Remember the good ol’ days when you’d rush home after school to catch your favorite shows on Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, or Disney Channel, only to realize that you’re hungry for more than just some midday entertainment before hitting the books? We do!
If you grew up in the 2000s, chances are you still think about Jake’s perfect sandwich in Adventure Time, the delectable-looking spaghetti tacos from iCarly, or even the Goofy Goober Sundae from SpongeBob SquarePants. These foods weren’t just little details on the show, they were bold enough recipes to become characters on their own – and years later, we’re still dreaming about them and wondering what it’d be like to take a bite and fulfill those fantasies… But today, they go from fantasy to reality!
Here’s a list of the most legendary fictional foods we’ve always wanted to try – and how to actually make them at home.
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JAKE’S PERFECT SANDWICH (Adventure Time)
An over-the-top sandwich stacked with meat, eggs, pickles, and apparently, a lobster’s soul. Now, we wouldn’t recommend grabbing a bird from the windowsill like Jake did and shoving that in between two slices of bread, but a regular chicken breast from the grocery store will do for now.
How do you make it?
- Layer cream cheese, pickles, dill, diced boiled eggs, chicken breast, sliced cucumbers, sliced Roma tomatoes, sweet yellow onions, salt and pepper, a thin steak prepared sous-vide with rosemary and thyme, and bacon upon a toasted baguette.
- Bonus points for toasting the bread in a pan with butter for a perfect crunch.
- Craving the lobster’s soul but have no lobsters to obtain the souls from? Check out this recipe on Fiction Food Café for a finger-licking good lobster aioli.
- If you really want the full Jake experience, try serving it on a sword! (Please be careful.)
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DOUBLE GLAZED APPLE FRITTERS (The Regular Show)
Golden, deep-fried globs of dough packed with cinnamon-spiced apples and coated in not one, but two layers of sweet vanilla glaze. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, these are the ultimate sugary indulgence. Be careful, though – the shopkeeper did say they aren’t safe for human consumption…
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in one bowl. In another bowl, mix milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Combine and fold in your diced apples.
- Heat oil to 170°C (340°F) before dropping the batter into the oil, frying each side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Drain on a wire rack over some paper towels.
- Mix icing sugar, milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt to create a smooth glaze. Coat each fritter, let it set, and then drizzle it with a second layer of glaze.
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SPAGHETTI TACOS (iCarly)
The brainchild of Carly’s older brother, Spencer, this recipe was invented one night when Spencer couldn’t decide whether to make spaghetti or tacos. Savoury, crunchy, and oh-so saucy, spaghetti tacos are the best of both worlds!
- Boil spaghetti according to the package’s instructions and toss it with a tangy marinara or a heartier meat sauce.
- Spoon your pasta into crunchy taco shells after toasting them in the oven to make them extra crispy.
- Top with shredded cheese and some shredded parmesan or parsley.
- Feel free to make some meatballs to stack on top if you’re feeling extra hungry!
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THE TRIPLE GOOBERBERRY SURPRISE (SpongeBob SquarePants)
A massive ice cream sundae served at Goofy Goober’s Ice Cream Party Boat, so good it reduces SpongeBob to emotional jelly. Bright, creamy, delicious, and filled with enough sugar to make you run a hundred laps around Bikini Bottom.
- Start with multiple scoops of vanilla ice cream as your base.
- Peel and cut your banana into thirds before pressing them into either side and one on top.
- Drown it in whipped cream, chocolate candies, whipped cream, and of course, cherries.
- Squeeze some chocolate sauce on top and enjoy!
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RATATOUILLE (Ratatouille)
What is it?
A love letter to some humble vegetables, this is the elegant, beautifully layered vegetarian dish made by everyone’s favorite rat, Remy – so good it made even the grumpiest of food critics shed a tear and melt his icy cold heart.
- Slice zucchini, eggplant, tomato, and yellow squash very thin (try using a mandolin for a faster slicing process, but be sure to watch your fingers!).
- Spread tomato paste, onion, and garlic on the bottom of a baking pan before layering the vegetables on top in a nice spiral.
- Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with herbs of your choice, and bake until soft and fragrant.
- Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy!
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SPARKLE SPACKLE PUDDING (Chowder)
A bright pink custard that sparkles like glitter that makes a rainbow shoot out of your mouth after you eat it, this is Panini’s (Chowder’s sort of but not really but still kind of girlfriend) first dish that she makes on her own.
- Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch, then gradually incorporate warm milk while stirring continuously.
- Add a few drops of pink food gel coloring to achieve that perfect hue of Panini pink. (For a natural alternative, try blending in strawberry or raspberry purée!)
- Gently heat the mixture over medium heat until it becomes thick. Once thickened, remove from the heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Pour the custard into serving dishes, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until it sets properly. Just before serving, sprinkle a touch of edible glitter on top for a magical finish!
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FICTIONAL FLAVORS BUT REAL-LIFE JOY!
Sure, these dishes might have started as recipes made from our favorite characters in fictional worlds, but for an entire generation of kids, they became real. Recreating these dishes at home does more than just fulfill a long-time dream; it also brings back nostalgic memories of after-school marathons, sleepovers, and the golden age of TV show realness.
Grab your spatula, channel your inner Jake the Dog or Chowder the chubby purple cat-bear-rabbit hybrid, and make some culinary magic from your favorite fictional universe! Just because we’re all grown up doesn’t mean we aren’t allowed to enjoy our childhood foods!