about

About Grilled Cheese Social

Hey there! I’m MacKenzie Smith — cookbook author, comfort food queen, and professional cheese pull enthusiast behind Grilled Cheese Social.

This little corner of the internet started as a creative outlet for my melty, gooey grilled cheese creations, but it's grown into so much more. Now, you’ll find everything from viral-inspired comfort food to nostalgic family favorites, all with a playful twist and a heavy hand of cheese (because duh!).

Whether you’re here for an easy weeknight dinner, a party appetizer that’ll steal the show, or just a good ol’ drool-worthy sandwich, you’re in the right place. Grab a napkin, things are about to get delicious.

About MacKenzie Smith

MacKenzie is the creator of GrilledCheeseSocial.com as well as the author of Grilled Cheese Social - Super Fun Recipes For Super Fun Times which is also available on Amazon.

MacKenzie is also widely known as a food expert and has won first place on two Food Network cooking competition shows.

You can watch her compete in the Cheesier Episode of Guy's Grocery Games and the All-Star Bigger Better Burger Battle of Guy's Grocery Games. Additionally, she has also hosted 15 episodes of Food Network's Facebook Live.

As a content creator and influencer, MacKenzie also works as a spokesperson, food stylist, photographer, and culinary influencer for many national food brands. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Vogue, Rachael Ray, Huffington Post, The Tamron Hall Show, Culture Magazine, Visit Florida, Buzzfeed, Thrillist, Refinery 29, USA Today, and more.

She and her husband, professional surfer Jeremy Johnston, also have a food & travel web series with Visit Florida called Florida Foodie Road Trip.

And of course, being a mother to two amazing children (Poppy and Jett) is one of her proudest roles. Her life wouldn't be complete without these two and their tiny minature dachshunds, Elote and Fennel.

MacKenzie's background & accolades

Before going into food, MacKenzie was studying to become a psychologist. She received a double major from FSU in Psychology and aging studies. After that, she received 2 masters degree in Counseling Psychology and Social Justice from Columbia University in New York City.

After grad school, she became an editorial assistant for the national food publication, Saveur Magazine.

She then became the sandwich expert for The Spruce Eats and two years later, became the executive chef and head food stylist at ACME Brooklyn.

She has also functioned as the website director and cheesemonger for Depanneur Brooklyn and has also managed social media clients such as Grander Rum, SW Basics, AHeirloom, Depanneur Brooklyn, Brooklyn Slate, and Simple Squares.

After leaving NYC, MacKenzie became the executive chef at Black Dolphin Inn in New Smyrna Beach FL, which is rated the #2 BnB in the USA by Trivago.

Some of her current food styling clients include: First Watch Restaurant, Sonny's BBQ, and Margaritaville. She's also styled for Jimmy Fallon (for People Magazine), Giselle Bundchen (table-top book), Samsung, Wisconsin Cheese, ACME Brooklyn, AOL Lifestyle Network, Tervis Tumbler, Farm Rich Snacks, Cobblestone Bread, A&B American Style Condiments, and Saveur Magazine.

Her catering clients include Birchbox, Refinery 29, Benefit Cosmetics, USA Today, Sony Music, Meghan Trainor, Kyle Chandler, Apple and more.

Beyond being a two time food network winner, she’s done live cooking demos on Fox and Friends, Eye Opener, The Couch (CBS), and at the IACP as well as at The Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastian, Spain. MacKenzie's also done food pop-ups all over the world — from New York to California and Spain to Germany.

contact mackenzie

You can contact me through the contact form on my website or through any of the below :

CONTACT: grilledcheesesocial [at] gmail.com

• Follow MacKenzie on Instagram: @grilledcheesesocial and Threads!
• Find her on Tiktok and see the latest viral recipes.
• See what she's pinning on Pinterest.
• You can watch her videos on Youtube.
• Follow her on Twitter at @gcsocial.
• See her professional network on Linkedin.
• And be sure to like her page on Facebook!

If you'd like to partner with MacKenzie or request her media kit, please email her at the address above.