Disney Inspired Dinner & A Movie: Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs

*Note- Disney owns the rights to all character images and names, and is not affiliated with this blog

I am SO incredibly excited that I get to debut this idea today, that I have been dreaming up over the past year! I have been a Disney fan/nerd for as long as I can remember, and I still love the way Disney makes me feel- just like a kid. I may not be a SUPER fan- I don't know every single animator's name, I haven't been to Disneyland or World a million times (I sure would like to), and I don't know every single fact about every single movie, but I do know a lot and I have a deep love for Walt Disney and the empire he created! I love that (for the most part), every animated film is family-friendly, that they inspire magic and excitement, and that they make children believe that their dreams can come true!

           For more than a year now, I've wanted to share my love for Disney films, and create family-oriented meals and activities that everyone can enjoy, whether you are an apartment of super fan roommates, a group of friends wanting to do something silly and fun, or a parent/grandparent/aunt/uncle/cousin/older sibling/babysitter who wants to spend a fun night with their kid/kids. So every Friday, I will share a meal that I have created based on just about every Disney animated film, in chronological order. Now what makes this different from every other Disney food cookbook or party blog? Each meal will not only be inspired by the classic film for that night, but each food/beverage item will be based on a major character from the film. So basically, every major (and some minor) character has their own dish/drink for the meal. I will also do my very best to not make everything a dessert, which is surprisingly easy when it comes to planning Disney-inspired meals. I want everyone consuming these meals to eat actual, nutritious food, not just sugar. Now you can enjoy these weekly segments how ever you want to, but I envision everyone prepping the meal together (except for the hot stuff for kids- ie. ovens and boiling water, and knives) and then sitting down to dinner with either the movie playing, or watching the movie afterwards.

            So now that I'm done boring you to death explaining everything, I would like to present our very first Disney Inspired Dinner & A Movie Feature: Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs

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            Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs has always been one of my favorite Disney Animated Films- I would put it in my top 10 for sure! Snow White's innocence and the dwarfs silliness might annoy some people, but I have always loved those characteristics. And who doesn't love Queen Grimhilde (the Evil Queen)? She either terrifies you or fascinates you. For me, it's a little bit of both. For tonight's dinner, we will be having Snow White's Caramel Apple Crunch Pie (Snow White loves to make pies, and gets poisoned with an apple), Prince Charming's Char-Grilled Chicken (that's called alliteration children), The Huntsman's "Heart of a Pig" Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus (sounds gruesome, but it is delicious!), Queen Grimhilde's "Old Hag's Cackle" Corn on the Cob, The Seven Dwarfs' Seven Ingredient Mashed Potatoes (gotta love that #7), and I didn't include this in the picture, but for The Magic Mirror- "Magic Water" (can either do flat water, sparkling, or stirring in Kool-Aid to change the color). Enjoy!

Snow White's Caramel Apple Crunch Pie

                                 (pie recipe adapted from Sasaki Time & crust recipe adapted from Chow)

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Ingredients

Pie Crust (you can also use a store-bought 9-inch pie crust)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

Filling

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5 1/2 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples

Crumb Topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup butter

Crunchy Caramel Topping

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup butterscotch caramel ice-cream sauce

Yields- 1, 9-inch pie

Directions

• Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and pulse briefly until the mixture is aerated. Combine the butter into the dry ingredients and pulse until it’s in pea-size pieces that are slightly yellow in color.
• Drizzle in 4 tablespoons of the ice water and mix just until the dough comes together. (Add the last tablespoon of ice water if necessary, but don’t overwork the dough or it’ll become tough.)
• Place dough on lightly floured surface, knead for 1 min, add cinnamon, knead for 1 more min, and shape the dough into a flat disk, cover it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375° F. Place the pastry in a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan and crimp the edges. 
• Bake pie crust for 5 mins.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Next, toss the apples with the sugar mixture and pour them into the prepared piecrust.
• With food processor, thoroughly combine the crumb topping ingredients. Sprinkle the topping over the apple mixture. Bake the pie for 20 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for another 20 minutes, until the apples are tender. Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle on the pecans, then drizzle with the butterscotch caramel sauce. Cool on a wire rack and serve with ice cream.

Someday My Prince Will Come!

Prince Charming's Char-Grilled Chicken

*Note- I know he is officially know as "The Prince", but I have always known him as "Prince Charming"

                               (recipe source from Once Upon a Chef)

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Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1¾ pounds total)
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1-1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, from one lemon

Yields: 4 servings

Directions

• Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax paper and, using a meat mallet, pound to an even ½-inch thickness.
• Mix all ingredients except chicken together in a 1 gallon zip-lock bag. Add chicken breasts and massage marinade into meat until evenly coated. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (the bowl protects against leakage); let the chicken marinate at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.
• Clean grill and preheat to high. Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over grates several times until glossy and coated. Place chicken breasts on the grill (make sure they are well-coated with the marinade; the more garlic, lemon zest and herbs on the chicken, the better!). Grill, covered, for 2-3 minutes per side. 
• (I used a George Foreman Grill & a panini maker bc it's winter here in Utah).

I have but one song! One song, only for you!

The Huntsman's "Heart of a Pig" Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

                              (recipe source from Rachel Ray)

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed 4 to 5 inches long tips
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• A few grinds black pepper
• 4 slices center cut bacon or pancetta (I used turkey bacon)
• Chopped chives or scallions, optional garnish

Yields: 4 servings

Directions

• Preheat oven, if using, to 400 degrees F.
• 
  
• Lightly coat asparagus spears in extra-virgin olive oil. Season the asparagus with black pepper. Take a quick count of the spear tips. Divide the total number by four. Gather that number of spears and use a slice of bacon to wrap the bundle and secure the spears together. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• 
  
• To grill, place bundles on hot grill and cover. Cook 10 to 12 minutes until bacon is crisp and asparagus bundles are tender.
• 
  
• For oven preparation, place bundles on slotted broiler pan. Bake 12 minutes.

But your majesty, the little princess!

Queen Grimhilde's "Old Hag's Cackle" Corn on the Cob

                          (recipe source Allrecipes- heatherjane)

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 6 ears corn on the cob, husks and silk removed ( I used frozen corn, because it's winter)
• Butter, Salt & Pepper to taste

Yields: 6 servings

Directions

• Fill a large pot about 3/4 full of water and bring to a boil. Stir in sugar and lemon juice, dissolving the sugar. Gently place ears of corn into boiling water, cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the corn cook in the hot water until tender, about 10 minutes. Take out of water, and rub with butter, salt & pepper.

To age my voice, an old hag's cackle

The Seven Dwarfs' Seven Ingredient Mashed Potatoes

                                (recipe adapted from Simply Recipes)

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs (680 g) Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut into slices (Doc)
• 2 tablespoons butter (Happy)
• 2 tablespoons milk (Sleepy)
• 2 tablespoons sour cream (Grumpy)
• 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped chives (Bashful)
• 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (Dopey)
• Salt & Pepper to taste (Sneezy)

Yields: 4 servings

Directions:

• Place the peeled and cut potatoes into a medium saucepan. Add cold water to the pan until the potatoes are covered by at least an inch. Add a half teaspoon of salt to the water. Turn the heat on to high, and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer, and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until you can easily poke through them with a fork.
• While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter.
• When the potatoes are done, drain the water and place the steaming hot potatoes into a large bowl. Pour the melted butter over the potatoes. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Then use a strong wooden spoon (a metal spoon might bend) to beat further. Add milk, sour cream, chives, and cheese and beat until the mashed potatoes are smooth. Don't over-beat the potatoes or the mashed potatoes will end up gluey.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

Heigh Ho!