrepid home cook can try with success. Each 30-minute episode can be found on the Fox 9 local app and the show airs every Saturday at 8:30 a.m. on Fox 9 plus all shows are posted on YouTube and Stephaniesdish.com. Get all the episodes and show recipes below.

Never Miss A Recipe

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to get all my recipe videos. You can also find every episode of Taste Buds here in descending order. 

Or, keep up with the latest Taste Buds episodes and all my latest happenings by signing up for my newsletter. And find all of my favorite recipes here!

Half Time with Taste Buds- Midwest Corn Dip

Halftime with Taste Buds is back for another season of delicious apps to please your party guests. Make this creamy Midwest Corn Dip and serve it up with your favorite corn chips at halftime this weekend.

For more episodes of Taste Buds, click here or download the FOX LOCAL app on your smart TV to stream for free. 

Recipes:

• Midwest Corn Dip

Episode 2 – Cabin Cooking on True North Island

Stephanie Hansen returns to her roots in Minnesota’s Northwoods to cook a rustic cabin dinner for her family.

On the menu at True North Island: chicken and biscuits, fresh arugula salad, and a blueberry galette — all from her True North Cabin Cookbook, Volumes 1 and 2.

Recipes:

• Chicken and Biscuits
• Arugula Parmesan Salad
• Blueberry Galette with Whipped Cream

Episode 3 – Taste Buds: Crispy Fried Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuits

Stephanie Hansen visits her favorite fried chicken spot – Bull’s Horn Food and Drink in Minneapolis – where Chef Doug Flicker is serving up homemade dill pickle fried chicken in a classic dive bar setting.

Back in her kitchen, Stephanie fries up her own crispy chicken with creamy cucumber salad and welcomes special guest Jason Matheson for his famous southern-style biscuits.

Recipes:

• Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Crispy Fried Chicken with Dill Pickle Brine
• Jason Matheson’s Southern-Style Biscuits

Half Time with Taste Buds – Double Smash Burger Taco

Halftime with Taste Buds is back for another season of delicious apps to please your party guests. Make this Double smashburger taco with smashy sauce.

For more episodes of Taste Buds, click here or download the FOX LOCAL app on your smart TV to stream for free. 

Recipe:

• Double cheese Smashburger Tacos with smashy sauce

Episode 4 – Japanese Ramen and Noodle Hacks

Stephanie explores the BEST authentic Japanese ramen in the Midwest! She visits Zen Box Izakaya in downtown Minneapolis to meet Owner and Executive Chef John Ng and his wife, Lina. Join them in the kitchen to learn the secrets behind Chef Ng’s traditional, flavor-packed bowls, including the rich Tonkotsu Ramen with pork and a spicy Kimchi Ramen, plus the creamy Tori Tantan Ramen with ground chicken. Get an exclusive look at how they craft their savory broth and perfectly cooked noodles! Back at home, Stephanie reimagines packaged ramen to make a family-style salad with sesame noodle crunch, and a sheet pan ramen dinner.

Recipes:

• Ramen Salad with Sesame Noodle Crunch
• Sheet Pan Ramen with Chicken and Veggies

Half Time with Taste Buds – Cheesy Chicken Fingers

Halftime with Taste Buds is the Crispy Cheesy Chicken Fingers.
Stephanie Hansen’s gameday chicken fingers are golden, crispy, and cheesy for a satisfying bite at halftime. Dip them in her spicy ranch sauce to add a creamy zip

.Recipe:

• Crispy Cheesy Chicken Fingers
• Spicy Sassy Ranch Dressing

Episode 5 – Cast Iron Cooking

Stephanie Hansen’s love for cast iron runs deep. In this episode of Taste Buds, she stops by Twin Cities antique store Finds on Broadway to acquire a cast iron pan, before tackling the task of cleaning and seasoning it properly. Then, Stephanie cooks up a few of her favorite cast iron dishes, including a hearty green pork chili stew, rhubarb cake, and a showstopping Dutch baby pancake with her daughter Ellie.

Recipe:

• Green Pork Chili Stew
• Rhubarb Skillet Cake
• Dutch Baby Pancake

Half Time with Taste Buds- Stromboli

Pizza Stromboli is on the menu for game day. Kick up your game day platter with Stephanie’s pizza stromboli – a crowd-pleasing roll stuffed with provolone, pepperoni, salami, and pizza sauce, then brushed with melted garlic butter.

Recipe:

• Pizza Stromboli

Episode 6 -Saturday dumplings and weeknight shortcuts

Stephanie Hansen learns the secrets to the perfect Chinese dumpling at Saturday Dumpling Co., a popular Twin Cities spot for dumplings and modern Asian street food. Back at home, Stephanie tests her dumpling skills and demonstrates an easy weeknight meal hack.

Recipe:

• Ginger Scallion Sauce
• Pork Dumplings
• Dumpling Hot Dish Bake

Half Time with Taste Buds – White Chicken Chili

Stephanie Hansen is serving a creamy dip with a little kick in this halftime edition of Taste Buds.

Recipe:

• White Chicken Chili Dip

Episode 7 – Sharpen Your Knife Skills at Vivront

Stephanie Hansen’s knife skills haven’t always been the sharpest. So, she and her daughter Ellie get professional help from Joseph Rueter, the founder of Vivront Kitchen Knife Shop.

Vivront specializes in professional knife sharpening and repair, offering mail-in service across the United States. They also offer classes for anyone looking to brush up on their techniques.

Back in the kitchen, Stephanie and Ellie test their new skills with a savory double potato gratin, a recipe from Stephanie’s True North Cabin Cookbook Volume 2.

Recipe:

• Double Potato Gratin

Half Time with Taste Buds – Italian Sliders

Recipe:

• Italian Sliders

Half Time with Taste Buds – Dill Pickle Popcorn

Recipe:

• Dill Pickle Popcorn

Halftime with Taste Buds – Sloppy Joe Totchos

Stephanie Hansen’s cheesy Sloppy Joe Totchos are an easy game day twist on the classic sloppy joe sandwich. Layer the mixture on top of crispy tater tots and top with tomatoes and green onions.

Recipe:

• Sloppy Joe Totchos

Episode 8 – Afghan Flavors and Maazah Sister Magic

Stephanie Hansen visits with Sheilla and Yasameen, the sisters behind Maazah – a Minnesota-born brand that has grown from local farmers markets to national shelves with their vibrant Afghan chutneys and dips, inspired by their mom’s cooking.

Together, they cook up family favorites including savory Sheet Pan Chicken Kabobs and Bolani, a crispy Afghan flatbread stuffed with spiced potatoes.

Back in the kitchen, Stephanie demonstrates the versatility of Maazah’s Cilantro Chutney in a fresh Double Bean Salad and finishes with a bowl of Afghan Spiced Beef Pasta.

Recipes:

• Sheet Pan Ground Chicken Kabob Wraps
• Bolani
• Double Bean Salad
• Afghan Pasta with Spiced Beef

Half Time with Taste Buds – Kraut Burgers

Stephanie Hansen is packing savory beef, tangy sauerkraut, and melty cheese into a handheld Kraut Burger in this halftime edition of Taste Buds.

Recipe:

• Kraut Burger

Episode 9 – Award-Winning Brunch and Home Bakes

Stephanie Hansen visits one of the most talked-about culinary destinations in the country: Diane’s Place in Northeast Minneapolis. This beloved Hmong American restaurant is Food and Wine Magazine’s Restaurant of the Year for 2025, led by James Beard Award nominee Diane Moua.

Known for years as a world-class pastry chef, Diane uses locally grown ingredients to craft sweet and savory showstopping plates, including her massive Thai Tea French Toast and comforting Asian Chicken Noodle Soup. She invites Stephanie into her kitchen for an inside look at her techniques and flavors. 

Inspired by the warmth of Diane’s hospitality, Stephanie heads home to make two of her favorite recipes for hosting friends: a cinnamon croissant bake with a crispy brûléed top, and a savory egg bake with Gruyère cheese.  

Recipe:

• Brûléed Cinnamon Croissant Bake
• Egg Bake

Episode 10 –
Artisan Cheese and DIY Boards

In this episode of Taste Buds, Stephanie Hansen explores the craftsmanship behind Minnesota-made artisan cheese and DIY charcuterie boards. First up, Redhead Creamery in Brooten, Minnesota, where owner Alise Sjostrum’s family-owned operation has grown from a local dairy farm into a globally recognized artisan cheesemaker. Beyond nationwide distribution, the creamery has expanded into a destination featuring farm tours and a “CheeseStillery,” which uses whey to produce spirits for on-site cocktails. Alise shows Stephanie how she separates the curds and whey in cow’s milk to make their Little Lucy Brie cheese, before Alise’s husband Lucas offers a taste of their spirits.

Back in her kitchen, Stephanie welcomes charcuterie pro from The Board Loon, Kelsey Bassett, known to her 124K+ Instagram followers as @theboardloon. Kelsey breaks down her signature five-step process for building a charcuterie spread at home using creamy brie, crowd-pleasing Manchego, classic cheddar cubes, and blueberry vanilla goat cheese. Afterward, Stephanie puts her new skills to the test by creating a custom board featuring a brûléed brie from Redhead Creamery topped with candied pecans. Brûléed Brie with Candied Pecans

Recipe:

• Brûléed Brie with Candied Pecans

Episode 11: Legendary Burgers and Juicy Lucy Hotdish

Stephanie Hansen bites into her favorite local and legendary Twin Cities burgers in this episode of Taste Buds.

The tour kicks off at Baldamar in Roseville for the Big B2, a premium Wagyu blend piled high and topped with their signature 10,000 Lakes sauce.

Then, Stephanie heads to St. Paul Park for the 328 Grill’s Fo’ Cheezy, a creative four-cheese burger featuring Parmesan-crusted bread and house-made pepper jack “whiz.”

Minnesota’s iconic Juicy Lucy rounds out the tour. Stephanie heads to the 5-8 Club’s West St. Paul location to master the art of the Juicy Lucy, learning how to seal the famous cheese center inside two beef patties.

Back at home, Stephanie combines two Minnesota staples into one with her Juicy Lucy Tater Tot Hotdish, a comforting family-style bake with seasoned beef, pickles, cheese, and crispy tater tots.

Recipe:

Juicy Lucy Tater Tot Hotdish

Episode 12 : World’s Best Cinnamon Rolls

Stephanie Hansen visits Isles Bun & Coffee in Minneapolis to uncover the secrets behind their made-from-scratch cinnamon rolls, voted the world’s best by World’s Best Cinnamon Rolls in 2024, with a special nod to their famous Puppy Dog Tails.

Back in the kitchen, Jacob Wood from Sunday Bake demonstrates the science of a Tangzhong water roux and the magic of brown butter, used to make their rich and pillowy Original Roll (available for order on Instagram @sundaybakemn).

Finally, Stephanie shares a Hansen Hack for blueberry lemon rolls using frozen dough, proving that even a “womp womp” moment in the kitchen can lead to a delicious comeback.

Recipe:

Blueberry Lemon Cinnamon Rolls

Episode 13 : Burrito Masterclass and Ranchero Beans

Stephanie Hansen heads to Lito’s Burritos in Minneapolis, where owner Miguel Hernandez and his team are building massive Southern California-style burritos, stuffed with house-made chorizo, fluffy eggs, and crispy French fries.

Miguel shares his secrets for layering ingredients into a 12-inch tortilla to create three of his top signatures: the Chorizo Supreme, the L.A. Supreme, and the Breakfast Supreme (with a crispy cheese crust) before teaching Stephanie how to roll the perfect burrito.

Back at home, Stephanie puts her new skills to the test with her daughter, Ellie. After a quick stop at El Burrito Mercado for ingredients, the duo dives into a burrito roll-off that ends with their own take on a Lito’s-style cheese crust.

Stephanie also shares her go-to recipe for Ranchero (Charro) Beans. These savory pinto beans are simmered with bacon, peppers, and a splash of Mexican beer to make a hearty burrito filling or side dish.

Recipe:

Ranchero Beans

Episode 14 : Cooking Through the Decades

The 1970s: Sarah Peterson from Vintage Dish and Tell helps Stephanie build a nostalgic party favorite – the Sandwich Loaf.  This savory showstopper is piled high with layers of Pullman bread filled with egg salad, chicken salad, and pimento cheese. Then, the entire loaf is coated in cream cheese frosting and decorated with veggies.

Find the full recipe for Sarah’s Sandwich Loaf here, and look for her new cookbook, “Dish and Tell: Recipes from the Heart” in your local bookstore.

The 1980s: Back in her own kitchen, Stephanie channels the 80s with Chicken Marbella, a dinner party staple straight from her cherished Silver Palate Cookbook. This dish combines briny olives, capers, and sweet prunes for a flavor profile that defined a decade of gourmet clubs.

The 1990s: To round out the trip down memory lane, Stephanie shares a family recipe for Mud Pie Bars. Inspired by the mud pie craze of the era, these bars feature a light brownie base topped with melted marshmallows and a rich chocolate glaze.

Recipe:

• Chicken Marbella
• Sandwich Loaf
• Mud Pie Bars

Episode 15 : Cheesecake

Stephanie Hansen visits Cheesecake Funk in Excelsior, MN to bake with Vanessa Drews, whose cheesecakes became a favorite of Prince at Paisley Park in 2013.

After Prince’s passing, Vanessa left her career as a paralegal to follow her passion full-time. In 2025, she opened her first retail location just seven minutes from Paisley Park on Highway 7 – a number famously significant to Prince.

Vanessa gives Stephanie a masterclass on her espresso cheesecake with Oreo brown butter crust, before sharing her hack for gluten-free cheesecake made with Heath bar toffee bits.

Back in her kitchen, Stephanie makes brownie cheesecake bars before adding them to a vanilla milkshake.

Recipe:

• Brownie Cheesecake Bars
• Brownie Cheesecake Milk Shake