Haylie Duff’s cooking up a new season of ‘The Real Girl’s Kitchen’

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It’s a little disconcerting to hear the star of a show called “The Real Girl’s Kitchen” say that her chief goal when she launched the series was to get out of the kitchen.

Still, that premise is paying off for Haylie Duff, whose charming Cooking Channel show begins its second season Saturday with an episode that takes place on the birthday of Haylie’s mom, Susan.

“I just think (getting out of the kitchen) makes the show really fun and gives it a little more life,” Duff says. “For my mom’s birthday episode, we were only in the kitchen for the first part of the episode while I was making her breakfast.

The rest of the time we were out and about. But we really try to get as many recipes and tips and tricks as possible into each episode.”

And how. The season premiere follows Duff from that opening birthday breakfast scene for a mom — a ruse to make her think Haylie won’t be at her birthday dinner that evening — to a cake session with another Duff: Goldman (“Ace of Cakes”), who helps Duff assemble her mom’s celebratory cake.

“Duff is very much in the competition world, but the way you see him in this episode is how I know him, as a buddy, someone who gives me great little tips all the time,” Duff says.

The episode then moves to a Los Angeles restaurant where Duff does some hands-on work with the appetizers for her mother’s Spanish-themed feast.

“I’ve never done any kind of reality TV, so it was really important to me that we kept everything very authentic,” Duff says. “Viewers aren’t stupid about shows like this. You can’t fool them. Either come real or don’t come at all.”

Q&A

Q: You’re expecting your first child in May. Has your pregnancy affected your sense of taste?

A: “I had heightened sense of smell for a month or two, so we’d go into a grocery store and I’d be like, ‘No, we’ve got to go, it smells so bad in here.’ Other than that, I haven’t noticed most of the textbook pregnancy things.”

Q: What is your favorite comfort food?

A: “I’m from Texas. I love mac and cheese, fried chicken, mashed potatoes. In fact, I think anything you would classify as comfort food, I am down with that. I also love fried okra.”

Q: What did you have for dinner last night?

A: “Last night I made like a Cajun-style mac and cheese with bell peppers in it and celery and diced chicken. It was like a bowl of naughtiness.”

Q: What are your favorite spices?

A: “Cayenne pepper I use all the time. Crushed red pepper. Garlic powder and onion powder and, oh yeah, lemon pepper, which I think is looked over sometimes but is really good. Also, my dad’s homemade steak rub.”