Meghan Markle Reveals the Unexpected Rachael Ray Twist That Made Her Favorite Childhood Snack ‘Fancy’

Meghan Markle spent countless afternoons after school glued to the Food Network, captivated by one of its biggest stars at the time—Rachael Ray. Inspired by Ray’s culinary expertise, Markle honed her cooking skills when she went off to college, using one of the chef’s recipes to step up her kitchen game. In a new interview, Meghan shares Ray’s surprising twist on her favorite childhood snack, which turned it into a recipe that was delightfully “fancy.”

Meghan Markle’s love of cooking started with a simple sandwich

In an interview with The New York Times, Meghan Markle opened up about her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, reflecting on the profound role food has played in her life. She shared how cooking has brought her closer to loved ones and serves as a powerful link to some of her most treasured memories.

The article described Meghan as a “latchkey kid,” as her mother, Doria Ragland, worked to support their family after divorcing her father, Thomas Markle. During those afternoons, Meghan would either head home to watch the Food Network or visit her grandmother Jeanette, who always had a comforting after-school treat waiting for her.

“I’d go to Grandma Jeanette’s after school,” Meghan recalled. “She made the best after-school snack: Kraft grilled cheese on white Wonder bread. All that butter.”

By the time she arrived at Northwestern University, Meghan had learned enough basic cooking skills to prepare her own meals. Building on Jeanette’s simple grilled cheese recipe, she took inspiration from celebrity chef Rachael Ray to give the classic sandwich an elevated twist.

Using Ray’s recipe, Meghan swapped in Fontina cheese and added sliced pears to transform her grandmother’s grilled cheese into something a little more refined. “At 20, in a tiny little apartment in Evanston, serving that sandwich and a bottle of Two-Buck Chuck. That was when Trader Joe’s was getting big. We all thought it was so fancy,” she admitted.

Meghan Markle admits cooking has always been her love language

Throughout her life, Meghan Markle has used cooking as a way to express love,. She reinforces this sentiment throughout Netflix’s With Love, Meghan, often stating that feeding people is “my love language.”

She frequently turns to recipes that have become touchstones in her life. Some were passed down from beloved family members, others are tried-and-true staples from celebrity chefs.

For example, she reportedly made Ina Garten’s Perfect Roast Chicken for Prince Harry in his kitchen at Nottingham Cottage, located on Kensington Palace’s property, the night he proposed in 2017. During her interview with The New York Times, Meghan also shared her unorthodox twist on her Grandmother Jeanette’s banana pudding recipe, crumbling the vanilla wafers on top instead of layering them within the pudding.

Meghan reflected on how food has always been central to their family history. She spoke of Jeanette, who cooked in a cast-iron skillet, grew vegetables in her yard, and made homemade hand pies—traditions that left a lasting impact.

However, Meghan is not above relying on frozen food on occasion

Like many mothers, Meghan Markle, who shares parenting duties of Archie and Lilibet with Prince Harry, sometimes doesn’t have time to prepare a fully homemade meal. In those moments, she isn’t shy about turning to her freezer to keep her family fed.

According to the article, when it’s just Meghan and the kids for dinner, she often relies on tater tots, chicken nuggets, and veggie burgers for quick and easy meals. She also admitted that she attempted to join the homemade sourdough bread craze but didn’t quite master the skill. “There are professionals who do that better than I ever will,” she said.

Despite having access to all the latest kitchen gadgets in the luxe Montecito, California, home she shares with Prince Harry and their children, there’s one item Meghan covets most. But she hasn’t been able to get her hands on it yet.

“My mom still has Grandma Jeanette’s cast-iron skillet,” Meghan revealed. “That’s what I really want.”

With Love, Meghan Season 1 is currently streaming on Netflix, with season 2 set to debut in fall 2025.