PEOPLE's 31 Food Faves of 2024: Dolly Parton, Bradley Cooper's Cheesesteaks, Pantry Shortcuts & More!

The people, stories and trends that inspired us this year — in and out of the kitchen

Star Cooks: Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton George

Family has always been at the core of Dolly’s story: One of 12 kids raised in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, she became a country music legend and created a Dolly mega-verse of  books, movies, TV shows, an amusement park, cake mixes, fragrance and more than 1,000 recorded songs.  For her latest project, she found inspiration even closer to home: her sister. She and Rachel released their first book, Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals - A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food — a collection of delicious down-home recipes they shared while growing up and the stories that inspired their love of food.

Food Artist: Hypno Motion

Known simply as Andrew, the Polish artist behind @hypnomotion creates mesmerizing stop-motion cooking animations — like building a burger, rolling sushi and frying chicken — using only Lego pieces.

Fast Food: DunKings

Ben Affleck’s Dunkin’ cinematic universe keeps expanding. After appearing in his first commercial during the 2023 Super Bowl, the star teamed up again with the chain — this time with longtime friend Matt Damon and New England football legend Tom Brady — to form the ultimate Boston boy band. The original DunKings ad, and the extended four-minute version that followed, were so popular that the group’s pink and orange tracksuits and fuzzy bucket hats sold out from the online store in minutes.

Style: Food-Inspired Fashion

From refrigerator to runway! Heinz and Kate Spade New York made “condiment couture” a thing with their line of ketchup-themed bags and accessories, Topo Chico sparkling water collaborated on Converse sneaker designs, and Lay’s work with Balenciaga led the luxury fashion house to release a potato-chip clutch collection, which actor Michael Shannon carried on the 2024 Met Gala red carpet.

Celebrity Liquor: The McConaugheys

To launch their Pantalones tequila line, Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves McConaughey embarked on a cheeky campaign with images of them riding motorcycles, doing laundry and playing pickleball — all while pantless! (“Pantalones” means pants in Spanish.) “We thought tequila marketing had become really serious, so we wanted to bring the fun back!” says Camila.

Star Foodie: Bradley Cooper

Actor, writer, director and now cheesesteak-maker. The Philadelphia native teams up with Angelo’s Pizzeria owner Danny DiGiampietro to sling sandwiches from their food truck, appropriately named Danny & Coop’s Cheesesteaks. The Maestro star mans the stove (he’s really in there cooking!) and takes orders at the window. The truck has popped up in Napa, Calif., Las Vegas and New York City — with hopefully more surprise stops to come.

Movie Snack: Novelty Popcorn Buckets

Collectors couldn’t wait to get their hands on — and in! — viral vessels sold in movie theaters. Equal parts clever, racy and grotesque, the containers resemble characters like a sandworm for Dune: Part Two, Wolverine’s openmouthed mask for Deadpool & Wolverine and a black alien head for Alien: Romulus — and even inspired a #NSFW sketch on Saturday Night Live.

TV Host: Alison Hammond

The comedian brought a blend of upbeat humor, gentle encouragement and unbridled joy to The Great British Baking Show’s white tent. It was part of a reset the competition series needed as it refocused on strong casting, fundamental challenges and less host shtick. Hammond will be a key ingredient in its continued success when the new season premieres on Netflix on Sept. 27.

Pantry Shortcuts: Bob's Red Mill Fudgy Brownie Mix

They won’t taste like you took a shortcut. The squares bake up deeply chocolatey with a soft interior and glossy, crackly top. $7, bobsredmill.com

Pantry Shortcuts: Pad Thai Korat

Add your favorite mix of vegetables, meats or tofu to this rice noodle stir-fry kit, which turns up the dial on classic pad thai. $10, walmart.com

Pantry Shortcuts: Brooklyn Delhi Chickpea Tikka Masala

Chickpeas are simmered in a tomato sauce flavored with onions, ginger, garlic, spices and coconut cream. $7, brooklyndelhi.com

Pantry Shortcuts: Genio Della Pizza Broccoli Rabe

Faster than delivery! The Neapolitan-style pie is topped with tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, broccoli rabe and black olives. $10, geniodellapizza.com

Pantry Shortcuts: Don Lee Farms Crispy Beef Birria Tacos

Crunchy tortilla shells are filled with seasoned shredded beef and topped with creamy cotija cheese. $6, donleefarms.com

Pantry Shortcuts: Kerrygold Irish Butter Sticks

Once available only in tubs and blocks, the new salted and unsalted sticks are ideal for using in baking and cooking recipes or when using precise measurements is important. $5, kerrygoldusa.com

Royal Launch: American Riviera Orchard

In April the first product from Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle brand was revealed: strawberry jam. The initial batch — sent to her friends Mindy Kaling, Kris Jenner and others — featured a logo penned in the Duchess of Sussex’s handwriting and a batch number. It’s a taste of what may be coming next: The company has pursued trademarks for small kitchen appliances, tableware and more jarred foods.

Throwback: McDonald's Classic Cups

Now serving meals with a side of nostalgia! The burger chain’s six plastic collectors’ cups are designed with memorable images and characters from McDonald’s history — like the purple Grimace mug from 1976 — with playful Easter eggs hidden within the illustrations. Look closely, and you’ll spot Boo Buckets, Funny Fry Friends and other vintage Happy Meal toys.

Celebrity Chef: Julia Turshen

The cookbook author is known for developing recipes that are flavorful, approachable and as close to foolproof as possible. It’s evident in her newest title, What Goes With What (out Oct. 15), as Turshen shows readers how to make a complete dish while leaving room for improvisation. Get her “spanakopita-inspired” meatballs recipe in this week's issue of PEOPLE. “They’re endlessly riffable. Use any greens, any type of cheese, any ground meat. What can’t meatballs do?”

Viral Recipe: Cucumber Salad

It’s the era of the cucumber! Clocking millions of views on TikTok, Logan Moffitt posts easy recipes elevating the once humble vegetable. His cucumber, salmon, avocado, cream cheese bagel salad is his most popular. “Every time I eat it, I think to myself, ‘Damn, that’s good,’” he says.

Mobile App: It's Good

Backed by John Legend, the app cuts through the clutter of online reviews and leads you straight to the best spots. Browse curated restaurant and hotel lists by the pros (like Chrissy Teigen and chef Curtis Stone), read reviews from friends, and save and share your favorites

Noodles: Buldak Ramen

The instant ramen packs so much heat that Denmark temporarily banned the kit for being too spicy. Its fans say that Buldak, which translates to “fire chicken” in Korean, brings the flavor and the burn. $7 for 5, mybuldakramen.com

Buzzworthy Coffee Launches: Free Rein

Roasted in Texas, Yellowstone's Cole Hauser's brand embodies “the spirit of the West.”

Buzzworthy Coffee Launches: Punk Bunny

Green Day rocks the coffee world with their line of organic, fair-trade roasts are available in whole bean, ground and pods.

Buzzworthy Coffee Launches: Taika Coffee

Oscar winner Taika Waititi's canned adaptogen-infused coffees are dairy-free, with no added sugar.

Buzzworthy Coffee Launches: Throne Sport Coffee

Patrick Mahomes' iced coffee is designed by an athlete for athletes! It’s made with electrolytes and B vitamins.

Buzzworthy Coffee Launches: Happy

The beans in Robert Downey Jr.'s canned coffee are slow roasted to bring out a deeper flavor and avoid an acidic aftertaste.

Buzzworthy Coffee Launches: Green Mountain

Mountainside Mocha Latte, Kevin Costner's new flavor, has dark chocolate notes.

Buzzworthy Coffee Launches: Dios Mio

Sofía Vergara's coffee line comes in three blends honor different “qualities and characteristics of Colombian women,” she says.

Shopping: Trader Joe's Mini Tote Bag

A 13-in. canvas tote became the “It bag” of the year when Trader Joe’s introduced the collection in February. Shoppers waited in lines before doors opened, swarmed displays and resold them for as much as $1,000 (retail price is $2.99). Stores still sell out when they appear on shelves, so act fast when you see a restock.

Cookware with Flair: Disney Collection

Featuring subtle Mickey silhouettes and patterns, the pieces — like this ceramic nonstick saucepan — turn a kitchen into the happiest place on earth. $13 and up; farberwarecookware.com

Cookware with Flair: Tools for Change

Stars like Cameron Diaz and Terry Crews doodled designs on silicone spatulas for a good cause. Thirty percent of sales goes to No Kid Hungry to help fight food insecurity. $18; williams-sonoma.com

Sustainability: Telmont

Leonardo DiCaprio’s award-winning French champagne makes the planet a priority. To reduce its carbon footprint, the vineyard runs on electricity from renewable sources, developed lighter recycled glass bottles to cut down on emissions and removed wasteful gift boxes—all without sacrificing a drop of quality.

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