Cooking Through Magnolia Table In A Year: Week 2 Review

While I have made several roasted turkeys for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I must confess that this was the first time I had ever made a roast chicken…. And it was fabulous! While my mom made them frequently growing up and they were always wonderful, I had never attempted the full bird, as I anticipated the process to be lengthy and far more challenging than just a chicken breast. Joanna’s recipe however very much proved me wrong. With the primary prep work done the night before, most of the day of preparation was cutting the garlic and placing it in the oven. In regard to hospitality, if you are looking for a recipe that is primarily make ahead with only a little bit of work required while guests are there, this Perfect Roast Chicken would most definitely fit the bill.

Crowd Average Rating:

Again, only Charlie and I had the opportunity to rate this dish, however we both solidly rated this Perfect Roast Chicken an 8. Tender, juicy and immensely flavorful, we were amazed with the crispy skin and delicate meat. When I make this recipe again however, my only suggestion would be regarding cooking time. Not any fault of Joanna’s, I was not able to find a 3lb whole chicken, and instead was only able to find a 5lb bird.

Regarding the Mashed Potatoes, this recipe was extremely straightforward and easy to follow. Filling but not overwhelming, these potatoes had delicious flavor and nice bits of texture due to the bits of skin left on them before cooking and using a potato masher instead of a mixer. Calling for two sticks of butter, these mashed potatoes highlight the buttery creaminess within their flavor.  Likewise, the limited prep time and accurate cooking time make this recipe an easy one to rely on for when you might be having company.

Crowd Average Rating:

Unlike the Perfect Roast Chicken, the ratings for the Mashed Potatoes varied slightly between Charlie and I, leading to an average of 7.5. While 7.5 is a very strong score, its only mark against it was one of personal opinion. I preferred the added texture of the mashed potatoes slightly more than Charlie did; however this recipe was wonderful and I imagine would certainly be a crowd pleaser. If you have tried these, what were your thoughts? Do you like more textured mashed potatoes?

As we had already really enjoyed the Perfect Roast Chicken and Mashed Potatoes, by the time we started testing the Green Beans Amandine, our culinary palettes were very prepared. But even so, they were not prepared for the love that we found for these green beans. Seriously y’all…this is the best green bean recipe I have ever made! I have continuously struggled with making green beans, as I never had found a recipe that either lived up to my grandmas or did not end up somewhere between being unflavored, crunchy, or complete mush. To be honest, I had been a little skeptical about almonds, brown sugar and vinegar in relation to green beans, but these flavors tasted as if they were meant to go together. Everything was beautifully balanced and really enhanced the green bean flavor. Likewise, Joanna’s directions for cooking the beans lead them to be the perfect combination of soft yet firm.

Our highest rating yet, both Charlie and I slated these green beans at a 9. I feel I can’t dole out a 10 rating only on the second week of this adventure, so the Green Beans Amandine landed just below at a 9. Similarly, I did have one edit that was slightly different than the original recipe, and that was regarding the sherry vinegar.

• Chicken broth
• Tomato
• Canned corn
• Red and white onion
• Jalapeno
• Rotisserie chicken
• Mexican rice
• Cumin
• Fresh cilantro

• Avocado
• Tortilla chips
• Mozzarella cheese
• Ground black pepper
• Kosher salt
• Butter
• Velveeta
• Heavy cream
• Pinto beans
• Black beans