If you’re looking to butter your biscuits, here’s the cookbook for you: “The Unofficial Ted Lasso Cookbook: From Biscuits to BBQ, 50 Inspired Recipes by TV’s Most Lovable Football Team” (Harvest; Nov. 14, 2023; $24.99).
Two Sacramento-area-based friends, Aki Berry and Meg Chano, co-wrote the cookbook after daring one another to create dishes inspired by the Emmy Award-winning Apple TV+ show about a British soccer team and its exceptionally American coach.
Berry and Chano met at age 15, when Chano, a study abroad student from Japan, moved in next door with a local host family. The friends lost touch, but reconnected when Chano moved to the U.S. for good for a job more than 20 years later.
“Aki was one of my first friends in the U.S.,” said Chano. “And though we didn’t see one another for years, when my husband and I decided to move to the U.S. from Japan more than 20 years later, I reached out to her on Facebook. I almost couldn’t believe it when I found out that she, too, was moving to the Sacramento area.”
Combining their love of cooking and baking with their many talents ― Chano’s an IT engineer, and Berry is a stay-at-home mom of three with a background in art history ― the friends decided to create a cooking blog, Salted Harvest, as a pandemic project.
“Meg and I always love eating and cooking together,” said Berry. “One day, she recommended a television show about soccer. I’m not into sports, but I gave it a watch, and after the first episode of ‘Ted Lasso,’ I was hooked on its playful, positive outlook.”
On the show, Ted Lasso, a college football coach from the Midwest, is unexpectedly hired to coach a pro soccer team in England. Though he knows nothing about soccer, Lasso’s unabashed optimism proves successful.
In an attempt to win over the team’s owner, Rebecca Welton (played by Hannah Waddingham), he pays a daily visit to her office, bearing biscuits.
Enamored with the show, the curious friends challenged one another to re-create Lasso’s “biscuits with the boss.”
“I figured they were Scottish shortbread,” said Berry. “So I adapted a traditional recipe, adding almond flour for a nuttier flavor, inspired by my mom, who always uses almond flour to give depth to baked goods.”
When HarperCollins approached the duo and asked them to create a cookbook dedicated to the series, they took their biscuit challenge a step further and worked together to create delicious dishes from every corner of the Lassoverse.
Their cookbook features recipes for every occasion, all inspired by characters and scenes, from English teatime delights to tailgate-ready snacks, including Pigs in Roy’s Blankie, Ted’s Bullseye BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Salty Bitch Bites, Nate the Great’s Hot Dog, and Crown and Anchor Fish and Chips.
Their Biscuits With the Boss recipe even includes instructions on how to make your own pink box.
“My favorite of the recipes we created together is Gentleman’s Relish,” said Chano. “It’s a savory butter seasoned with anchovies, capers, and thyme. It’s British comfort food. I love it spread on toast.”
”I love Sam’s Jollof Rice with Chicken,” said Berry. “Inspired by Samuel ‘Sam’ Obisanya, a lovable soccer player on Ted Lasso’s team, it’s a West African staple made with spicy Scotch Bonnet peppers. I really worked hard on that recipe, researching regional differences and rice varieties; it took me over ten attempts to get it just right.”
Sam is likely best remembered for the moment when coach Ted pulls him out of the game after an embarrassing blunder, advising, “You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It’s a goldfish. You know why? It’s got a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish, Sam!” (The book includes a recipe for a snack mix inspired by the moment, Goldfish Mix, a seasoned, savory combo featuring Chex cereal, bagel chips, and of course, Goldfish crackers.)
“I feel that, especially during the pandemic, people forgot to be kind,” said Berry. “Ted Lasso encouraged us all to trust and believe in ourselves and one another, to work together as a team, and always to give people a second chance.”
“Ted Lasso shoots for the underdog, believing in people that don’t believe in themselves,” said Chano. “The show reminds us all that everyone does have something special inside them that’s worth sharing with others.”
Try this recipe from the cookbook:
Biscuits With the Boss
There’s a whole lot of Ted Lasso magic in these biscuits — use them to win over your boss, your coworkers, or anyone else in your life who may need a sweet treat to numb the sting of defeat. Warning: Friendship may ensue!
MAKES 16 BISCUITS
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at
- room temperature, for greasing
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- Pinch of turbinado sugar (optional)
EQUIPMENT
- Food processor
- 8 × 8-inch baking dish
- Offset spatula
- Parchment paper (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Set an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the baking dish with butter and set aside.
2. Pulse both flours, the sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor to combine.
3. Add the butter and vanilla and pulse until the dough resembles wet sand.
4. Transfer the dough into the baking dish, evenly smoothing it with an offset spatula.
5. Using your hands, firmly press the mixture into the dish to flatten the mixture. If the mixture is too sticky, lay a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough during this process.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is lightly golden.
7. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the pinch of turbinado sugar, and let cool before cutting. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
From “The Unofficial Ted Lasso Cookbook,” by Aki Berry and Meg Chano. © 2023 by Aki Berry and Meg Chano. Reprinted by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins.
