Shrek 2
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 Shrek 2 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!
Peach Flavored Cocktail Caviar I have also seen them at liquor stores like Total Wine.
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
Chicken or Fish
For this opening scene, Shrek and Fiona are on their honeymoon after their wedding, eating chicken or turkey on the beach, when The Little Mermaid steals a kiss. I thought it would be cute to make the dish wedding themed with the chicken or fish meal option, while also calling out the chicken as Fiona and the sushi as The Little Mermaid.
Chicken- To save time, I used premade, frozen Buffalo wings (but I only served the drums). The ones I used are from Costco. They have Buffalo and Sweet Chipotle. Both are delicious! If you don’t have access to Costco, other grocery stores will usually have wings in the frozen section too. They are precooked so I just had to add the sauce from the sauce packet and cook per the instructions. If you want to make them at home, Here is a good recipe!
Sushi- I bought this sushi roll at a local Japanese restaurant and drizzled sriracha mayo and Eel sauce on top. I got the Eel sauce from the restaurant, and I made the sriracha mayo by combining equal parts Kewpie mayo and sriracha. I also added a pinch of garlic powder and a dash of lime juice to the sriracha mayo. Those additions really elevate the condiment!
Champagne Wishes & Caviar Dreams
Of course I had to serve Champagne here! You also have the option of serving actual caviar with the champagne, but I went a more affordable and crowd friendly route by adding peach flavored cocktail caviar instead. You may also know these as bursting boba pearls. It was delicious! Like a deconstructed Bellini. You can sometimes find this cocktail caviar at specialty liquor stores like Total Wine, but here is a link to buy it online.
Daddy Issues
The iconic family dinner scene! I thought about serving Mexican food because Donkey’s line about it being his favorite is so funny to me. But ultimately, I decided to portray the bird legs and lobster being torn apart during the fight between Shrek and Fiona’s dad. If you want to incorporate both, a fun idea could be serving lobster and chicken tacos!
Lobster Mac and Cheese– I used Tini’s recipe because she is the BEST! Here is the recipe I used for the lobster mac and cheese! If you want to decorate the dish with the lobster tails like I did, make sure to wash the cooked shells and prop them up in the dish with kabob sticks or chopsticks.
Rotisserie Chicken Empanadas- Here is the recipe I used for the filling.
Here is the recipe I used for the dough. You could also buy pie dough from the store if you want to save time. It’s not as good but it gets the job done!
This recipe says to use cooked/shredded chicken breast, but I used shredded rotisserie chicken instead to save time. I then decorated the plate with the legs from the rotisserie chicken to match the scene.
I also served the empanadas with a creamy cilantro garlic sauce. Here is how I made it:
Cilantro Garlic Dip Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup mayo (my favorite is Kewpie)
2 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves
Salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Add all your ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend on high until all your ingredients resemble a sauce. Taste and add more salt and black pepper to match your taste preferences.
This is a great sauce to make ahead of time and then store in the refrigerator.
I definitely went a little extra with making empanadas because I was hosting friends, so feel free to simplify this by serving the rotisserie chicken on its own.
Fairy Slaymother
Prickly Pear Cocktail
Ingredients: Makes 2
4 oz of Vodka
1.5 oz of lemon juice 3 oz of prickly pear syrup (I used this one)
1 egg white (Pasteurized)
Instructions:
I like to premix my cocktails the day before to save time the day of movie night. Add your egg white to a jar with a lid and store it in the refrigerator. Then add the rest of your ingredients to another jar with a lid and store that in the refrigerator as well.
Before you start the movie, I recommend setting up your glasses with the magic wand already in them and leaving them on your counter so it’s ready.
When it’s time for you to start preparing to serve the drink, add your egg white to the jar with the other ingredients and shake vigorously for about 45 seconds- a minute. The drink will froth and have bubbles on top when you pour it into the glasses before serving. Perfect for the Fairy Godmother!
Please Note: If you are worried about consuming raw eggs, rest assured, it is perfectly safe to consume them raw when they have been pasteurized. The pasteurization process is a heating process that destroys harmful bacteria.
Friar’s Fat Boy
“My diet is ruined!” This is one of my favorite scenes! The fairy godmother takes the king to a Friar’s Fat Boy (medieval fast-food restaurant) so she can stress eat while threatening him. She ordered two Renaissance Wraps, no mayo, and chili rings. Prince Charming also ordered a medieval meal, which came in a kids’ meal box. I tried to replicate the box’s design, using a takeout box I saved and coloring it in. I also chose kofta wraps because kebabs are usually served at Renaissance fairs and just scream medieval to me.
Kofta Wraps: Here is the recipe I used to make the Kofta (kebabs) and sauce.
I then made them into a wrap with naan. I filled the Naan with the kebabs, sauce, lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
Serving tip- I recommend having the veggies pre-chopped and stored in your refrigerator before you start the film. When your onion rings are heating up (see below), you should microwave your naan and kebabs for a few minutes. Then assemble your wraps with the premade sauce and chopped veggies.
Loaded Chili Rings:
For the onion rings, I bought frozen ones from the grocery store to save time. I cooked them per the instructions on the packaging before the film started. I then plated them on an oven-safe dish and added Kraft cheese slices and the chili on top. Store the plate in the refrigerator, and when it’s time to serve, you can heat it up in the oven. I recommend having your oven already preheated at 350 degrees F so it can cook fast. While your loaded chili rings are heating, you can assemble the wraps. They just need a few minutes to heat up and for the cheese to melt.
“Flatulently” Ever After
Blue Vodka Lemonade
Ingredients: Makes 1
2 oz Vodka
½ oz Blue curacao
Lemonade
Funnel (to fill the potion bottles)
Instructions:
These are easy ones to make the day before! To assemble, first add 2 oz of vodka to each potion bottle. Then add ½ oz of blue curacao and fill the rest of the bottle with lemonade. Leave them in the refrigerator so they get cold. You can serve it as is or with a cup of ice that your guests can pour the drink out in.
To decorate, I’ve seen people use stick-on labels that they bought or printed out themselves. These look more realistic and would be a good option, but I chose to save money and make the labels myself. Determine your budget and just know either way is still fun! 😊
A tip for sticking the label: Do this before you add any liquid, so it sticks well. If not, the condensation will make it hard to stick.
But First, Coffee!
To make the shape of Mongo, I molded the dough by hand to make him. Pull up a picture of him, roll out the dough, and start molding. It was surprisingly easy, and you can make Mongo into whatever pose you want!
To decorate Mongo, I used this icing recipe. Please note that this recipe also contains a sugar cookie recipe. You will only need to pay attention to the icing part of the recipe.
You will need blue food coloring gel for Mongo’s eyebrows, and red for his mouth. You will also need to buy gumdrop candies and pick out purple for his buttons. To pipe everything, I used this kit.
I served him with these to-go coffee cups to match the cup he tries to drink from. I recommend serving decaf coffee or even hot chocolate if your movie night is taking place at night.
I originally didn’t mean to serve Mongo sitting up. When I was transferring him to my serving tray, he snapped in half! LMAO! This is a great example of things not always going as planned but making the most of it. I quickly made the decision to serve him sitting up. I put one of the coffees behind him and two in front to keep him propped up. Now I can’t imagine it any other way because it makes him look more alive!
“Hoppily” Ever After
For the finale, I decided on a Japanese slipper cocktail to represent the king turning back into a frog. This drink just looks like a frog to me… you know? Plus I love a good pun. “He croaked!” LOL!
I premade this cocktail the day before, like the others, and stored it in my refrigerator. To serve, I evenly poured the premixed drink and added the cherry before serving.
