Have you ever wondered what the protocol is for bringing food on a plane? I definitely have. And so, it seems, has Chrissy Teigen, who over the weekend tweeted at American Airlines asking if she would be able to bring a casserole dish of scalloped potatoes on an upcoming flight. The meal, she claimed, was her “emotional support dish” and would replace the traditional suitcase or backpack as her single carry-on.
Because Twitter never fails to disappoint, American Airlines actually chimed in. They deferred Teigen to TSA’s official Twitter account.
From there, the plot thickened: The TSA joined in and delivered some welcome news.
According to the TSA’s website, it seems Teigen’s casserole does indeed comply with regulations. They have extensive instructions as to what is and isn’t allowed on a plane, and while there’s no specific designation regarding scalloped potatoes, the policy does allow for passengers to bring solid foods (however nebulous that category may be) as carry-ons.
With permission secured, Teigen got to cooking. As always, she kept the masses on Twitter nicely looped in:
And finally, the moment we’d all been waiting for. Teigen, savvy as she is with social media, even let her followers keep up with a video of the casserole making its way through security. Bound in a plastic container, her emotional support dish slid along the conveyor belt and into a metal detector. Would it make it???
Her scalloped potatoes are apparently TSA-grade because next came a picture—Teigen and her potatoes ready to fly. Feeling inspired? I am. And I’m craving some gooey, cheesy potatoes. Here are some recipes inspired by Teigen’s trusty travel companion.
What’s your emotional support dish? Let us know what you’d take on a flight with you in the comments.
Written by: Valerio Farris
Popular on Food52
17 Comments
My emotional support food are Red Vines.
It's not just liquids that aren't allowed. The restriction includes 'gels', which are semi-liquid in nature. Runny cheeses and peanut seem to fall under the gel category. But while you cannot bring a jar of peanut butter onto a plane, you can bring the PBJ sandwich. The cheesecake would also fall under the gel category. Thankfully, TSA decided to let me have my cake ;). So I totally get why Chrissy Teigen went the extra length to make sure that her scalloped potatoes weren't confiscated and thrown out. Them potatoes could technically be a gel too.
Both are delicious but definitely different.
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