Dinner Takes All

Dinner Takes All is a competitive cooking show produced by BYUtv, initially launched in 2019. The programme blends together the excitement of culinary challenges with close-knit family dynamics, thereby providing wholesome entertainment for the entire family. The format of Dinner Takes All intentionally deviates from the cutthroat ambiance of many cooking competitions, instead opting for a more light-hearted, fun filled take on the genre.

The show’s premise revolves around two different families that must square off to create their best and most delicious dishes over the course of three rounds. The performance of each team is critiqued and judged by a panel of experts who have vast culinary experience under their belt. However, what sets Dinner Takes All apart from other culinary contests is its combined emphasis on both cooking skills and game-playing strategies.

The hosts for this dynamic cooking show are Kelsey Nixon, an Emmy-nominated TV personality, author and professional foodie. Famed for her roles on popular cooking shows and her warm, engaging demeanor, Kelsey is a recognisable figure in the cooking show arena, bringing a fresh yet experienced perspective to the Dinner Takes All programme.

The show kick-starts with both family teams presenting their unique family recipes, which are then subject to critique by the judges. This establishes the cooking quality and inventiveness each family possesses, bringing the family's tradition and heritage into the limelight, and letting the audience peek into different cultural cuisines.

The second round focuses on the exciting, tension-filled five-minute ‘Pantry Pull’. A game involving race against the clock, where each family has to gather the perfect ingredients to create their featured family dinner menu within a set time. This segment adds a level of adrenaline-pumping excitement to the cooking competition, testing the competing teams' teamwork under pressure and their capacity to think on their feet.

The final round is the 'Dinner Party Round,' where each family must transform their earlier selected ingredients into a well-coordinated, mouth-watering three-course dinner. This round tests the family's ability to work as a team, their creativity with the ingredients they have, and ultimately, their ability to pull off the dinner party under pressure.

As impressive as the culinary dishes prepared are, Dinner Takes All isn't exclusively about cooking — it's also about strategic game play. Host Nixon is accompagnied by co-host Eddie Zamora, known as “The Yum Yum Foodie” to millions of followers online. Zamora brings his charisma and unconventional attitude to the mix, hosting family-friendly table games that the teams participate in between cooking rounds. These games serve to ease the tension emanating from the kitchen while also offering the families a chance to secure valuable added points, underscoring that Dinner Takes All is as much about camaraderie and quick wit as it is about cordon bleu.

At the end of Dinner Takes All, the team that impresses the judges with their culinary skills while also amassing the most points in table games bags a cash prize of $10,000, providing a nice cherry-on-top for a day filled with food and family fun.

Overall, Dinner Takes All serves up an entertaining mix of culinary arts and family competition in a warm-hearted environment, differentiating it from other cooking shows. It celebrates not only the creative cuisine of different families but also their storytelling, light-hearted banter, and unique histories through their cherished recipes. Thanks to this distinct approach, Dinner Takes All stands as a refreshing, engaging, and entertaining addition to the culinary television landscape.