Chef Kat Ashmore Shares the Kitchen Tools She Relies on for Faster, Easier Weeknight Meals

For chef and two-time New York Times bestselling author Kat Ashmore, the kitchen is less about perfection and more about practicality. Known for her approachable, family-friendly recipes, Ashmore has built a following by showing home cooks how to put nourishing meals on the table without turning dinner into a production.

Now, through a collaboration with Pampered Chef, she is highlighting the tools and strategies that help her streamline everyday cooking. The partnership coincides with the brand’s “Women Who Stir Up Change” campaign, which recognizes women who use food to build community and confidence at home.

Ashmore’s approach to cooking has always centered on simplicity. After transitioning from a fast-paced professional career to life as a stay-at-home mother in 2019, she began sharing the recipes and routines that worked for her own family. Her cookbooks, including Big Bites and the recently released Big Bites: Time to Eat!, focus on bold flavors and recipes designed to come together in about an hour or less.

That same philosophy guides how she outfits her kitchen.

Tools That Support Everyday Efficiency

Rather than relying on an extensive collection of gadgets, Ashmore points to a handful of multi-use tools that help cut down on prep time and cleanup.

The Rapid-Prep Mandoline, for example, is designed to slice vegetables evenly in seconds. For home cooks juggling work, school pickups, and evening activities, consistent slicing without extensive knife work can make meal prep more manageable.

The Electric Twist & Chop simplifies tasks like dicing onions, herbs, or nuts with a one-touch mechanism, reducing prep time and the need for multiple cutting boards. For proteins, the Mix ‘N Chop is built to break up ground meat directly in the pan, helping it brown evenly without additional utensils.

Ashmore also highlights the Deluxe Air Fryer & Oven as a versatile appliance that handles everything from crisping vegetables to finishing dishes with melted toppings. With dual-zone functionality allowing air frying and baking simultaneously, home cooks are able to prepare multiple components of a meal at once, which can be especially useful on busy weeknights.

Together, the tools reflect a broader shift in home cooking toward efficiency without sacrificing quality. Rather than positioning convenience as a shortcut, Ashmore frames it as a way to remove friction from daily routines.

A Recipe Designed for Flexibility

As part of the collaboration, Ashmore co-created a recipe for Loaded Sweet Potato Nachos. The dish is structured to be adaptable, allowing families to tailor toppings to their preferences or dietary needs. Beans, ground meat, cheese, jalapeños, sour cream, and fresh herbs can be added or swapped depending on what is available.

The emphasis on flexibility mirrors Ashmore’s broader cooking philosophy. In her content and books, she often focuses on base recipes that can be adjusted rather than rigid instructions that require exact ingredients. That adaptability has resonated with her audience, contributing to her status as a two-time New York Times bestselling author.

Cooking as Connection

Pampered Chef, founded in 1980 by Doris Christopher, has long positioned itself as a brand centered on both tools and opportunity, building a network of independent consultants who host cooking experiences and share recipes. The “Women Who Stir Up Change” campaign extends that narrative by spotlighting women who use their kitchens as spaces for leadership and creativity.

Ashmore’s role in the campaign reflects her own trajectory. What began as sharing everyday meals online has evolved into a career that includes bestselling cookbooks and a large digital following. Yet her message remains focused on making cooking feel accessible.

For busy families, that often comes down to preparation. Ashmore frequently emphasizes planning ahead, keeping staple ingredients on hand, and using reliable tools that reduce repetitive work. In practice, that might mean slicing vegetables in advance, prepping toppings in batches, or using appliances that shorten cook times.

In a landscape filled with viral food trends and elaborate recipes, Ashmore’s perspective is grounded in sustainability. Weeknight cooking, she suggests through her work, need not be complicated to be meaningful. With the right systems and a few well-chosen tools, it can become a consistent, manageable part of family life.