Taste of Home Cooking School consists of 2 1/2 hours of culinary instruction designed for recreational or home cooks. The school's chefs execute 10 to 12 recipes onstage in an easy-to-follow manner that audience members can recreate at home. Taste of Home Cooking School Made Easy is a 1 1/2-hour condensed version of the cooking school that explores seven to eight recipes, supplemented with craft and decorating advice. Local media outlets sponsor the shows, and facilitate the presence of local restaurants, markets, and other culinary enterprises via vendor booths. The program typically visits towns with venues that hold a minimum of 700 guests, e.g., DeKalb's Egyptian Theatre, the Pontiac Township High School auditorium, and Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort in Rockford.
Taste of Home doesn't offer classes during summer months, and schedules appearances seasonally. For instance, Northern Illinois classes are often held in late spring. Taste of Home Cooking School posts details on its website concerning upcoming classes approximately four to six weeks prior to the show date, including ticket pricing and purchase information.
Taste of Home provides cooking school guests with products and gifts, such as cookbooks, door prizes and cooking utensils. Local vendors commonly establish booths and information centers at Taste of Home Cooking Schools that allow guests to sample products and register for gifts. Due to the logistics of preparing food for the minimum 700 guests at the class, Taste of Home doesn't allow all audience members to sample the food, but items prepared during the show are given to audience members via a raffle system.
Taste of Home Cooking School accepts applications for culinary specialist positions through its website. The positions' criteria include availability for travel; strong communications skills; prior experience in broadcast and print media; and a bachelor of arts degree in culinary arts, home economics, or a related discipline.