Name: Hush Puppies with Homemade Tartar Sauce
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4 servings

Tartar Sauce

Hush Puppies

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 hush puppies are cut too large, they tend to end up with what my kids call "mushy middles." I prefer to cut them on the smaller side, so they'll keep a firm consistency all the way through. Hush puppies are delicious on their own, but I can't imagine serving fried fish without them. On those occasions, I'll have a plate prepped and ready to fry right before dinnertime so I can serve them my favorite way—piping hot." – Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Table, Volume 3

Joanna Gaines' Hush Puppies with Homemade Tartar Sauce

Hush Puppies with Homemade Tartar Sauce

Meet The Creator

"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

TIP: For quick assembly, substitute the homemade pie crust with a store-bought 9-inch pie crust. 
“Since I was a kid, cherry pie has always been my favorite. But no one in my house likes it all that much. I was disappointed until I discovered this recipe. Now I’ve realized that being the only person who likes cherry pie in a house where there’s fresh cherry pie isn’t a bad thing, because I have the whole pie to myself!” — Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Table, Volume 3

Cherry Pie with Streusel

“There are some meals you know are special because of the time they require or the long list of ingredients they call for. Other times, I find joy in recipes that can be as creative or straightforward as I want. The base of this recipe offers that flexibility. Flatbread is delicious with a simple, traditional hummus or dip, but I also love piling on veggies from the garden, or as this recipe calls for, a little bit of prosciutto and arugula.” — Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Table, Volume 3

Joanna Gaines' Balsamic-Glazed Prosciutto Flatbread

Balsamic-Glazed Prosciutto Flatbread

"An easy way to gather vegetables for this recipe is to keep a baggie in the freezer and whenever you have leftover vegetables you can just toss them in. That way, as soon as you cook a recipe that leaves you with chicken bones, you have what you need to make the stock—you can just put it all in a large pot on the stove and let it simmer. I always try to make as much of this stock as possible so that I can freeze at least half the batch. There is satisfaction in using every last bit of food you can, and knowing that nothing is going to waste." – Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Table, Volume 3

Homemade Chicken Stock

"Lobster rolls will forever remind me of our honeymoon. We flew to New York City for a few days, then rented a car and hit the road toward Maine. It was on this trip that I had my first-ever lobster roll. I can still remember the taste of that lobster paired with a buttered bun. Simple, fresh, and just delicious." – Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Table, Volume 3. (This recipe has been slightly adapted from the Lobster Rolls featured in Magnolia Table, Volume 3.)

Lobster Rolls

I often make these hearty, flavorful sandwiches when friends and family come to help out on the ranch. I can prepare most of this meal ahead of time—the meat and coleslaw can be made the day before I need to serve them (see Cook’s Note)—and the sandwiches are big and meaty enough to fill everyone up on a day full of hard work. (They’re also a favorite of Austin’s, because he loves sandwiches so much that he thinks of them as his favorite food group.) This recipe feeds six, but I usually double it to serve a crowd.

Pulled Brisket Sandwiches with Coleslaw

"My girls love pink sauce and they love zizi—so this recipe is their absolutely favorite combination of pasta. I have to say, it's become a favorite of mine, too!" - Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Table, Volume 3

Pink Baked Ziti

We serve this burger at Magnolia Table, and I have to confess that it’s one of my favorite things on the menu. My boys love burgers of just about any kind, so I could probably get away with serving something a little plainer to them (and, of course, you can leave any part of this out if you have picky eaters—or let everyone pick their own toppings). I just love how a grilled buttered brioche bun holds a savory burger, sweet drip jam, creamy melted cheese, and peppery fresh arugula, so that every single bite is an amazing combination of flavors and textures.

Gaines Brother Burgers with Drip Jam

Roasted mushrooms are one of my favorite dishes to make when hosting friends for dinner because it's so easy to throw them on a sheet pan and let the oven do the work. You can really build on the richness of the mushrooms by pairing it with a simple vinaigrette. As with the Honey Mustard-Glazed Pork Tenderloin, this was inspired by a dish in The Fresh Honey Cookbook by one of my dear late friends, Laurey Masterton. Laurey was wildly passionate about a lot of things, and one of those was bees and honey. It was an honor to be able to recreate some of Laurey's dishes for a dinner on From the Source, incorporating a few of my own touches along the way.

Katie Button's Roasted Mushrooms with Honey Vinaigrette

Roasted Mushrooms with Honey Vinaigrette

I am always super-excited when fresh cherries show up at the markets! These little stone fruits burst with flavor and are only here for a short time, so I love to enjoy them as much as possible. Scones are an easy, quick way to make something special for breakfast, and I think they are best with fresh fruit in them.

Elizabeth Poett's Cherry-Almond Scones Drizzled with White Chocolate

Cherry-Almond Scones Drizzled with White Chocolate

There are a million ways to make a chocolate chip cookie. My grandfather used to sprinkle a pinch of salt on top of each one, and it’s my favorite way to make them too. This recipe is my preferred combination of sweet and salty, chocolatey and chewy. I usually bake half of the cookie dough and freeze the other half; that way I can bake them just when I need to and serve them warm.

Elizabeth Poett's Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

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

When I was learning how to cook, making a somewhat healthy meal for four small kids (that they actually wanted to eat) wasn’t always easy. But I knew their

Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines: Season 7, Episode 4

Some of my favorite memories growing up include eating dumplings around the table with my mom's side of the family. I knew I couldn't make today's menu

Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines: Season 5, Episode 4

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

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

Every time I pull a jar of these pickles off the shelf, I am so happy I took the time to make them. They are a wonderful addition to many kinds of sandwiches. I often put them on the table at a barbecue so that people can snack on them and add a little something salty to their plates. This is a fun and simple project to do on your own or with your family.

Dill Pickle Chips

Living in Texas means there are short windows of truly pleasant weather when you can linger outside and lose all sense of time. I like to seize those moments

Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines: Season 6, Episode 5

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

This cake is light and airy and fresh! It’s lemony but not overwhelmingly so. I love buttercream frosting and I love lemon curd, and so I decided to try combining them. The result was a frosting that is a dreamy blend of these two favorites: a fresh lemon flavor and a smooth, buttery frosting all in one. If you don't have time to make the lemon curd, it can be store-bought, but it’s fun to make. If you make it you’ll end up with a little bit of extra curd to enjoy on toast. My dad loves everything lemon so I make this cake for him on his birthday every year.

Elizabeth Poett's Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd Buttercream Frosting

Hush Puppies with Homemade Tartar Sauce

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