How to Eat Like Chip + Jo For a Day
In honor of the release of Joanna's new cookbook, Magnolia Table, we're showing you how to fit their favorite foods into just one day. The key: Stamina. And probably stretch pants.


Rachel Whyte
Yes, Joanna Gaines is a design expert, but right now, she's also doing a pretty amazing job of making us all so, so hungry. There's her new cookbook, Magnolia Table, the restaurant by the same name and the Silos Baking Company. It's enough to make you grab a rolling pin and get to it.
In honor of all of this delicious inspo, we're sharing a day full of Chip and Joanna's favorite bites. Do they eat all of this in a day? No way. But if you can dream it, you can do it, right?
2:30 a.m.: Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pregnancy cravings can be intense. Just ask Joanna Gaines, who recently woke up at 2:30 a.m. craving fruity pebbles, a pimento cheese sandwich, chicken spaghetti, deviled eggs and ranch dressing. "Didn't have any of that so I made myself some cookies," Joanna says on her Instagram. Okay, 2:30 is very early, but also: COOKIES.
6:00 a.m.: A Magnolia Table Breakfast
The Gaines' restaurant, Magnolia Table, opens at 6 a.m. After all, Chip is a breakfast connoisseur, even if he's not a fan of avocado toast. Fix something from the menu, like the creamy ricotta pancakes also featured in Joanna's cookbook. The secret? A generous glug of vanilla. Or, you could try the avocado toast. The Magnolia Table version comes with garlic aioli, red pepper flakes, lemon + an egg on top. Just don't tell Chip. While you're at it, you can't go wrong with Joanna's signature biscuits.
10:00 a.m.: More Cookies?
More cookies.
1:00 p.m.: Chip's Other Favorite Sandwich
We all know that Chip Gaines and the ham sandwich go wayyyy back. But in Magnolia Table, Joanna reveals that another sandwich used to be the top choice: Egg salad. When Chip was a kid, his mom would pack egg salad sandwiches in his lunchbox, and he loved them so much he didn't mind that the other kids teased him about the smell. It was also a staple when Chip and Joanna were first married. Joanna keeps this recipe classic, but mixes in dill pickles (not sweet!) and serves with garden-fresh tomatoes, often from their own farm. Three cheers for egg salad?
3:00 p.m.: 🍪
Dream big.
7:00 p.m: Chicken Pot Pie
Joanna has been perfecting her Chicken Pot Pie recipe since her kids were toddlers, so this is a real keeper. She reveals her secrets in Magnolia Table: Use leftover roasted chicken and homemade broth simmered over the weekend, but use store-bought crescent roll dough to make this dish weeknight-friendly. This version is saucy enough to be served atop mashed potatoes. Add a salad, if you like: Joanna's favorite is a butter lettuce salad with buttermilk ranch dressing and buttery croutons.
9:00 p.m.: Cupcakes...or Strawberry Shortcake
When you own a bakery and love cupcakes as much as Joanna does, it's bound to happen. But if you have biscuits left from breakfast, her favorite way to use them up is strawberry shortcake. Or, you know, save them for those late-night cravings.