The Princess and the Frog Movie Night

My kids often ask me who my favorite Disney princess is, and I struggle with finding an answer every time because I honestly love them all and don’t know if I could ever choose just one.  Sleeping Beauty is the first princess movie I can remember watching as a young girl, so I naturally gravitate toward Aurora. But I also have a huge soft spot in my heart for Belle because of our shared love of books. I find Rapunzel’s sweet nature and optimistic outlook on life inspiring. And I could listen to Merida stand her ground and advocate for herself in her hypnotic Scottish accent all day long. And around in circles I go!  Name any princess and chances are that she’d be my favorite at that particular moment. But if you were to ask me what my favorite Disney princess movie is? Now that is an answer I definitely know – it is The Princess and the Frog.  Oh, how I adore that movie and everything about it! The animation is so beautifully done, there is plenty of action and adventure to captivate audiences of any age, and there is no shortage of delightfully catchy songs on the soundtrack – including my personal favorite “Gonna Take You There” – I dare you not to get that one stuck in your head! And the entire cast of characters is terrific!  Charming and hilarious Prince Naveen, strong-willed and passionate Tiana, loyal Ray with a heart of pure gold, loveable trumpet-playing Louis, hopelessly spoiled and feisty Lottie, smooth-talking Dr. Facilier, eccentric yet wise Mama Odie – this unique blend of dynamic personalities work wonderfully to create an incredibly entertaining modern-day spin on the popular fairy tale The Frog Prince.  

I have lost count of the number of times we’ve watched this animated treasure.  My kids also share my enthusiasm for The Princess and The Frog, so it has been a movie night regular in our household for as long as I can remember.  To complete these evenings, we usually prepare the menu below to accompany the movie:

Fruity Frogs – This super easy and adorable appetizer sets the mood.

1. Cut an apple into slices and place two slices facing each other to create the frog’s face.
2. Cut grapes in half, then carefully make two cuts into each grape half (about two-thirds of the way through) -these are the frog’s hands and feet.
3. Use a small amount of peanut butter to attach two chocolate chips onto the top apple slice for the frog’s eyes.
4. Voila! You’ve got yourself an edible version of Tiana and Naveen!

Gumbo – One of my favorite parts of The Princess and the Frog is right at the beginning when young Tiana makes Gumbo with the help of her father. Her relationship with her dad is so heartwarming and always reminds me of all the fun I’ve had cooking with my kids over the years. Making Gumbo for our main course was an easy choice and, although the recipe we used was not entirely authentic, it was still so delicious. Hopefully, Tiana would approve and think “it’s the bee’s knees!”

Beignets – There is no better (or sweeter) way to end a Princess and the Frog evening than enjoying a warm batch of Tiana’s “man-catching beignets!” I typically use a recipe from The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook to make these little beauties, but I also have a simple backup recipe for the days when I’m short on time.

1. Open a tube of refrigerated biscuit dough, and cut each biscuit into four pieces.
2. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on the stovetop, and fry the biscuit quarters (four to five at a time) until they are golden brown on all sides.
3. Transfer the fried dough pieces to plates lined with paper towels.
4. Sprinkle the fresh beignets with powdered sugar, and enjoy while warm!

Although we almost always make the dishes above, the menu choices for The Princess and the Frog are practically endless. In yet another one of my favorite scenes, Louis recites all of the possibilities while he and Tiana daydream about everything they’ll make and eat when they become human – etouffee, jambalaya, red beans and rice, muffulettas, po’ boys, crawfish smothered in remoulade sauce, bananas foster sprinkled with pralines – and the list goes on! Lucky for me, my kids really enjoy New Orleans cuisine so I am all too happy to work my way through Louis’ ideas if it means watching this fabulous movie that is so near and dear to my heart, again and again (and again)!