INTRODUCTION Delicious Disney MY FIRST TRIP to the Walt Disney World Resort in the fall of 1974 was a giddy experience. We stayed at the new Golf Resort and spent all day in the Magic Kingdom, wandering through the branches of the Swiss Family Treehouse, boarding Jungle Cruise countless times to see what we missed on the last go-around, gliding through the rooms of the Haunted Mansion, and beguiled by a talking Abe Lincoln in The Hall of Presidents. I recall it was a leisurely sort of stay, nothing rushed, no long waits for the comical Country Bear Jamboree show or our 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea submarine ride.
Recollections of a vacation often come back to food—to a special dinner eaten elbow to elbow with family and friends. I remember my first taste of the ethereal Stilton cheesecake with a vintage port at Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa as a professional food writer, but just as fondly, I recall the old-fashioned cheeseburger and chocolate malt with my kids at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. Good food is part of our memories.
For Disney, it’s a real balancing act to offer something for every palate, with cuisine as varied as all the guests who visit the resorts. That’s why in our
Official Disney Parks Cookbooks we include a bit of everything, too, with recipes that make it easy to enjoy the dishes at home. Some are fuss-free; others take a little time. Some are classics; others are new adventures.
I wrote the first “official Disney parks cookbook” in partnership with the Disney chefs and the Disney Parks Food & Beverage team nearly twenty-five years ago. Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs of Walt Disney World Resort (Hyperion, 1998) was the first-of-its-kind cookbook and a special collaboration that has led to an entire specialty industry of theme park culinary recipes. The aim of that first very first cookbook—plus, the near baker’s dozen to follow—was to present favorite recipes that are both “home-cook-friendly” and true to the flavors and processes thoughtfully developed at Disney. Though the Disney chefs must serve hundreds, all of the official recipes have been adapted to family-size servings and tested for actual home use. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed working with the talented and amiable Disney chefs, sifting through hundreds of their dishes to choose the very best, downsizing recipes, and testing them to ensure they will work well in a home kitchen.
What you hold in your hand is 101 recipes from this now quite vast collection of official Disney Parks recipes. The collection is a best of the best from coast to coast. Knowing how the menus at the Disney resorts and aboard the cruise ships so often change with the seasons and the trends, I have complete appreciation for the recipes that have incredible staying power, like Walt’s Chili and Beans, the Monte Cristo Sandwich, and, of course, DOLE Whip®. Likewise, no cookbook of favorites would be complete without some dishes and restaurants that are gone, but nonetheless warmly remembered. Some recipes inside are from the award-winning restaurants, like Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at the Disneyland Resort or Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas—Kidani Village at the Walt Disney World Resort. Others more recently entered the Disney dining scene, like decadent drinks from Remy aboard the Disney Cruise Line ships or Oga’s Cantina at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. There’s an abundance of tastes and flavors to try, and the choices are seemingly endless.
The volume is organized to reflect the best practices of Disney cookbook making. Because memories are so often tied to physical places, the chapters are aligned by particular theme parks and resorts. And since planning a home meal requires a home chef to be well organized, each chapter is set up to reflect the meal type: “Starters,” “Mains and Sides,” and “Sweet Endings and Desserts.” And for a little extra Disney magic, there’s an ID badge and brief introduction to give you more details on each recipe or location where it originated—from “kid-friendly” notices to fun facts. We hope this exciting collection helps you re-create cherished vacation memories at home—and most of all, we invite you back to our table, to experience the delightful and delicious foods of Disney. May you share these great meals with great friends and family for many years to come.
—Pam Brandon
April 2022
CHAPTER ONE Disneyland WALT’S CHILI AND BEANS FROM THE DISNEYLAND RESORT
• CARNATION CAFÉ
• MAIN STREET, U.S.A.
• STARTER
• A DISNEY CLASSIC
• SERVES 6–8
This was Walt Disney’s favorite meal. The original Disneyland version of the recipe appeared seasonally through the years at restaurants such as Plaza Inn and River Belle Terrace. Over time, the ingredients evolved, too, with past versions including dried thyme and paprika. This is the current version and mainstay at Carnation Café on Main Street, U.S.A.
Ingredients: CHILI • ¼ cup olive oil, divided
• ¾ pound beef stew meat
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 medium green pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1½ tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons beef base
• 1½ cups water
• 1 (14½-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• Coarse salt, to taste
GARNISH • ½ cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 small tomatoes, diced
Instructions: FOR CHILI 1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in large Dutch oven, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add stew meat and sauté for 10 minutes, until meat is browned on all sides. Remove stew meat from pan and set aside.
2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to pan, heat for 3 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add onions and green pepper. Sauté 8 to 10 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and sauté one minute longer, until garlic is fragrant.
4. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally to break up large chunks of beef, for 10 to 12 minutes, until beef is no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
5. Return stew meat to the Dutch oven with ground beef mixture. Add ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, tomato paste, diced plum tomatoes, diced can tomatoes, beef base, and water.
6. Bring chili to a simmer. Cover and simmer over low heat for 3 hours, until stew meat is tender.
7. Add pinto beans. Simmer for 10 minutes, until beans are warm.
8. Season with salt, as needed.
TO SERVE Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and diced tomatoes.
LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP For cooking this rich and creamy soup, soak diced potatoes in cold water until ready to use to keep them from turning brown. To make bacon easier to chop, lightly freeze.
FROM THE DISNEYLAND RESORT
• CARNATION CAFÉ
• MAIN STREET, U.S.A.
• STARTER
• LEFT THE MENU BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
• SERVES 6
Ingredients: • 1 pound bacon, roughly chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• ¾ cup diced celery
• 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 medium red potatoes, diced
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• coarse salt, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 cups heavy cream
OPTIONAL GARNISHES • chopped chives
• bacon bits
• sour cream
• shredded cheeses, cheddar, and Monterey Jack preferred
Instructions: 1. In a 6- to 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, carefully fry bacon until crisp.
2. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels (reserve half for garnish). In the bacon fat, cook onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are translucent. Add potatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly over low heat about 5 to 7 minutes until mixture has thickened slightly. Add stock and half of bacon. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Over medium-high heat, bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Mash some of the potatoes for thicker, creamier texture. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Adjust thickness by adding water or stock. Soup should have a creamy consistency.
6. Season to taste, and garnish with toppings if desired.
(DOLE and other Dole marks are trademarks of Dole Packaged Foods, LLC and Dole Asia Holdings Pte. Ltd. and used under license.) EDITOR’S NOTE: Please remember that the Disney parks are constantly changing and growing, and the printed recipes you hold in your hands are our best effort at accuracy at the time of printing. If given an opportunity to update this book at a future date, we will refine and expand our materials to even better enhance your experience. These recipes have been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurants’ kitchens. The flavor profiles may vary from the restaurants’ versions. Always use caution when handling sharp objects and hot contents, and please supervise children who are helping or are nearby. All recipes are the property of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., and may not be reproduced without express permission. Thank you, and enjoy!
Copyright © 2023 by DISNEY. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
