Knott’s Peanuts Celebration kicked off at Knott’s Berry Farm this weekend and continues through January 25, 2024. This is a celebration of everything Peanuts that includes entertainment, experiences, characters, and also quite a wide range of food! On the first day of the Knott’s Peanuts Celebration, the Daps Magic team was invited to Knott’s Berry Farm to check out this celebration. One of the things that the team checked out was the food offerings that are special to the Knott’s Peanuts Celebration. Below is a look at six of these special offerings and what Mr. Daps and Murray thought of them!
Schroeder’s Fluffy Breakfast Mac and Cheese Pancake served with a side of Bacon and Maple Syrup – Sutter’s Grill
The first dish we tried of the day was Schroeder’s Fluffy Breakfast Mac and Cheese Pancake. It is served with a side of bacon and maple syrup. This is basically pancakes with mac and cheese on top of them, accompanied with syrup and bacon on the side. Initially, these seems weird. However, tasting it provided a different experience that was quite pleasant, especially with the syrup added on top. The mac and cheese blended in surprisingly well. We both commented on how this would make a good breakfast option for people starting their day at Knott’s Berry Farm. This dish is found at Sutter’s Grill. As is generally the case at Sutter’s Grill, there is about a twenty-minute wait. Once you’ve ordered though, the food is really quick! Starting our day with this was a really good choice.
Snoopy’s Mac and Cheeseburger with Burger Sauce – Wilderness Dogs and Drinks
The Snoopy’s Mac and Cheeseburger with Burger Sauce is found at Wilderness Dogs and Drinks. It is basically a Knott’s Berry Farm cheeseburger that has replaced the cheese with Mac and Cheese and has a special sauce on it. It was good, but I’m not sure I’d say great. The real trick was the wait. For us, we waited for almost a half hour, and then when we ordered we were told it would be another half hour until the order would be ready. Another person next to us ended up waiting an hour and a half for their mac and cheeseburger. This could be an anomaly but keep it in mind when planning your day. The burger itself was quite nice and would be one we’d like to see on the regular menu. The sauce added a little zip to it and we liked that it was accompanied with crinkle-cut fries.
Linus’s Mac and Cheese Bites over French Fries, served with a Spicy Aioli – Strictly-on-a-Stick
Strictly-on-a-Stick is definitely a location that must be visited during Knott’s Peanuts Celebration! Linus’s Mac and Cheese Bites over French Fries and its spicy aioli were simply delicious. The outside of the mac and cheese bites had a lovely crunch and inside was molten mac and cheese. This dish disappeared VERY quickly and we both could easily have gone back for more! The spicy aioli was a hit as well and definitely was great with the mac and cheese bites, and the fries as well. This also was one of the shortest lines of the day for food so was a double win!
Marcie’s Alfredo Pasta Pinwheel – Prop Shop Pizzeria
Marcie’s Alfredo Pasta Pinwheel at the Prop Shop Pizzeria is a dish that reminded me of a pinwheel made of a garlic knot with some mac and cheese in the middle, a couple of peppers (I think?), and then a generous serving of alfredo poured on top. This is a dish that bread lovers will really enjoy! The bread with the pasta twisted in was ingenuitive and tasty, especially with the sauce. Do get a knife and fork as there is too much sauce to eat it by hand. We would also LOVE to try this pasta pinwheel with a marinara sauce. We waited about twenty or thirty minutes for this dish as well but once inside, getting food and checking out was very quick.
Pigpen’s Ham and Mac and Cheese Loaf – Boardwalk BBQ
Pigpen’s Ham and Mac and Cheese Loaf at the Boardwalk BBQ is almost like a ham and mac and cheese casserole. This dish came with two sides, we chose the baked beans and cornbread. Overall, this was a good choice. The ham and mac and cheese loaf itself had really good ham, cheese, and a red sauce. This was one that we kept returning to take another bite, even though we had already eaten a lot during the day. We also thought that the baked beans might be one of the best things we had eaten at Knott’s. They were really good! Boardwalk BBQ is a VERY popular location so expect to wait for this one. We waited about an hour to get this dish. Thankfully, once you get to the front the process is quite quick. We both felt this dish was worth the wait.
Jose Peterson’s Swedish Meatball on Top of Mac and Cheese and French Fries – Papas Mexicanas
Jose Peterson’s Swedish Meatball on top of Mac and Cheese and French Fries is found at Papas Mexicanas in Fiesta Village. This is almost like a mac and cheese poutine with Swedish meatballs. It also had some cilantro on top. First off, these were perhaps the best fries we had of the day. They were delicious. The mac and cheese on top added a really nice texture to them, almost like the gravy would do for a poutine. There were three Swedish meatballs on the dish (not huge) that were also tasty as well. This dish would be fantastic on a cold night and enjoyable on a lovely day like yesterday. It could have perhaps used a little bit more salt as I’m thinking back about it and it really would have popped. We waited one hour for this dish and then another 15 minutes once the order was made. This seemed to be pretty consistent with what I was seeing around me. However, this also seemed to be because each dish was made to order when the order was made.
Final Thoughts and Rankings
The foods for Knott’s Peanuts Celebration are all enjoyable and good. It was enjoyable getting to try these different dishes that are all related to mac and cheese. This was a fun choice that seemed appropriate to the Peanuts. After all, what kid doesn’t like mac and cheese? The mac and cheese that was included in each place we visited was enjoyable. We thought each dish we tried throughout the day was enjoyable. We did think there were some that were better than others. Below is a look at the rankings (1 being our favorite) that we both had for these special offerings at Knott’s Peanuts Celebration.
Mr. Daps’ Rankings
- Linus’s Mac and Cheese Bites over French Fries, served with a Spicy Aioli – This was such a perfect bite of cheesy goodness! It was crunchy on the outside and filled with ooey gooey goodness inside. I liked the spicy aioli with it as well! This was my favorite of the day and a home run!
- Pigpen’s Ham and Mac and Cheese Loaf – This was perhaps the most surprising dish of the day. It looked like something I’d get at my Grandma’s house which made me happy but also made me wonder how it would taste. One bite in and I was hooked! It was delicious and I will definitely be going back to have this for dinner at some point. I really loved the baked beans we got as a side as well. This might be my favorite dish during Knott’s Peanuts Celebration for a full meal!
- Snoopy’s Mac and Cheeseburger with Burger Sauce – This is a decent burger that was enjoyable. I liked the added cheesiness of the mac and cheese replacing the cheese in the cheeseburger. I would have LOVED if there was a way to get bacon added on it. However, all around, this was a good dish. The accompanying crinkle-cut fries were also nice. This is a hit for fans who love cheeseburgers.
- Schroeder’s Fluffy Breakfast Mac and Cheese Pancake served with a side of Bacon and Maple Syrup – I was shocked by this one. Reading about it, I wasn’t sure how I would like it for breakfast/brunch. We did eat this in the morning and was the first thing I’d eaten for the day. I was pleasantly surprised that I was completely wrong and this was a decent dish. It wasn’t too much of anything and the bacon on the side was yummy. Oh, and we discovered the dish is good with the pancake and mac and cheese in a bite, it becomes really good with the syrup on top. I would love to have this again sometime with a good cup of coffee (I had a diet coke with it when I tried it).
- Jose Peterson’s Swedish Meatball on top of Mac and Cheese and French Fries – Easily the best fries I ate at the Knott’s Peanuts Celebration, this dish is a crowd pleaser. It was also piping hot when it arrived! This is good as a stand alone dish or to share. This was an enjoyable dish but be ready to wait for it!
- Marcie’s Alfredo Pasta Pinwheel – This dish is one that is solid dish, especially for a cooler day as it is a lot of bread. I liked the mix of bread, Mac and cheese, and Alfredo sauce but found myself wishing I could have marinara instead or Alfredo sauce. I also think this dish is almost best shared with someone. I’d suggest getting another dish and then splitting both!
I really enjoyed the Mac and cheese theme for this year’s Knott’s Peanuts Festival. It was fun getting to try out all of the dishes and all of them were good. It really came down to personal preferences. I definitely want to visit Knott’s again to experience some of these more than once!
Murray’s Rankings
- Linus’s Mac and Cheese Bites over French Fries, served with a Spicy Aioli – What really won me over was the sauce with the bites. It was such a good combination.
- Pigpen’s Ham and Mac and Cheese Loaf – I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this since it was such a simple dish. But, it was a great combination and I liked how thick the ham slices were to make it a hearty meal. It was the most packed meal as well because of getting a side and cornbread. Though there are some great side choices, the beans were the best to go (I’ve had the other sides with other items previously)
- Marcie’s Alfredo Pasta Pinwheel – An interesting combination of pasta and garlic bread pinwheel. The flavor of spices were strong, which made it a solid dish to me. The alfredo sauce was a good choice, but like Mr. Daps was saying that marinara sauce could put it over the top.
- Schroeder’s Fluffy Breakfast Mac and Cheese Pancake served with a side of Bacon and Maple Syrup – A peculiar combination of flavors, but it seemed to balance out well. Bacon was a great choice for the side dish of this item. For a unique set of flavors that really aren’t bad I would get this dish. It would be nice to have just a little more of it, though.
- Jose Peterson’s Swedish Meatball on top of Mac and Cheese and French Fries – This was essentially a nice poutine with having an item – Mac and cheese – that I don’t normally have with poutine. The combination of gravy and Mac made it nicely savory, but the meatballs being the type they are make it a little gravy sweet. It was a good dish, but maybe needed a little more.
- Snoopy’s Mac and Cheeseburger with Burger Sauce – A solid dish where it has some good basics to it. Not a bad dish, but a little too basic for me. The burger, itself, is tender and flavorful. The fries are a great bonus because we had the crinkle cut style at the time. The Mac and Cheese and sauce was a great addition, but it hit my taste buds all separately and not as one flavor. Again, a little too basic for my tastes, but a great dish nonetheless.
One final thing to keep in mind. All of these foods that were listed above are available for those who are on the dining plan. They also can be experienced with the tasting cards as well. Tasting cards allow for six dishes for $45. We would suggest that if you get one of these, allow for more than one day to work your way through the six dishes. Not only will this be more enjoyable from an eating/tasting standpoint, it will also allow you to not spend your day standing in line for food (unless that is what you want to do). Enjoying these different food offerings that are special to Knott’s Peanuts Celebration really makes for a wonderful way to experience this special time of year at Knott’s Berry Farm. The Daps Magic team found this to be a very enjoyable experience and look forward to going back and trying some of these dishes again with other friends and family!
Have you tried any of these dishes at the Knott’s Peanuts Celebration? Which one was your favorite? If you have tried all of them, how would you rank them? Share your thoughts, opinions, and experiences in the comments below!
