Encanto Themed Dinner

This week’s themed dinner was inspired by the new Disney film, Encanto! 

Encanto is about the Madrigal family and their magical gifts they use to give back to their community.  This story pays tribute to the beauty of Colombia.  Music, dance, familial ties, and the country’s natural beauty are all focal points of the film.  Not to mention the incredible food!   

We absolutely adore this movie.  With a captivating soundtrack by Lin-Manuel Miranda, it’s no surprise we can’t stop singing our favorite Encanto songs throughout the day.

Because this movie is so popular in our home, I knew I had to create a special menu for an Encanto Themed Dinner. 

This was a fun menu to create because food is such an important component in the film.  Most of the family gatherings take place around mealtimes, when the dinner table is replete with an impressive spread of traditional Colombian dishes.  Not to mention, one of the main characters can magically heal others with the food she cooks! 

I created our menu based on the Colombian dishes featured in the film, which made our Encanto dinner extra fun and immersive while enjoying the movie.  

Unfortunately, my cooking didn’t produce any magical healing effects.  BUT I was more than thrilled to try some new Colombian cuisine with my family.  One of the best ways to learn about another culture is by appreciating its food!

Arepas con Queso

One of the most obvious food references in the film is arepas con queso. 

Arepas make multiple appearances throughout the film.  The most notable scene, however, is when Julieta Madrigal magically heals her daughter’s hand with an arepa con queso. 

An arepa is a cornmeal cake that is typically grilled and served with cheese, butter, or avocado.  They may also be sliced open (like an English muffin) and stuffed with a variety of ingredients such as meats, eggs, beans, vegetables, and more.

But to keep our Encanto dinner true to the film, I decided to make arepas con queso just like Julieta (minus the healing magic).  As you can probably guess, arepas con queso are made with cheese! 

I used a recipe from Andrea Meyers for our arepas con queso.  The author also included a great recipe for aji, a Columbian salsa, to serve with the arepas.

This arepa recipe was a hit with the family! 

Ajiaco

The next item on our Encanto dinner menu was ajiaco.  Ajiaco is a soup made with chicken, potatoes, and the herb guasca.    

We see this dish during the disastrous dinner party scene when everyone’s magical abilities seem to go haywire!  On the dinner table alongside the ajiaco, we see rice, corn, capers and avocado to serve as accompaniments to the soup.

To make our ajiaco, I used a recipe I found at The Kitchn.  This.  Was.  AMAZING!  The ajiaco was incredibly flavorful and satisfying.  You could taste the love in this dish! 

Just like in the film, we served our ajiaco with white rice, corn, avocado, and capers.  Everyone enjoyed this dish, even my 1-year-old was a fan.  This may just be my new go-to comfort food.

Buñuelos

Another traditional Colombian dish we see in the film is buñuelos.  We first see them in the beginning of the film, as Julieta hands them out to the townspeople to magically heal their ailments.  During breakfast, we also see heaping platters of buñuelos lining the table alongside a tray of arepas.

Buñuelos are essentially fried cheese fritters that are typically enjoyed at breakfast with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

The recipe I used for our buñuelos was released by Disney and inspired by Julieta Madrigal!  You can find the full recipe over at Disney Fanatic.

I have had triumphs and failures when it comes to deep frying, so I was a little nervous to prepare this dish.  But I am happy to report that the recipe directions were great and easy to follow.

I thought the buñuelos came out beautifully and tasted incredible. You can’t really go wrong with fried cheese.  Another recipe win with the family!

Natilla

When reading about buñuelos, I learned they are a very popular Christmastime treat enjoyed with natilla, a Colombian holiday custard.  Ok, ok…I know – it’s definitely not Christmas anymore.  But this Christmas-loving gal had to try this popular dish for herself.  Plus, I knew it would make a great dessert for our Encanto dinner!

The natilla recipe I used came from My Colombian Recipes.  I highly recommend checking this site out for some authentic Colombian recipes if you are planning your own Encanto themed dinner!

The natilla was incredibly rich and decadent.  I loved the flavors of coconut and cinnamon in this dish.  Alongside a plate of buñuelos, our natilla was the perfect sweet ending to our Encanto dinner!

Looking for other Disney Themed Dinners?  Check out our Mulan Themed Dinner HERE and our Frozen Themed Dinner HERE!

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