Cars is a fun Pixar film that is many a child’s favorite while being many an adult’s least favorite (or perhaps that honor goes to its sequel Cars 2). I personally thought it was a charming tale that include some valuable life lessons played out by fun characters on a beautiful background. And of course, the clever idea of the cast being made up of cars is a big draw for lots of audience members, especially children. When I was in Disneyworld this past summer Cars’ popularity was extremely apparent and so I felt that I should definitely do a meal around this one.
Since much of the film takes place in the American Southwest I decided to go for a bit of a Tex-Mex theme for my appetizer. This dip is a super easy and super delicious way to spice up tortilla chips. I actually learned this recipe from a friend of mine in college (thanks Kate!) and it’s incredibly simple. All you do is mix cream cheese (I used soy), salsa, and taco powder in whatever ratio you like. You end up with a dip that is the perfect balance of creamy and savory. I also thought that round chips fit the theme since they reminded me of car tires. My friends and I have devoured large amounts of this taco dip on multiple occasions and I would suggest it for any appetizer or party snack.
Cars is filled with fast-paced, spicy characters and combines the all-American sport of NASCAR with the gorgeous landscape of the American Southwest. I immediately thought “buffalo sauce” when I thought of this combination. This isn’t really a recipe but it’s certainly a great idea: make a breaded chicken sandwich (in my case, frozen soy “chicken”) and top it with lettuce, tomato, and of course: buffalo sauce! Having the sauce in your fridge is a great idea because you can use it for anything from wings to sandwiches to dips and it spices up any meal, just like Lightening McQueen!
For dessert I had this shortcake recipe so I decided to create a Lightning McQueen cake. As you can see the cake was a bit flaky so I suggest using a more solid white or yellow cake mix or recipe but this was more about the experience than the presentation. We enjoyed picking out the cookies and candies that we wanted to use for tires and steering wheel and then decorating it with red and yellow frosting. This would be a fun activity for kids to do while watching the film…and they get to eat it afterwards!
Cars is a Pixar classic and made for a fun time designing a meal. I tried to mix All-American, with Tex-Mex, with arts and crafts to come up with a family-friendly meal appropriate for eating during this fun flick. I hope you enjoyed this installment of Disney Dinner and a Movie!
Coming Soon: Disney Dinner and a Movie: Hercules
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