New Cookbook Celebrates 20 Years of Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

From Pam Brandon, Disney Parks Food Writer and posted on the Disney Parks Blog.

As you make your way around World Showcase Lagoon and over into Future World for new delicious tastes and sips of flavors from around the globe, we can bet there will be a dish or two that you might want to re-create at home to share special memories. The “Epcot International Food & Wine Festival” cookbook for 2015 is a little heftier than the usual collections of recipes we share – it also includes 50 pages of history, photos and memories from the last two decades.

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The recipes go all the way back to 1996 and include dishes that represent the festival through the years. And for 2015, Epcot Executive Chef Gregg Hannon is returning some classics to the Marketplace menus, such as pao de queijo (Brazilian cheese puffs), apple strudel in Germany, spicy chicken sausage with polenta in Canada and the lobster roll at Hops & Barley.

We’ve got those recipes, along with dishes that have never left the menu, like Canadian Cheddar Cheese soup, Belgian waffles with berry compote and bo ssam in South Korea. A little bit of history, and a lot of good eating in 20 years.

You’ll have 53 days, September 25-November 16, to enjoy the food, live entertainment, demos and seminars. Go to Epcotfoodfestival.com to start planning! Meantime, here’s a recipe from the book to whet your appetite.

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Pepper Bacon Mac and Cheese
Farm Fresh Marketplace
Serves 6

Pepper Bacon Macaroni

  • 1 pound macaroni
  • 8 slices pepper bacon
  • 1/2 cup diced white onions
  • 1/2 cup diced green pepper
  • 1/2 cup diced red pepper
  • 3 small jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced

Cheese Sauce

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 pound (4 cups) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 pound (1 cup) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/4 pound sliced American cheese
  • 2 ounces (1/2 cup) shredded Gruyere cheese

Topping

  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 slices pepper bacon, cooked and chopped
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For pepper bacon macaroni:

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. Cook pepper bacon until crisp. Chop and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of grease.
  3. Heat grease in a medium-skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes.
  4. Add onion, green pepper, red pepper and jalapeño. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, until vegetables are warm, but still crisp. Set aside.

For cheese sauce:

  1. Heat cream in large saucepan over medium heat. When it begins to simmer, slowly stir in all of cheese, mixing well to melt cheese.

To assemble and serve:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Combine cooked pasta, vegetables and cheese sauce in a large bowl.
  3. Pour into a 9- x 13-inch baking dish and top with breadcrumbs. Bake 15 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.
  4. Remove from oven and sprinkle with green onions and bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

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