Meghan Markle’s latest attempt to spread some holiday cheer ended in yet another online controversy after she came under fire for encouraging budding hosts to rely on ready-made pancakes and quiche when whipping up a festive breakfast—despite selling her own pancake mix.
In a video posted to the Instagram account for her lifestyle brand, As Ever, Meghan, 44, explained that her favorite way to create a stress-free breakfast setup in her home is to create “stations” in the kitchen that guests can frequent at their leisure.
The clip, which was captioned “Because you don’t need to stress to impress,” does not appear to have been filmed in the $14.65 million Montecito, CA, mansion Meghan shares with Prince Harry and their two children, Archie and Lilibet.
However, it saw Meghan making her way around a kitchen, which had been littered with different dishes in various displays.
“What I like to do when I have guests over for the holidays, especially when you have a lot of people and everyone has a different preference for breakfast, you just create stations, and they can help themselves,” she explained in the video.
At the first station, Meghan set up the ingredients for a “yogurt parfait,” which included plain yogurt, berries, granola, and several As Ever products, including honey and fruit spreads.
The mother of two was seen decanting the As Ever raspberry and strawberry spreads into a vintage glass serving dish, noting that this is “actually a really nice way to add to a yogurt parfait station.”
Meghan Markle has come under fire for a video she posted in which she revealed her “favorite” breakfast to serve guests during the holidays. (Instagram/As Ever)
The 44-year-old said she likes to set up “stations” in her kitchen with different options that guests can help themselves to. (Instagram/As Ever)
She is then seen spooning the various ingredients into long-stemmed coupe glasses, admitting that, while a “normal bowl” would suffice for serving, she prefers glassware because it helps her to make the dish “a little bit more special.”
Moving on, she heads to the pancake and waffle section—which she has set up much like a traditional charcuterie board, with the various ingredients spread out on a wooden serving platter.
In an attempt to make the setup seem a little more easy-breezy, Meghan insists that this station can be made that much more stress-free if you use store-bought pancakes.
“All of this is great for kids [and] if you don’t want to make pancakes, don’t make pancakes,” she explains.
“You just get the ones from the freezer section!” she adds in a hushed tone.
She makes a similar suggestion when it comes to the breakfast quiche that she then pulls out of the oven. The dish is one of her “favorite” things to serve to a large group, she explains, before noting that, once again, hosts can rely on a ready-made version if they want to make their lives even easier.
However, her touting of ready-made dishes sparked ire among critics, who called the former “Suits” star out for “crimes against breakfast.” Some voiced confusion over why she would suggest using store-bought versions of items that are “so easy” to make at home.
While the comments were turned off on the As Ever account, several people took to a Reddit thread dedicated to observations about the video, where they aired their grievances about Meghan’s hosting tips.
However, critics took offense when she encouraged viewers to use store-bought pancakes and quiches. (Instagram/As Ever)
Many questioned why someone with their own brand—one that sells pancake mix, no less—and a lifestyle show that features cooking segments would recommend not cooking their own food. (Instagram/As Ever)
“I’m not a great cook, but quiche and pancakes are so easy to make,” one person wrote. “Why is she talking about buying them pre-made? On a cooking show? I’d rather MAKE breakfast than waste time putting jam into other containers.”
Another called attention to the fact that As Ever actually had a pancake mix in its lineup of products, noting: “This would’ve been the perfect opportunity for her to show her using her own pancake mix to whip up homemade, and demonstrate how quick and easy it is.”
“Can you imagine Martha Stewart saying, ‘You can just buy frozen’ at the same time she was trying to establish her lifestyle empire?” one person questioned.
Some voiced concern over the fact that many ready-made dishes are “filled with horrible preservatives and other junk,” questioning why someone who seems “so health-conscious” would promote this kind of product.
Others, meanwhile, took issue with Meghan’s decision to serve her yogurt parfait in such delicate glassware, cautioning that these kinds of vessels are not appropriate for children.
“I can’t get over Meghan dumping yoghurt and fruit into crystal dessert glasses, before saying, ‘All of this is great for kids,'” one wrote.
Another added: “I’m sorry—did she say that serving yogurt parfaits in glass champagne coupes is PERFECT FOR KIDS? That’s a recipe for a bunch of broken glass.”
Meghan is set to share many more holiday hosting tips in the festive installment of her Netflix show “As Ever.” (Netflix)
Prince Harry made an appearance in the trailer for the new special. (Netflix)
It is not the first time that one of Meghan’s recipes has come under fire online. After the premiere of her Netflix series “With Love, Meghan,” the Duchess of Sussex prompted horror among viewers when they spotted the rather controversial way in which the mother of two stores raw chicken in her refrigerator.
Eagle-eyed streaming fans spotted a moment in the third episode of the eight-part series, which premiered on March 4, during which the Duchess of Sussex is seen opening the refrigerator to reveal what appears to be raw chicken pieces sitting uncovered on a shelf.
Images and videos of the chicken legs were posted on social media, where they quickly went viral—with many accusing Meghan of “unhygienic” food storage practices, while others warned that the uncovered meat could end up giving someone “salmonella.”
“No serious chef or person who knows food would have raw chicken on an open grate shelf above fruit or veg. Obvious she has no clue about food safety or cooking. Wow,” one X user wrote.
“Nothing says ‘With Love’ more than serving guests raw or part cooked chicken which has dripped campylobacter and salmonella onto items below because her kitchen hygiene is atrocious,” another chimed in.
“Who is on her production team?” an outraged viewer wrote. “There are people paid to pay attention to details like this. What a faux pas. I’ve been watching cooking shows for decades and the only time I see raw chicken in the fridge is still in the package, marinating, covered in a bowl [or] marinating in a [bag].”
One simply asked: “Why has #MeghanMarkle [put] raw chicken legs in the fridge next to the salad??”
Meghan has previously come under fire from viewers over her method for storing uncooked chicken. (Netflix)
In a Season 1 episode of “With Love, Meghan,” she is seen opening the refrigerator to reveal what appears to be raw chicken pieces sitting uncovered on a shelf. (Netflix)
Another added: “Why are they not covered? And why are they right raw on the shelf with nothing underneath it to protect. This is so unsanitary.”
It was revealed later in the episode, which saw celebrity chef Roy Choi joining Meghan in the kitchen of her $8 million rented filming house, that the chicken was actually parboiled in preparation to be fully cooked later in the episode—although that update did not provide many viewers with much relief.
The chicken being partly cooked before being placed in the fridge does not mean it doesn’t contain salmonella.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “undercooked” poultry can also carry the bacteria.
“Salmonella infection is usually caused by eating raw or undercooked meat, poultry, and eggs or egg products or by drinking unpasteurized milk,” the organization states.
“You can avoid getting salmonella and spreading bacteria to others in several ways, including safely preparing food, hand-washing, avoiding contamination, and not eating raw meat, dairy or egg products.”
According to experts, raw chicken should always be stored in a refrigerator that is set to between 32 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, ideally inside the sealed package in which it was purchased, or in a dish with sides that will prevent any juices from dripping onto other food products.
Dining and Cooking