Name: Scalloped Potatoes
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Joanna Gaines is the co-founder of Magnolia, a home and lifestyle brand, a bestselling author, and editor-in-chief of Magnolia Journal. Alongside her passion for design and food, nothing inspires Jo more than time at home with family—messing with recipes in the kitchen or planting something in the garden.

Joanna Gaines

When we were dating, Chip would often say that there are about five foods that he really, really loves, and one of them is scalloped potatoes. The sliced potatoes make this a pretty dish, and the cream and cheese mixture tastes like heaven. When we serve steak for dinner and I don’t have much time for sides, I’ll make mashed potatoes, but anytime I have a few extra minutes, I like to make this one especially for Chip.

Scalloped Potatoes

Meet The Creator

We all have those meals that remind us of our favorite time of year. Friendsgiving Casserole is just that for me. It’s a dish I started making when a group of

Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines: Episode 2

While some evenings call for dishes that are quick and easy, on nights when I have a little extra time, this is the type of meal I can’t wait to get into the

Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines: Season 2, Episode 2

Do you like happiness? If you don’t, then this recipe isn’t for you. But if you do, then let’s make my macaroni and cheese together. This is the dish that put me on the map. It’s the one everyone talks about and the one that every person who comes over for dinner begs me to make. And the beauty is, it’s so simple. You’ll have friends begging you for this recipe.

Macaroni and Cheese

There are many versions of the iconic chicken Marbella, a recipe that debuted in the 1980s in “The Silver Palate Cookbook.” We added our favorite green olives to this incarnation and also sherry vinegar and honey for a touch more depth and sweetness. But what we really love so much about the dish is the sauce, so our spin on the recipe serves the chicken on toasted bread to put it over the top: The bread soaks up the sauce and makes it a one-pot meal.

Abner & Amanda's Chicken Marbella Over Sourdough

Chicken Marbella Over Sourdough

My mother and I love making these empanadas together! We make a lot of different kinds of empanadas, but this sweet dessert is the perfect way to celebrate the apple season. The pastry is crunchy and flaky, the cinnamon sugar adds wonderful texture, and the frying process makes them absolutely decadent. People think they are a fancy food, but they are easy to make ahead, freeze, and then fry the day of a party. I like to serve them with small jars full of the bourbon whipped cream for dipping.

Elizabeth Poett's Apple Empanadas with Bourbon Whipped Cream

Apple Empanadas with Bourbon Whipped Cream

I love to cook with fish—especially after Austin goes fishing—and I developed this recipe because I was looking for something that would be rich tasting but also really simple to make. For this recipe, I make a sauce out of white wine, cream, and fresh dill, then just slip the fillets into the pan and put the whole thing in the oven until the fish is tender and infused with the bright, creamy sauce. I like to serve it with saffron rice, which has a flavor that reminds me of food that I enjoyed when I studied in Spain as a student. Put the kettle to a boil while preheating the oven and the rice and fish will be ready about the same time.

White Fish with Dill Sauce and Saffron Rice

Even though pot roasts are a well-known dish in southern culture, I feel there are different variations of the slow-cooked meat dish that span through the country as a whole, and even globally. There’s something really special about a slow-roasted meat that falls off the bone, it really says “made with love,” and it’s an easy dish, especially for family dinners. For me, pot roasts invoke memories of Sunday family dinners. We would rotate houses and have everyone’s unique pot roast. I remember a big dish at the center of the table with a beautiful piece of meat and my mom cutting chunks away. Vegetables and gravy were always my favorite. I would reach out and soak a roll in the delicious gravy!

Charles Hunter III's Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

"A dish that looks fancy but is secretly simple will always have a place on my table. Wedge salads in general are great at pulling this off—and fortunately, everyone in our family enjoys them. I like to slice the iceberg wedges beforehand, then serve the toppings family-style so everyone can tailor their own. The kids and I like to dress our salad with ranch, but Chip always prefers blue cheese. Since this is one of Chip's favorite salads, that classic take is what I've shared here." – Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Table, Volume 3

Joanna Gaines' Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

Pasta-like potato gnocchi are easy to make and require only a few ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen. There is something so comforting about this dish that combines the browned, crispy edges of the gnocchi with roasted butternut squash and a cream sauce. The leeks and tarragon give it a fragrance and flavor reminiscent of early spring.

Elizabeth Poett's Homemade Gnocchi with a Creamy Tarragon and Leek Sauce

Homemade Gnocchi with Creamy Tarragon-Leek Sauce

These are, hands down, my kids’ favorite breakfast. Who am I kidding? They’re my favorite, too, especially when served alongside eggs—I can’t get enough of that combination of sweet and salty. These are definitely a labor of love, but honestly I think we all enjoy preparing them almost as much as we like to eat them. I’m in my happy place anytime I get to work with dough. Mixing the ingredients together into a cohesive whole, draping a towel over the bowl and letting the dough rise, punching it down, and then rolling, filling, and shaping it—the ritual of every step brings me pure joy. Whenever I bust out the ingredients for these squares, the kids know it’s a good day. I make these a lot during school holidays when there’s time in the morning for them to help. Duke and Emmie stand at attention with the measured ingredients waiting for the sign from me that they can dump them into the bowl, and then the older two help me roll out the dough and compose each layer. Drake loves that he’s finally allowed to use a big knife to cut the squares before they’re baked, and then he and Ella apply the egg wash to the tops of them. The kids understand that the bit of extra effort required for these squares makes them something really special.



I think it probably helps that these squares are the best iteration of a cinnamon roll that any of us has ever tasted. It can be hard to get a good balance with cinnamon rolls—they either have too much bread or too much cinnamon. The way I make these, rolling and folding them repeatedly so that the filling is between several thin layers of dough, results in a square that has a perfect amount of both bread and cinnamon, so every bite is balanced.

Cinnamon Squares

Our children’s book, We Are the Gardeners, is finally here! The kids and I have been working on this project for a little over a year, and I’m excited to be

The Making of We Are the Gardeners

I tried crȇpes for the first time when I was in New York City for a college internship. One weekend, my roommate and I stumbled upon this crêpe shop. With

Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines: Season 5, Episode 6

Home matters. For Chip and me, there is nothing more valuable or essential to our well-being than the way our family feels when we are home. This philosophy

Introducing: Hotel 1928

Every once in a while, when our family is in the mood for a nice meal, but doesn't feel like going out to a restaurant, I like to plan a meal for a special

Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines: Season 2, Episode 3

Roasted carrots are a crazy-simple side dish. There are a couple of things to remember to make them delicious: keep the oven hot enough to develop some caramelization; look for carrots that are consistent in size so they cook at the same rate; don’t worry about peeling them — a little scrub under running water does the trick. This recipe dresses the simple roasted carrots with a tasty sauce that’s tangy from vinegar and orange juice, with depth and sweetness from maple syrup.

Katie Button's Orange and Maple-Glazed Carrots

Roasted Carrots with Orange-Maple Glaze

It has become a tradition of mine to make this tomato soup at the beginning of the rainy season. As the weather shifts and our summer crops wind down, I love to capture the marvelous flavor of tomatoes one last time before the rain and frost move in. After dashing
around outside in the cold making sure we are ready for rain, there is nothing better than warming up with a hot bowl of homemade tomato soup. Making this soup takes a bit of time, but only minimal effort. It is made in a single pot, and you really let the oven do the work. The roasting process elevates the flavor of the tomatoes, bringing out an incredibly satisfying combination of sweetness and acidity.

Roasted Tomato Soup

As much as I enjoy doing my own thing in the kitchen, I love when the kids are happy to jump in and help me make a meal. In this episode, I have a couple of

Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines: Episode 4

Chip’s great-aunt Opal didn’t have children of her own, but she cooked a lot for Chip’s dad and uncle when they were kids. She was especially known for her excellent pies and this spectacular banana pudding. When Chip and I were first married, it was a staple of his mom’s, and we usually enjoyed it on Christmas Eve. I’ve loved it ever since. When I make this family favorite, I typically use my homemade whipped cream in place of dessert topping, but either is great. I usually compose the whole thing in a clear glass trifle dish, so the pretty layers are visible. You can serve it in individual cups if you prefer.

Joanna Gaines's Aunt Opal's Banana Pudding

Aunt Opal's Banana Pudding

This ranch style home was a unique project that we had the honor to work on for our friend David Ridley. Chip and I both agreed David is Waco’s ‘Most...

Fixer Upper Season 3, Episode 11

With the holidays in full swing, I wanted to share a few of my favorite side dishes that highlight the flavors we all know and love this time of year. For our