A Jazzed-Up Meal to Feed Your Soul

Movie: Soul Dinner and a Movie (Pixar)
Cookbook: Try Everything (On the Menu)

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You know that feeling when you bite into something warm and buttery and instantly feel grounded? Yeah. That’s soul food.

This Soul Dinner and a Movie Night was one of those meals where I sat back after filming and thought, this isn’t just content. This is comfort.

Pixar’s Soul isn’t flashy. It’s not an obvious pick like Toy Story or Encanto. But it is powerful. It’s about purpose, identity, and slowing down long enough to find joy in the ordinary.

That message hit hard for me. As someone who’s built three businesses, reinvented herself more times than I can count, and still sometimes wonders what the heck I’m doing with my life… this movie felt like a hug and a wake-up call all at once.

So I built a menu around that idea:
✨ Nostalgic, soulful dishes that feel familiar
✨ A little sparkle, a little jazz
✨ Food that celebrates the small, beautiful moments

Whether you’re watching Soul for the first time or the fifteenth, this meal turns movie night into a full sensory experience. You can find all recipes and printable menus in the Try Everything (on the Menu) Digital Cookbook.

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🧁 New Soul Cornbread Muffins

We originally tested these in a madeleine pan, but let’s be real, most folks don’t have one. So we pivoted to mini muffins, and they turned out perfect. Light, tender, buttery, and just the right amount of sweet.

These are the kind of cornbread muffins you serve warm with a drizzle of honey butter and suddenly no one’s talking, just eating, nodding, and going in for seconds.

Why “New Soul”? Because just like 22 finding her spark, these little muffins are humble on the outside, but magical where it counts.

📸 Tip: Want to dress them up? Shred up some cheese, and dice up some jalapenos and throw them in the batter before cooking – they are life changing this way.

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🍗 Crispy Soul Fried Chicken

This might be the best fried chicken I’ve ever made, and I do not say that lightly.
It starts with a buttermilk and pickle juice brine that makes the chicken absurdly juicy. Then it’s dredged in seasoned flour and fried until crispy and golden, like something you’d find at Joe’s family cookout or a hole-in-the-wall jazz club after hours.

This isn’t just comfort food. It’s celebration food.
And it plays perfectly with the rest of the plate.

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🧀 Joe’s Gig-Worthy Mac & Cheese

I’m not kidding when I say this is the recipe of the entire cookbook. We tested it six times to get the texture just right.

It’s extra creamy, extra cheesy, and baked with a golden breadcrumb crust that gives you that perfect bite every time. We use a blend of cheddar, Monterey Jack, and a secret cheese that adds a buttery melt.

It’s the kind of mac that makes you pause mid-bite and go, “Wait. Hold on.”
Joe would 100% make this after his gig, assuming 22 didn’t eat it all first.

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🥬 Garlicky Green Beans with Soul

We needed a green side to cut through the richness, and these green beans absolutely hold their own.
They’re garlicky, lemon-zested, and sautéed in a little butter for flavor. Simple, but not boring.

They’re the balance in the band. The quiet friend who holds the group together.

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🍰 New Soul Nebula Cheesecake Bars

These. Are. Stunning.
Swirled with galaxy colors – purple, indigo, soft pink, and baked into creamy perfection.

They’re inspired by the “You Seminar” and the Great Before. Remember those dreamy pastel clouds and all the little soul sparks floating around? These bars bring that vibe to dessert.

Make them ahead and chill until serving. Bonus points for topping with sugar stars or edible glitter. These are the visual wow to end your movie night on a high note.

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🥂 The Great Before Glow (Cocktail & Mocktail)

This layered drink is pure magic.
Teal on the bottom, pink on top, with a cotton candy cloud or sparkly stir stick if you’re feeling dramatic (and we always are).

It glows under LED light cubes and looks like something right out of the Great Before.
The cocktail version is made with blue curaçao, pineapple juice, pink lemonade, and a splash of vodka or rum.
The mocktail swaps in alcohol-free blue curaçao or teal sports drink.

Serve in a clear glass to show off the colors and watch your guests lose their minds before the first sip.

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🎹 Why Soul?

Because this cookbook, Try Everything (On the Menu) is about finding joy in every corner of your life.

We all chase the next big thing: the next launch, the next number, the next role. And like Joe, we sometimes forget to stop and appreciate the little stuff. The spark isn’t always a career. Sometimes it’s fried chicken and cheesecake bars on the couch with people you love.

So light a candle. Set out real plates. Make it an occasion.
This menu is your reminder to live fully, even on a Tuesday.

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🛒 Want the Full Recipes + Printable Menu?

Every dish, drink, and detail from this Soul Dinner and a Movie Night plus classics like Treasure Planet, The Aristocats, Winnie the Pooh and more are in my digital cookbook:
Try Everything (On the Menu)

✅ 12 planned Pixar and Disney-themed movie nights
✅ Printable menus for each night
✅ Cocktails + mocktails
✅ Recipes that balance fun and flavor with ease

👉 Download it here and bring movie magic home.

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💡 More Pixar-Inspired Dinner Ideas:

• Zootopia Dinner & a Movie
• Big Hero 6 Dinner & a Movie
• WALL-E Dinner & a Movie

You can also browse all cookbooks right here and start planning your next dinner and a movie night.

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Ready to rediscover your spark?
Grab the drinks, hit play, and let dinner do the rest.

✨ You were born to do this.