Princess and the Frog Dinner Night

This week, we paid homage to the Mardi Gras season by enjoying a Princess and the Frog Dinner Night on Fat Tuesday, itself!  Hailing from North Dakota, we see little recognition of the Southern holiday in our area.  Admittedly, we unknowingly planned our last Walt Disney World trip (and wedding day) around the holiday and were shocked by how packed the parks were!  Lesson learned – Mardi Gras is the REAL DEAL. 

Since we were married on Fat Tuesday last year and Princess and the Frog is a favorite Disney film in our household, I wanted to pay tribute to Mardi Gras with a Princess and the Frog Dinner Night.  I used this as an opportunity to learn a little about Mardi Gras culture and traditions and try my hand at making some traditional New Orleans dishes. 

So, turn on some jazz music and read on to see how we paid homage to Mardi Gras with our Princess and the Frog Dinner Night!

Fun Facts About Mardi Gras

In my college days, we learned about Mardi Gras traditions in my Culture and Folklore class.  I decided our Princess and the Frog Dinner Night would be a great opportunity to brush up on that knowledge and teach the kids about the festivities they see in the film.  As I mentioned before, way up north Mardi Gras just doesn’t get the attention it deserves!  During our discussion, we turned on a New Orleans Jazz Spotify playlist to feel a little closer to Bourbon Street.  Some of the fun facts we shared are listed below!

1. The Mardi Gras season begins at the conclusion of the 12 Days of Christmas.  The 12^th day of Christmas (landing on January 6^th) is commonly known as Epiphany or King’s Day – a Christian celebration of the Three Kings visit to Baby Jesus.  This day commences the Mardi Gras season!
2. Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday.” 
3. The Mardi Gras season (or Carnival) is the period of feasting and festivities that begins on January 6^th and ends on Fat Tuesday, the final day of merriment before Ash Wednesday (when Lent commences).
4. In 1892, Rex (the King of Carnival) selected purple, green, and gold as the Mardi Gras colors.  Purple symbolizes justice, green for faith, and gold for power.
5. Louisiana is the only state Mardi Gras is recognized as a legal holiday.

I found tons of great information from the Mardi Gras New Orleans website.  If you are looking to learn more about Mardi Gras, I highly recommend checking out the site!

Princess and the Frog Dinner Night Menu

I was really excited to plan this New Orleans inspired menu for our Princess and the Frog Dinner Night.  Food is such a focal point of the film, and there were so many great dishes to include.  I took inspiration from the film as well as this wonderful cookbook belonging to my daughter, Tiana’s Cookbook – Recipes for Kids. 

This cookbook is full of fun recipes kids can make on their own or with a little assistance from their parents.  The cookbook even includes Tiana’s very own recipes for gumbo, beignets, jambalaya, red beans and rice, and other popular southern dishes.  It is the perfect tool for anyone planning a Princess and the Frog Dinner Night for their family!  You can find this cookbook on Amazon by clicking HERE!

*By clicking through affiliate links and making a qualifying purchase, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you!

Hey Everybody, I Made Gumbo!

I knew we had to serve up some gumbo as part of our Princess and the Frog Dinner Night.  Not only is gumbo one of Tiana and her Father’s specialties, but we also see Mama Odie cooking up a batch in her bathtub!  While the gumbo recipe in Tiana’s Cookbook is fantastic, I decided to base mine off this recipe from Countryside Cravings as it allowed me to prepare it in the slow cooker.  This gave me more time to focus on our other menu items closer to dinner time. 

I did plenty of research on different methods of making gumbo to keep mine as true to the south as possible.  This slow cooker recipe seemed to comprise all the elements this northern girl was looking to incorporate in her gumbo.  It includes the “holy trinity” (celery, onion, and green pepper), okra as a thickener, plenty of Cajun seasoning, a good roux for the base, and NO tomatoes (which seems to be a hot debate in Louisiana regarding gumbo).  I can’t say whether this recipe is truly authentic or not, as I have never been to Louisiana to have a traditional gumbo.  But the recipe sure sounded good to me!  And it tasted even better – recipe win! 

I will say, I did not shy away from the Cajun seasoning.  While my husband and 12-year-old enjoyed the spice level, my four-year-old (who is typically a trooper) struggled with it.  If you are planning to make this gumbo for those sensitive to spice, I would cut the amount of Cajun seasoning by half if not more.

Sensational Southern Sides

For our first New Orleans side dish, I wanted to make something I knew would be approachable for the kids. When I found this recipe for Dirty Rice from The Salty Marshmallow, I knew it would be the perfect addition to our Princess and the Frog Dinner Night menu. 

This Dirty Rice is a hearty dish comprised of ground beef as well as the “holy trinity” of onion, celery, and green pepper.  While there is some Cajun seasoning in this recipe, this dish was just the right spice level for my four-year-old. 

For an additional side (and a healthy vegetable component) I found this recipe for Creole Green Beans from Flavor Mosaic.  These green beans are prepared with crispy bacon, onion, garlic, and tomatoes with green chilies.  I thought the flavors worked wonderfully together and I really enjoyed these green beans as a side dish.  Unfortunately, the spice level was a bit too high for my four-year-old on this one too.  I guess mom can’t win over the entire family with every dinner night!  Again, if making this recipe for sensitive palates, I would cut down on the Cajun seasoning or eliminate it.  The green chilies are another source of heat in this recipe that could be omitted.  I will happily enjoy these spicy green beans as part of MY dinners for the next few nights! 

Man Catchin’ Beignets

I was really torn on what to serve for dessert.  On the one hand, Tiana’s beignets are a major focal point of the film.  They are man catchin’ beignets after all!  On the other hand, king cakes are a big part of Mardi Gras tradition.  I really wanted to serve one decked out in purple, gold, and green and see which lucky family member would find the tiny baby Jesus in their slice.  Ultimately, I decided to go with the beignets to stay true to the film.  It was a great excuse to pull out Tiana’s Cookbook and utilize her beignet recipe – it doesn’t get more authentic to the film than that! 

Deep frying is a cooking technique I have very little experience with, and I have never fried pastries before.  However, the recipe in Tiana’s Cookbook was easy to follow (it is for kids after all)!  I am happy with how they turned out, and the kids were thrilled to have several leftover beignets to enjoy for breakfast over the next several days.

Cheers!

No cocktail screams New Orleans louder than a Hurricane.  This classic cocktail originated in 1940s New Orleans at a speakeasy known as Mr. O’Brien’s Club Tipperary.  The Hurricane is a relative of the Daiquiri and is traditionally made with rum, passion fruit syrup, and lemon juice.

I created my own take on the Hurricane for our Princess and the Frog Dinner Night.

Ingredients:

• 3oz rum of choice (I used Bumbu Rum XO)
• 2oz passion fruit and pineapple juice
• 2oz pomegranate juice
• 1oz simple syrup*
• Sprite

Technique:

Pour rum, juices, and simple syrup into a Boston shaker filled with ice.  Shake ingredients until chilled – about 20 times.  Strain into an ice filled hurricane glass and top with Sprite.  Enjoy!

*You can easily make your own simple syrup by mixing equal parts sugar and boiling water.  Stir until sugar is dissolved. 

Let the Good Times Roll!

I am pretty happy with how our Princess and the Frog Dinner Night turned out.  The girls got to learn a little about Mardi Gras traditions, mom got to learn a lesson on adjusting her spice levels, and we all enjoyed a fun evening together trying new foods and enjoying a Disney classic.

Readers – have you joined in on the Mardi Gras celebrations in the south?  I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments!

Looking for more Disney Dinner ideas?  Check out my Lion King Dinner HERE and my Lady and the Tramp Dinner HERE!

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