When I decided to make this recipe, it was only because it has been requested several times in the last few months.  Honesty, I've never had it in the parks and looking at the recipe itself this looked totally unappetizing.  Raisins, sugar, and meat?  I just wasn't seeing the attraction.  It just seemed...  Well...  Gross.  Even my husband, who's usually up for anything Disney food related was making other plans for dinner.  It was just too exotic for him.  I was dreading putting this on the table for dinner.  There was no way this was passing the picky eater kid test.

But this is a signature dish, a classic recipe from Boma and Tusker House.  People rave about it and every time I go to Tusker House, the bobotie pan is completely empty.  "You have to go to Boma" is always paired with "try the bobotie!" on Disney food forums.  Surely, this has to be better than it looks?

I think I started to clue in to just how delicious this recipe was after I sampled while I was cooking.  The smell was certainly enticing (it reminded me of the samosa stand at our local farmer market) and almost exotic...  And when I took a sample spoonful, which shortly turned into a sample serving, I was in love.  Sweet and savory with a great, creamy texture and an unbelievable aroma, I couldn't wait to try it when it was finished with the egg custard topping.  My husband wasn't sold until he saw it come out of the oven and "I can make my own dinner, it's not a problem" turned into a tepid "I guess I'll try it."  But even he, who's a much less adventurous eater than I am, really enjoyed it and that first uneasy bite turned into a request for seconds and I think even thirds.  I'm amazed to say that this even passed the kid test...  Everybody ate their food with a minimum of complaining and truly enjoyed it.  Who knew something with crazy ingredients that I barely wanted to make would turn into a family favorite?  I certainly didn't.

Meat bobotie is an African meat pie dish (introduced to Africa by Dutch traders of all things),

almost like cottage or shepherds pie in England.  However, instead of being topped with potatoes, it's topped with eggs and the meat itself has a sweet, very mild spicy kick with nuts and raisins added for texture and flavor contrast.  It's so hard to describe, but honestly one of the most interesting dishes I've ever eaten and one I can't recommend enough.  Exotic, unique, really flavorful, and fairly easy to make.  A great way to try some new flavors and foods while still using fairly common and "safe" ingredients for picky eaters.

When I made this recipe, I used a meatloaf mix of beef, veal, and pork...  Ground lamb isn't something I can find in the grocery stores around here (not that there is a snowballs chance in summer that anybody here would eat lamb) and I felt that the meatloaf mix would give me meat that easily kept its shape after cutting while staying moist.  While it's been awhile that I used curry in a dish, I was instantly reminded (and thought I should remind readers) that the stuff stains like you wouldn't believe.  Clothes, counter
tops, napkins, you name it.  While a shot of bleach spray gets it out pretty easily, work with it carefully.  My only other note was that this recipe does not call for using a water bath.  However, I think that cooking this in a water bath may be actually better than just putting it in the oven.  Not that going without it will ruin the meal, I think that if I had used it I'd have gotten a more even cook on the custard while reducing the time in the oven.  No big deal.  My most important note on prep for this is to make sure...  Really, really, really, really sure...  That when you drain the meat after it has been cooked on the stovetop, make sure you get as much fat out as absolutely possible.  When it cooks in the oven, the fat actually seeps up around the edges and on to the custard, seriously impacting both cook time and the level of browning on the custard.  If you find that fat has risen during baking onto the custard, gently use a spoon to try to scoop it out...  And be warned again, the only thing that stains worse than curry is curry infused fat.

I know how crazy this recipe sounds.  Even typing it out, I can't believe all of the ingredients came together into something that tastes as wonderful as it did.  But honestly, this is one of my new favorite family meals.  It may even be my new "company is coming over, let's serve something neat" meal.  It's certainly well worth making and I promise, especially for the folks out there who need their Boma fix, this will hit the spot.      

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Meat Bobotie

As is served at Boma, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Tusker House, Animal Kingdom

Meat filling  

°o°  1 tablespoon oil  
°o°  1 onion, chopped 

°o°  1 teaspoon cinnamon    

°o°  2 teaspoons curry powder 

°o°  2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar  

°o°  2 pounds ground lamb (substitute ground beef or meatloaf mix if desired)  

°o°  3 slices white bread, crumbled into pieces  

°o°  1 cup heavy cream  

°o°  1/4 cup sugar  
°o°  1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (substitute with almonds if desired), sliced  

°o°  1/4 cup seedless raisins  

°o°  1/4 cup golden raisins
°o°  salt to taste

Topping  

°o°  1 cup liquid eggs (whole eggs, not egg whites)  

°o°  1/2 cup heavy cream  

°o°  1/2 cup milk

Heat oil and onions in a large and deep pan, cooking until caramelized over medium or medium high.  Once caramelized, add cinnamon and curry powder.  Mix well.  Using the rice wine vinegar, deglaze the pan and add the meat.  Continue cooking until meat is done.  Curry powder alters the color of the meat, so meat will be done when it is moistened but will not not mash when pressed with a fork, about 10-15 minutes over medium or medium high heat.

When meat is done, remove from heat and drain grease, using a fork or spatula to press as much grease out as possible.  Return meat and pan to medium heat.  Add crumbled bread, cream, and sugar.  Mix well.  Add raisins and almonds.  Adjust seasoning as needed and pour into a casserole dish to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 325.

In a separate bowl, whisk together liquid eggs, cream, and milk.  When bobotie mixture is

cooled to slightly above room temperature and is no longer steaming, pour the topping over the meat mixture to form the topping. DO NOT MIX.  Bake in preheated oven for 25-40 minutes (cooking time varies significantly depending on container used).  Bobotie is done when the topping is golden brown, egg is cooked and no longer runny, and the temperature at the center of the dish has reached 165.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving (this helps maintain the shape of the bobotie after slicing).    

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This post is featured at A Handful of Everything Linky Party, What's Cooking Love?,

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Am I the only one who's ever made a recipe and you just know while you're doing it that you're doing it wrong?  That was this recipe for me...  Though I'm not calling it a "recipe blooper" per say, just a case of chef error.  As in, my error.

Allow me to explain.

The recipe for these are actually pretty simple.  Slice, steam, coat, bake, serve. I mean, who can't do that?  Apparently me.  First I over-steamed the potatoes (and the recipe calls for a really long steam to begin with) because I forgot to set the kitchen timer.  That's Ok, it just means the potatoes won't be pretty, not that they're inedible.  Then, while I was making the herb coating for the potatoes, I saw it required one tablespoon of salt.  I knew when I looked at it that it seemed like a lot of salt for only 2.5 pounds of potatoes.  I said to myself, "Self, there's no way this requires 1 full tablespoon of salt. No way."  So what did I do?  I threw in most of a tablespoon of salt anyway.  Why?  I can't even really say.

Then, to top it all off, the recipe called for me to put the potatoes in a bowl and stir them in the marinade.  Again, when I saw that, I thought "wouldn't it be easier if I just put it on the sheet pan and drizzled the coating on, then mixed it?"  Yet, for some reason, I slammed it all in the smallest bowl possible and attempted to stir it...  With a small spoon.  Again, I have no clue why.  I knew when I did it that it was dumb, yet I gave it a shot anyway.

Yes, I did think better of it and I poured the mixture onto the pan to finish tossing it, but the
damage was done. I slightly mashed some of my overly salted, overly steamed potatoes.  My big silver lining was that I looked at the photos of the potatoes I got at Tusker House and I saw that the potatoes as served there when I went were also a little mushed...  So at the very least, some poor sous chef that day tried to make sense of the same recipe I tried and made the same stupid mistakes.  It's nice to feel like some hapless person at the Disney kitchens is prone to the same mistakes I am.

Despite what's clearly chef-error in these potatoes (I blame the recipe a little, but a whole tablespoon of salt? I knew better), I have to say they were still super good.  Yes, they were a bit salty, yes, they were a bit mushed...  But with less salt, less mush, more crunch, I have to say the flavor is almost exactly the same.  For those who are obsessed with finding Disney potato recipes, and there are a lot of people who are, this is a definite must-add to the recipe collection.  And it smells amazing while it's baking!  Even with the salt issue, my mouth did the "oh my goodness, these are Tusker House potatoes" dance...  And a good Disney food memory is one of the best things in the world.

I truly can't wait to take another stab at these because, despite my issues, these are fast, easy, and are one of those wonderful side dishes that dress up for nicer main dishes, but also dress down for the more hearty meals.

Just please, for the love of Mickey, don't add an entire tablespoon of salt.

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Roasted Potatoes (Tusker House Version)

As is served at Tusker House, Disney's Animal Kingdom

 

°o°  2.5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, sliced into wedges  

°o°  3 tablespoons of herb infused olive oil (or regular olive oil)  

°o°  1-2 teaspoons of salt  

°o°  1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

°o°  1/2 teaspoon paprika

°o°  3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine

°o°  1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped fine

Steam potatoes over water for 15-20 minutes.  While the potatoes are steaming, combine the remaining ingredients and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove potatoes from heat and spread on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle with the oil mixture.  Toss potatoes until evenly coated and spread into a single layer.  Bake in oven until golden brown, tossing every 10 minutes or so.  Total baking time will vary between 20-30 minutes depending on individual ovens.

Serve immediately.  Will store in an airtight container but require an oven for re-heating.

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Nestled in the very back corner of Animal Kingdom with a small, completely missable sign and no fancy building to speak of, it was really easy to pass right by it.  In fact, I remember the first time I went there in September of 2011, it was the only character dining experience I could find on short notice (except for something with Agent Oso at Hollywood Studios...  And that wasn't happening).  I booked my reservation begrudgingly, expecting nothing, and not really looking forward to eating there.  The African themed breakfast was a turn off, Animal Kingdom isn't my favorite park, and if it wasn't for my compulsive need for character dining during a Disney trip, I'd have skipped it all together.  I kept telling myself "at least it has Mickey Waffles."  I expected nothing but utter disappointment in this little restaurant I'd never heard of, that nobody wanted to eat at (why else would I be able to get a reservation two weeks before my trip?), in a park I didn't typically spend a whole day in...

Then I ate there...  And Tusker House instantly went from place I was going to eat at because it had food and characters to a favorite dining experience that was not to be missed.  The weird location in the tucked-away corner of what is arguably Disney's least-favored park and poor signage made this an often overlooked hidden gem, not just at Animal Kingdom, but among all of the character dining experiences.  Featuring Donald, Daisy, Mickey, and Pluto in their safari-finest, this is a very fun, family-focused character meal that I've been to time and time again, both on adults-only trips and family trips with small children.

The check-in process for Tusker can be very lengthy and somewhat confusing, so be sure to arrive there at least 15 minutes before your reservation opens.  Remember, it is in the back of the park and it does take quite the walk to get there from the front gate of Animal Kingdom...

 Once you've arrived, check in with the hostess outside and you will (eventually) be escorted behind the building to take your souvenir picture (remember, PhotoPass Photographers sometimes use your camera too!  If you don't have PhotoPass+ which entitles you to this picture at no charge, hand the photographer your camera too... They may decline, but they may not!) and then into the buffet hall off of which are two dining rooms.  The dining rooms are fairly large, have lots of tables in them (almost bordering on overcrowded), and can be very loud especially as it starts to fill up or during the occasional character/kid parade (the characters lead kids with loud musical instruments in a parade through the dining room...  Cute, but again quite loud and obtrusive...  Who's bright idea was it for the kids to use maracas and tambourines anyway?).    The decor is fantastic...  It reminds me of a train station, only instead of waiting for the train, you're waiting for the safari.  Lots of African-styled props, pictures, and other decor adorn almost every flat surface and wall.  My favorite feature has to be the carpet-draped ceiling which both reminds me of Africa and the beginning to "Aladdin."

As Donald is the host of the breakfast, it goes without saying that he is there to meet and interact with.  He used to be located outside-only as the character you take your souvenir photo with, however the last two times I ate there he had been "promoted" to the dining room and now comes to your table like the rest of the characters.  Along with him is Mickey, Daisy, and Goofy, though occasionally Goofy rotates out in favor of Pluto while Daisy is very rarely replaced with Minnie.  The characters rotate around the separate dining rooms and visit each table for what are actually pretty lengthy interactions.  They will pose for pictures, sign autographs, and engage in that fun horseplay that you'd expect from Donald and the gang.  In fact, one year Goofy walked off with my plate and Mickey pushed my husband out of his chair and sat with me for breakfast.  Things can get pretty wild!  Because they cycle through two dining rooms and have a Cast Member escort who'll give you a heads up when a character is approaching your table, there is still plenty of time to visit the buffet and grab copious amounts of food.  Want a family picture with your favorite character?  See if the Cast Member escort will take a picture for you...  They are usually very happy to do so!

Aside from the coffee, tea, soda, water offerings one would expect, Tusker House serves a specialty juice called "Jungle Juice."  A combination of orange, guava, and passion fruit juice, this stuff is almost worth the price of dinner by itself.  I love, love, love, love this juice and it's my favorite non-alcoholic drink on property.  My brother, who's been to exotic locations like Fiji and Dominica says it reminds him of the drinks they had there with meals.  Your experience at Tusker House isn't complete unless you at least try it.

But really, let's get to the nitty gritty...  The food.  The food selection and quality here is, I think, one of the best of its kind in the parks.  Despite the African theme, everything you could ever imagine is available and even the pickiest eater is sure to find something there.  Safer options include the basics: bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, quite a bakery spread which include donuts, danishes, banana bread, muffins, as well as a wide assortment of whole and cut fruit, and of course, Mickey waffles.  Warm offerings include sausage gravy and biscuits, oven roasted gold potatoes (both my favorites), various frittatas, and carved rotisserie ham.

Among all of those safe, dare I say universally liked options, there are some signature dishes that are nothing short of delicious on their own.  Mealie pap is one of the most talked-about and certainly one of the most popular.  A mix between porridge and corn casserole, sweet but still salty, and judging by the fact almost everybody had at least a spoonful on their plate, a safe option for picky eaters who want to safely wander out of their comfort zone.  Admittedly it's not my favorite, but considering it's one of my most requested and viewed recipes, I'm clearly in the minority.  I personally fell in love with the banana bread bread pudding with vanilla sauce.  I'm almost embarrassed to say how much of it I have to have eaten in my life.  Decadently sweet, moist, with bits of toasty crunch...  Its pretty much the perfect breakfast food and something I still dream about.  The beef bobotie quiche is another very popular signature dish...  But I've yet to try it.  Every time I've gone up, they've been between batches.  I guess that speaks to both how popular, and how good, it really is.

Really, I can't talk about the food at Tusker without having my tummy do a happy-dance.  It's just

so ridiculously good.  Having eaten there in September 2011, January 2012, October 2012, January 2013, and February 2014, I can safely say it's my favorite breakfast and they have maintained the fantastic experience I've come to expect over the years.  The only change I've noticed is that while it once was a hidden gem that was very easy to walk into a reservation for, it has now become increasingly difficult to get reservations and it often fills up during peak season at the 180 day reservation mark.  My last trip, it was the first non-princess character experience to be completely booked months beforehand.

For people who like advantageous dining reservations which help maximize park time and minimize waits, Tusker House is one of the best choices out there for getting a jump on the day.  Located a stone's throw from Kilimanjaro Safaris, one could eat there at 8 and still be out in time to catch one of the first safari jeeps for the day when the park officially opens, saving a time and a Fastpass+ reservation.  We regularly took the first reservation of the day at Tusker, popped out shortly after the park opened to do the safari, then walked onto Everest and Kali River Rapids multiple times...  Though I suggest that for people who have only the strongest of stomachs (yes, a lesson I learned the hard way).

I love Tusker House...  It is the highlight of the character dining experiences at Walt Disney World and a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the richness that is Animal Kingdom.

No, that richness doesn't include my son's Ninja underwear peaking out while riding my husband's shoulders.  Lucky for everybody, I think.

Potatoes, Fritatata, Bacon

Hand-carved Ham

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When I was planning my September of 2011 Disney trip, it was all pretty last minute.  I knew I wanted a character breakfast, but the only thing available a month out was Tusker House.  While I was looking forward to a character breakfast, I wasn't in love with Tusker House.  With a buffet that included sausage gravy and biscuits I knew I wouldn't starve, but I figured the experience was all about the characters and not so much about the food.  Even though I was told over and over that the food was awesome, I was expecting very little.  I did, however, want to try the famous mealie pap, something I was told was a signature dish that was to die for.

When it finally came time for the trip and the Tusker reservations, I knew I was in for a blast.  And when I got a look at that buffet, my tummy did a big ol' happy dance.  Along with my precious sausage gravy there was Mickey waffles, pancakes, fruit, a cutting station with ham...  Honestly, after loading my first plate so full it was almost embarrassing, the characters almost got in the way of the super delicious food.  

On my second trip to the buffet, I grabbed a spoonful of the mealie pap, which granted looked a little odd, but it reminded me of a corn casserole I used to eat when I went to Texas.  I took one, big mouthful and I have to say...  I wasn't a fan.  I really wasn't.  I wanted to like it, and I almost did like it as it certainly isn't disgusting, but it was missing what I think every oatmeal-style dish needs...  A ton of sugar.  That said, I know that mealie pap is almost universally beloved by all that try it and it's become a signature dish for this brilliant restaurant.  In fact, since visiting in September, I've heard that Tusker House serves two versions, one sweet, and one cheesy and savory (the savory version being the one that I tried).

Figuring I was missing out, I decided to give the recipe one more try at home.  I must say, it came out exactly as it did while I was there and tasted exactly the same...  Great for the people who love the savory mealie pap (and the 7 recipe requests from fans who asked for me to make it), but not so much for me as I'm still just not a big fan.  I will say though, the sweet version is quite delish and will have to give that one a go when I go down again next September.  And my 2 year old son?  He's a big fan of mealie pap apparently.  So much so that he ate the entire serving pictured, plus another serving and a half.  

The only real issue with this recipe is hitting the desired consistency, which also seems to vary at Tusker House.  At times it's thin, like porridge (as it was when I went the first time), but other times fluffy like scrambled eggs (as it was when I went the second time).  Simply adjust to your tastes by adding a little cornmeal, then more if you'd like it thicker.  Add milk if you'd like it nice and thin.  This meal is also a breeze to reheat, just make sure you add more milk before reheating.

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Mealie Pap

As is served at The Tusker House, Animal Kingdom

 

°o°  1 small onion, diced
°o°  1/2 cup (or one stick) butter

°o°  2 14.5 ounce cans of sweet creamed corn

°o°  4 cups milk

°o°  1 1/2 - 2 cups yellow cornmeal

°o°  8 oz Parmesan cheese

°o°  salt and white pepper, to taste

°o°  2 oz shredded cheddar cheese

 

Add the diced onion and butter to a large, hot pan and cook onion until it is clear.  Remove from heat and blend until onion is very finely chopped and the butter mixture is a porridge-like color and consistency.

Return mixture to the pan over medium-high heat, adding the creamed corn and milk.  Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring constantly to prevent scalding.  Add 1 1/2 cups of cornmeal and reduce heat to medium low while stirring constantly with whisk for about 15-20 minutes.  If the mixture is too thin, add up to another cup of cornmeal.  If the mixture is too thick, add milk until the desired consistency.  Add Parmesan cheese and stir until incorporated.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and top with remaining cheddar cheese, if desired.

Serve warm.

To make savory mealie pap, omit cheeses and pepper, add 1/4-1/2 cup of sugar (according to taste) and stir until thoroughly mixed.  Top with additional cheese or drizzle with syrup if desired.

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I have far too many bananas in my house.  

The circumstances behind this overflow is in large part due to the fickleness of my son, who overnight went from having to be limited to two bananas a day (with much protest and tears on his part) to deciding he never wanted to see eat another banana ever again.  Since this sudden decision happened to coincide with a sale (.29 cents a pound!), I found myself in the midst of a fruit-related disaster.

Luckily, some genius out there came up with the recipe for banana bread.  Even more luckily, banana bread is, at varying times, featured in several Disney parks including the Monorail Cafe, Boma, and even Tusker House, and I just so happened to have one of the recipes (and all of the ingredients) handy.

The results were amazing.

The bread was dense without being to heavy, moist, and it had this fantastic marbling from the banana that made it so pretty to look at when it was sliced.  Seeing as this was the first banana bread I'd ever made that didn't require any spices beyond vanilla extract, I was worried it'd be "boring," but it ended up being the first bread I'd ever tried where the bananas did all the talking when it came to flavor.  I did make it without the nuts due to allergy concerns, but we certainly didn't miss them.

It took me right back to eating at Tusker House.  All I needed was the Jungle Juice.

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Mickey's Banana Bread

As is served at Monorail Cafe, Boma, and Tusker House

°o°  1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

°o°  2 cups sugar

°o°  2 eggs, beaten

°o°  2 cups banana, mashed (about 3 medium-large bananas)

°o°  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

°o°  3 cups flour

°o°  1/2 teaspoon salt

°o°  2 teaspoons baking soda

°o°  1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix melted butter and sugar in large bowl until very well blended (sugar will not melt, the mixture will be the texture of wet sand).  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, then add bananas and vanilla.  Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda and fold into the banana mixture, making sure all flour is moistened but the mixture is not over-mixed (to prevent air bubbles).  Fold in walnuts, if desired.  The batter will be thick.

Grease and flour two bread pans and divide batter equally between them.  Bake for 1 hour or until center of loaf is firm with a somewhat crunchy top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in pans for 1 minute before removing the bread from a pan and transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Serve either warm or cold with butter, bananas, syrup, or even ice cream.

Makes 2 loaves.

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If two loaves seems like a lot to eat, simply freeze one.  Banana bread does really well in the freezer and thaws quickly and beautifully.  

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