Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals Returns To Food Network For Time-Starved Cooks

Rachael Ray became a culinary sensation with her Food Network show 30-Minute Meals, which ran from 2001 to 2012. She also turned into a downright food mogul with her own series of books, magazines, dog-food line, and a daytime talk show, now scheduled though its 14th season. But since seven or so jobs still doesn't seem to be enough for the energetic Ray, she's announced plans to return to the show that started it all.

Variety reports that Ray's new 30-Minute Meals will debut on April 1 with 30 episodes to run throughout the month. To augment the revitalized enterprise, "Ray will also host a digital companion show offering more cooking tips and how-to demonstrations." The show will stream live on Food Network's platforms and on Facebook, and will be available on-demand on Food Network's site.

Say what you will about Rachael Ray's simplistic recipes on the show, which involved a multitude of different ways to make mac-and-cheese (or her now-infamous Late Night Bacon recipe). I was addicted to 30-Minute Meals 1.0, often frantically taking notes on Ray's afternoon airing to figure out my own family dinner plans. So even with her multitude of other enterprises, we here at The Takeout welcome her 30-Minute return in this variety of platforms, which, as Food Network president Courtney White put it, "are perfect for the home cook of any level." I for one always found it exceptionally comforting that Ray's TV kitchen often looked as messy as the one I was actually cooking in.