Sunny Anderson's Favorite Comfort Food Is A Throwback To Her 'Military Brat' Upbringing

Food Network star Sunny Anderson loves all kinds of global cuisine, a result of her growing up around the world as a military brat, followed by a career in the Air Force. As much as she has sampled food from all over the world, when it comes to her ultimate comfort food, it's quite different from her go-to fast food order of McDonald's iconic french fries. Instead, Anderson looks to Germany, where her family was stationed for three years when she was younger. 

In an exclusive interview with Mashed, she said, "I think it would have to be something that I don't cook because that's comforting when you've got the night off! I think it would be spaetzle and Jaegerschnitzel at a German restaurant like [Zum Stammtisch] in Queens." 

However, if the dish were something she herself makes, it would be macaroni and cheese. Anderson shared, "It warms you up. It makes you feel so cozy. And then also it brings you back to your youth, which is probably why I think Jaegerschnitzel and spaetzle are comforting because [they] remind me of my youth. It's a close tie between not cooking and eating something German out, or cooking and making macaroni and cheese at home."

With Sunny Anderson's father stationed for a good amount of time in Germany, she and her family undoubtedly enjoyed much of the local foods of the country, including Jaegerschnitzel, which translates to "hunter's cutlet." It is a fried, breaded pork cutlet served with a brown mushroom gravy, though when Anderson eats it at Zum Stammtisch in Queens, it's made with veal instead. Spaetzle are basically German egg noodles made of flour, eggs, and milk or water. They tend to be thicker and more uneven in shape than other types of noodles, with a pleasant chew. Zum Stammtisch serves it with cheese, bacon, and fried onion, but spaetzle can be warmed with butter, tossed with cheese or gravy, or added to soups, making a wonderful winter noodle. Together with Jaegerschnitzel, it's easy to see why Anderson finds the dish delightfully hearty and comforting.

Naturally, the food Anderson grew up eating holds a special place in her heart, and it isn't limited to spaetzle and crispy pork. She also mentioned, " ... I love German food because it's meat and potatoes," adding that she enjoys bratwurst and Kartoffel, which is similar to a potato cake. As she's gotten older, she finds German beer to be particularly appealing as well.

Static Media owns and operates Mashed and The Takeout.