Dinner and a Movie: Middle School

It’s not often that a film surprises me.  But since I hadn’t read the book by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts, this one did.

I love reading about and watching films about coming-of-age stories (obviously), so I was pumped to catch Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life.  Plus, middle school really was the worst years of my life, so I figured I’d totally relate.

What surprised me about this movie was its depth.  I wasn’t expecting it.  I was expecting another piece of coming-of-age fluff.  This movie wasn’t that.  It appeared to be at first, albeit with fabulous acting (I’ve adored Lauren Graham since Gilmore Girls) and an amazing script, but then it showed its depth and made me love it even more.

If you’re looking for a funny, sweet, endearing film to watch with your littles this weekend, Middle School is the thing.  And if you want to have a delicious meal with it, well, I’ve got that covered, too.  You know I love ya.

A Meal for Middle School

I had to pull this meal from several scenes, but I’m terribly pleased with how it turned out.  It was delicious.  And the key lime tart was just that–tart.  But let’s talk Chicken Quesadillas first.

Dinner

Chicken Quesadillas and Farro Basil Salad with Tomatoes and Avocados

In the beginning of the movie, Lauren Graham (who plays Rafe’s mom) tells Rafe that for lunch she’s packed a Farro Basil Salad with Tomato Coulis and deconstructed lime tart for lunch on his first day at a new school.  Later on, mom’s boyfriend takes Rafe and his sister to Dave & Busters and chicken quesadillas are on the menu!  So I pulled all that together for a yummy and fun meal that’s easy to eat in front of the small screen.

Chicken Quesadillas

What you need:

• 2 lbs chicken breast, cooked and shredded
• 2 packages taco seasoning
• 16 oz shredded Mexican cheese
• 1 pack flour tortillas
• Cooking spray
• Salsa
• Sour Cream
• Chopped lettuce and tomato (optional)

What you do:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Prepare shredded chicken with taco seasoning according to package directions
• Arrange 4 tortillas on baking sheets
• Top each tortilla with shredded cheese
• Spread prepared chicken over cheese
• Top with remaining tortillas
• Lightly spray tortilla tops with cooking spray
• Bake for 10 minutes–just enough to melt the cheese and slighyly brown the quesadillas
• Cut each quesadilla into 4 triangles
• Serve with salsa and sour cream
• Top with lettuce and tomato if you like

Farro Basil Salad with Tomato and Avocado

What you need:

• 2 cups farro
• 16 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon should do)
• 2 avocados, peeled and seeded
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, packed

What you do:

• In a Dutch oven or large pot, boil 2 cups salted water
• Add farro and stir frequently for a couple minutes
• Reduce heat and cook about 30 minutes, or until just tender enough to chew
• Reserve a cup of water, then drain the rest, returning farro to pot
• While farro is cooking, sprinkle tomato halves with salt then add oil and basil
• Toss to coat; set aside
• Mash 1 1/2 avocados with a fork; add garlic and lemon juice and stir to mix
• Add avocado mixture to farro, then add just enough cooking liquid to make a creamy sauce
• Stir in tomatoes
• Dice 1/2 avocado and top farro mixture with it

Dessert

Remember, the difference between a tart and a pie is that a tart only has a bottom crust.

Easy Lime tart

What you need:

• 16 graham crackers
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (use fresh.  only fresh.  About 4 limes’ worth)
• 14 oz sweetened, condensed milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 tsp lime zest
• Whipped cream

What you do:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Place graham crackers in a sealable gallon bag and roll them with a rolling pin to mash (or throw them in the food processor–I didn’t feel like it was worth cleaning)
• Melt butter over medium heat
• In a medium bowl, mix crackers and butter together
• Press mixture into the bottom of a greased 10-inch tart ring (a pie pan will do if you don’t have a tart ring)
• Bake for 7 minutes
• Remove from oven; set aside
• Mix together sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, egg yolks, and zest
• Pour into tart ring
• Bake about 30 minutes, till tart is set around the edges but still slightly loose in center
• Cool completely at room temperature
• Refrigerate 2 or more hours
• Top with whipped cream

Oh. Yeah.  It’s so much fun to eat all this yummy good stuff while watching a quality movie that has the same food in it.  You don’t even have to pack it in a lunch!

Love wins,

KT

Need more ideas?   Don’t Miss

Dinner and a Movie: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Dinner and a Movie: Alice Through the Looking Glass

Dinner and a Movie: Squanto-A Warrior’s Tale

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KT Brison

KT Brison is a former children’s librarian and educator who gave all that up for the most important job in her life—homeschooling her boys.Though she loves the outdoors and rambling around her farm, she can usually be found with her nose in a book. Any book. As long as it has words.

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