Cooking Through Magnolia Table In A Year: Week 36

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Week 36! While this week’s recipes of Beef Enchiladas (p.257), Apple Cider Salad (p.119) and Apple Cider Vinaigrette (p.119) are not typically encouraged to go together, we enjoyed a delicious dinner including all three. Of all the recipes we have tried in cooking through Magnolia Table this year, I would not have said that beef enchiladas paired with a salad would have been the best comfort foods, but for this past week, with all our crazy schedules and the ups and downs life throws in, these recipes were perfect. Fresh, flavorful and delicious, both Charlie and I thoroughly enjoyed these recipes and most certainly recommend trying them out, although perhaps not all at once.

Beef Enchiladas

About halfway through making Joanna Gaines Beef Enchiladas, I had a strange sense of deja vu and soon realized that I had made this recipe a couple of years ago. To our happy surprise, we enjoyed them just as much this time as we did the last time I made them. These beef enchiladas are very easy to pull together, are not overly saucy and have a great mix of flavors. The chiles and spices give a touch of heat without being too spicy, while the cheese blends in to give a wonderful Tex-Mex flavor. Similarly, as the tortillas are pan fried just slightly before making the enchiladas, the texture is fabulous and not overly soft or soggy.

Crowd Average Rating:

While enchiladas are not typically my go-to Mexican dish, this recipe was delicious and gained an average rating of 7.5! Easy and very flavorful, these Beef Enchiladas had the perfect texture, and I can’t think of anything I would change next time I make them. I sometimes am hesitant about enchiladas because of their texture, but this recipe is definitely one of my favorite enchiladas recipes I have had!

Cooking Through Magnolia Table In A Year: Week 36 - Beef Enchiladas

Apple Cider Salad

If I had to choose one section of the Magnolia Table cookbook that I have been most surprised by, it must be the Soups & Salads portion. Each salad we have tried has been unique, delicious and, most of the time, a new go-to recipe. This Apple Cider Salad recipe was no different, as it is simple, fresh and absolutely scrumptious. While I had not previously knowingly prepared radicchio for a salad, it added a beautiful color and texture that complemented the fresh crunch of the radishes. Similarly, the cheese and pecans balanced any hints of bitterness in the radicchio, and overall made for a wonderful blend of flavor, that I definitely recommend trying

Crowd Average Rating:

As one of our highest rated recipes in several weeks, this Apple Cider Salad gained an average of 8.5! I absolutely loved this salad and most certainly will make it again in the future. I will note though that the white portions of the radicchio can tend to be slightly bitter, but are better if sliced thinly to disperse throughout the salad instead of being simply torn. Similarly, we added pear the second time we made this dish, and that addition was wonderful with the flavors as well.

Cooking Through Magnolia Table In A Year: Week 36 - Apple Cider Salad

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Much like the salad, this vinaigrette is simply delicious. Tangy and smooth, the Apple Cider Vinaigrette perfectly complements the Apple Cider Salad and brings each piece together. This vinaigrette reminds me of the one that was recommended to use along with the Layered Arugula Salad (read that review HERE!), but is different enough to compliment this new dish. Again, Joanna definitely excels with this recipe and I most certainly will be making it in the future.

Crowd Average Rating:

Similar to the salad, this recipe gained an average rating of 8.5! While I typically try to think of ways that I could improve upon the recipe or what I would tweak for the future, I can’t think of anything I would change going forward which is wonderful!

Cooking Through Magnolia Table In A Year: Week 36 - Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Looking Ahead – Week Thirty Seven

Week 37 Shopping List Includes:

Black pepper
Kosher salt
Butter
All purpose flour
Sugar
Baking soda

Milk
Ricotta cheese
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Maple syrup
Onion

Ground beef
Saltine crackers
Cheddar cheese
Tomato sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Ketchup

Looking ahead to week 37 within our Cooking Through Magnolia Table In A Year Guide, this upcoming week will feature Ricotta Pancakes (p.55) and Meat Loaf (p.259). If you have any remaining ground beef from the Beef Enchiladas, this meatloaf is a perfect way to use it up! I have not made a meatloaf in a very long time, so I can’t wait to try Joanna’s recipe.

Final Thoughts

While I didn’t necessarily expect to have a week of recipes all above 7.5, each of these dishes was absolutely delicious. In the future, I likely won’t make them all together again, but I am sure they each will come back to our table. Did you have a favorite recipe this week? If so, I would love to know in the comment section below!

Happy cooking!