Dungeons & Dragons
Culinary Movie Night Guide
Difficulty Level: Medium
Table of Contents
Equipment
Here is a list (with links) of all the equipment and decorations I used for my Dungeons & Dragons Culinary Movie Night. I would be incredibly grateful if you used my links. I will make a little commission, and that would really help with the cost of the website and related expenses. You can find my full Amazon List here!
Stone Cold Holga
Lava & Bridge
Coconut Skeleton Jell-O Pops
Tips
- Personalizing the Menu– When planning your menu for your movie night, don’t feel pressured to serve exactly what I chose to serve. Feel free to remove/add/replace dishes so it makes sense for you and your guests. I’ve included an editable menu in this guide to make it your own!
- Managing Your Time– These movie nights can take a lot of time to prepare, especially if you plan on doing everything yourself. If you are planning a culinary movie night with a group, I suggest doing a potluck style. Have each person contribute a dish or two, and it’ll be very manageable. If you are planning on preparing everything yourself, here are some things I’ve learned while doing these often:
- Make A To-Do List– I can’t stress this enough! It’s very easy to forget simple things like opening a bottle of prosecco before you start the movie so you aren’t fumbling with the seal before serving. I have done this so many times! Your to-do list should include absolutely everything you need to do leading up to pressing play.
- Start Early– I learned this after a few very long days of trying to cook, prepare, and host all on the same day. Anything that can be done in advance should be done during the days leading up to the movie night. Some examples include pre-mixing cocktails, making desserts and other foods like soup that hold up well in the refrigerator, and pre-making any handmade decorations. Hosting is stressful enough without having to make a multi-course meal in one day, so get as much done as possible before.
- No Pausing– The question I get asked the most is “Do you pause the movie to bring out the next dish?”. It’s important to me that I don’t disrupt the flow of the movie, so I do not pause. It’s also important to me to enjoy the movie with my guests. Setting up everything I need before the movie helps me bring out each dish efficiently. The setup usually includes plating each dish and storing it in the refrigerator, so all I have to do is quickly microwave it before serving. I set out any garnish or decoration on my kitchen counter so it’s easily accessible. I even pour the cocktails into their cups and store them in the refrigerator, so all I have to do is add ice and any finishing touches before serving. Always think about how you can do the bare minimum during the film. I always include the setup in my to-do list as well, so I don’t forget about any aspect of the preparation.
- Optional– If your budget permits, I recommend ordering food that you may not be confident in cooking or food that may take a lot of time to cook. I do this occasionally, and it helps cut down the preparation time and supports local businesses. Win Win!
- Decorations- Have fun and decorate your space and serving tray! Add elements from the theme of the movie, but make a budget and stick to it! I usually use things I already own because these movie nights are DIY, and I don’t need to spend a fortune to make it fun. If I do buy decorations for the movie night, I try to find cheap or reusable things. If you are curious about some of the things I’ve used during the movie nights, here is a link to my Amazon List. All these items are things I bought with my own money and enjoyed using.
- Manage Stress- Culinary Movie Nights are fun and a great way to show your friends and family you love them. Sometimes, things you envision in your head will not come out perfectly. When this happens to me, it can be discouraging and stressful, but the people I do these for have NEVER expressed anything but appreciation. Go easy on yourself and remember that your guests are just happy to be there and to experience something you put so much thought and time into making.
Menu
I have created a free, editable, and printable menu for all the dishes I served for this Culinary Movie Night! Feel free to change it to what will work for you and your guests.
Cues
These are the cues I used during the movie night, so I knew when I had to get the next dish ready to serve.
Please note: Each cue describes a scene that happens a few minutes before I have to serve the dish. It does not describe the scene the dish is based on. Some people get confused with that, so I thought I should specify. Because the cues only give you a few minutes to prepare the dish, it’s very important to have everything cooked and set up before the film starts. Review the “Tips” section above for ways to make this seamless.
I often get asked why I don’t use time stamps to keep track of when to serve the next dish and the simple answer is, I don’t find those helpful. If I used timestamps, I would have to have a separate timer going or keep disrupting the movie to check the timestamp. It makes much more sense to have cues to indicate when the next scene is about to happen. This allows me to enjoy watching the film with my guests.
Below is the link to the cues I used. This document is editable, so you can make updates if you decide to take out or change dishes.
Recipes
Locked & Loaded
This is the first dish I served for this movie night, so it was the last thing I prepped before starting the movie. This way I was able to serve it fresh.
Stone Cold Holga
For this drink, I served a lemon drop“kick” with edible black glitter to match the greyscale of the scene. Add a sprinkle of the glitter to your drink and mix to turn the drink grey.
To save time, I premixed this drink the day before. Then, I just had to give it a good shake, add ice to the cup and serve.
Cat Fish
I went with a very literal interpretation for this scene. LOL! I personally ordered this catfish from a local restaurant, but here is a recipe in case you want to make it fresh at home.
Fried food tastes better when it’s reheated in the oven, so I made sure to have the oven preheated before I started the movie, and then I let them crisp up in the oven for a few minutes before serving. The scene when they are interviewing the dead is long enough that you’ll be able to leave them in the oven for a few minutes because you have to serve.
Redvine Twizzler Wizards
The red vines in this scene reminded me of Twizzlers or Red Vines, so I decided to design a drink that mimics the vines coming out of the chalice the wizard is holding. To make the Twizzlers stand up, I used a deep chalice that I filled halfway with cranberry juice. I stood up the Twizzlers in the cranberry juice and used chopsticks and tape to keep them standing up. I then froze them overnight.
Once frozen, they stand up on their own, so I removed the tape and chopsticks the next day. When it was time to serve, I filled the other half of the chalices with vodka cranberry that I had premixed. Having it premixed really helps with how quickly I can serve the drinks.
Lava Soup and Grilled Cheese Bridge
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Recipe
I wanted to give the grilled cheese a brick design to look like the bridge, so I used this kitchen torch to lightly burn the brick markings into the bread. This is optional, but I think it made a difference in the presentation.
Plan C
I personally bought the turkey legs I served from a local restaurant because they have a big smoker where they cook them, and it’s way better than what I would be able to do at home.
If you do want to make them at home, though, here is a recipe you can follow.
Coconut Vodka Jell-O Pops
To make the Jell-O shots square, I poured them into these square silicone ice molds, and I put these skeleton hands in each square so the Jell-O mold solidifies around them to create a Jell-O pop. The skeleton hand also references what happens to the characters is they stay in the Jell-O for too long.
Once the Jell-O has set for a few hours in the refrigerator, I put it in the freezer overnight. This is so it can be removed easily without breaking the square shape. The next day, I carefully popped the square Jell-O pops out of the silicone mold. You may need to use a knife to separate the sides before popping them out. Just go slow because the jello still may break.
Store in your refrigerator until it’s time to serve.
Smashed Thayan Pavlova
For the final scene, I wanted to serve a smashed dessert. I decided on mini pavlovas with a berry compote in the center to symbolize the final battle, where the party defeats Sofina.
I made smaller, circular pavlovas from this recipe, and when they are completely done and hardened, I smashed each center and added the berries.
