Katherine Heigl’s Favorite Holiday Side Dish Is So Easy

Katherine Heigl is best known for her acting roles in television classics like Grey’s Anatomy and Suits as well as rom-coms like Knocked Up and 27 Dresses, among others. But these days, she’s most focused on her advocacy work through the Jason Heigl Foundation supported by her Badlands Ranch dog food line. Her organizations fight to end animal cruelty by assisting rescues and treatments for shelter animals in need.

In this exclusive interview with EatingWell, Heigl talks more about ways to give back this holiday season, as well as what foods she’s focusing on for herself and her family (which includes her pets). Learn about her immune-supporting secret, all-time favorite holiday side dish, recipes she makes for her dogs and more below.

Do you have any favorite holiday dishes that you’re looking forward to most?

My all-time favorite holiday dish is typically what we serve at Thanksgiving, but if I can, I talk everybody into another round on Christmas. It’s not everyone’s favorite, but it’s delicious. It’s a rutabaga puree. Half rutabaga, half carrots and you just boil them so they’re soft, puree them with butter, heavy cream and salt. And it’s the best, most delicious side dish, in my opinion. 

And my mother’s raspberry jello salad. Jello salad is sort of an old-timey dish, but it’s literally something we’ve eaten every holiday since I was born. I crave it because it’s raspberry jello, crushed walnuts and pineapple juice, and it’s two layers. The middle layer is cream cheese, and it’s so delicious and it’s also great because it cuts all of the savory stuff. It’s a bit of a palate cleanser, if you will.

With the cold and flu season in full swing, do you have any immune-supporting recipes or foods that you swear by to keep you and your family healthy?

Oil of oregano, which I prefer in pill form because the liquid form is brutal. I learned this actually from my co-stars on Suits. We were working in Toronto, and when it starts to get cold and you’re working outside a lot, you just want to boost your immune system as much as possible. So I started taking oil of oregano, and I think everybody is very individual when it comes to supplemental healing, but for me, it works like nothing else. My kids will not take it because it’s very potent, so for them, I give them elderberry [syrup]. And we’ll make a big pot of broth to sip on, a classic chicken bone broth is really healing. Homemade chicken soup is the best go-to, and that’s one everyone will eat for sure.

Could you talk more about why you started Badlands Ranch and how the cause has grown since?

I’m a dog person and I talk a lot about my dogs and my rescue foundation. I was approached about maybe coming up with a dog food brand, but my initial instinct was that the dog food aisle at the pet store is so overcrowded as it is. Would I just be adding more to the clutter and confusion for consumers? I wanted to incorporate some things into it that I’m really passionate about. Could we do something that is unique enough and honorable enough to truly make a difference in our pets’ lives? And the answer was yes. That was the drive for me to get into that arena. 

My mother and I have had our animal advocacy foundation since 2008, and it started out as a passion to make a difference, to try to do something for these creatures that we love so much and have so much compassion and appreciation for. And now it’s turned into a lifelong calling. I think it has given both of us a real purpose in life that feels truly meaningful and impactful. The food has been instrumental in helping us continue to fund the foundation and fund the program that are really starting to make a difference in the pet overpopulation in our country and the unnecessary, needless killing of these animals.

Do you have any go-to recipes that you feed your dogs?

If I’m going to give them something special, I make them something special. I keep it to lean proteins like fish, salmon or chicken. Organ meats are amazing. It’s weird, but if you can get cow liver, that’s really, really healthy for them and what they’re genetically supposed to be eating. This all sounds kind of gross, but liver, raw egg and maybe a pinch of turmeric. Turmeric is really great for dogs and humans too, for inflammation and joint health and gut health. And ginger is really great for gut health. Keeping them at a healthy weight and keeping them in great shape is really important.

Sometimes I’ll make them like lemon balm, essentially tea with lemon balm leaves and then let it cool down and put that in their water bowl. I found that that’s been incredibly helpful for anxiety and nervousness because all my dogs are rescued and they can end up with a bit of anxiety, nervousness or skittishness because of their previous homes.

For our readers wanting to help local organizations and shelters in need this holiday season, what do you recommend?

There’s so much people can do. It ranges from donating their time to helping get the dogs out of the kennels and out for a walk, to just donating blankets, beds and toys, to donating even a few dollars to help for spay neuters. A lot of shelters are not able to help if a dog comes in with medical needs, so we tend to care for a lot of those dogs in our foundation. Donations are always huge, and there’s so many really wonderful rescues and small rescues all throughout the country working really hard. They could use every penny.

Rescue, don’t buy. We have way too much of a problem in this country with pet overpopulation—and my opinion is probably a bit controversial—but I don’t think breeders should be breeding dogs right now until we get this under control. Everybody should be rescuing, but if you’re going to rescue, be prepared to know that you are inviting a new member into your family and they need attention, they need care, they need support and that can mean training, boundaries, food and vet care. Know what you’re getting into so that you’re not just taking a dog and then relinquishing it once Christmas is over.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.