Make your own Disney magic at home with a Blue Bayou copycat recipe!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve eaten dinner on the screened porch at my mom’s lake house and said, out loud, “This reminds me of Blue Bayou!” The famed Disneyland restaurant is practically an attraction in and of itself. It’s inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in New Orleans Square and the ambiance just can’t be beat: it’s lit by lanterns and surrounded by water with bayou sounds to underscore your dinner. If you’re lucky enough to get a table right on the water, you can wave to all the guests in boats about to enter the ride. It’s sheer Disney magic!

Photo credit: Official Disneyland Website

Often at the lake house, we eat on the screened porch by lantern light, with similar bayou sounds, a view of the lake, and boats passing by. I decided to recreate one of my favorite Blue Bayou meals for dinner this weekend for no reason whatsoever except to add some magic and whimsy to the weekend. I lit extra lanterns all over the screened porch and deck and set the table with a blue tablecloth, hurricane candle, salt and pepper shaker, and bread basket a la Blue Bayou Restaurant.

I recreated the Herb-crusted Rack of Lamb, which is described on the menu as “Mashed potatoes, Chef’s Choice Vegetables, Feta, Rosemary au Jus.” Here’s a photo I took of this dish during my trip to Disneyland in 2016:

1. Make the rosemary au jus. Set aside. Take lamb out of the fridge about twenty minutes before you’re going to cook it.
2. Preheat charcoal or gas grill. Start the mashed potatoes.
3. Rinse lamb lollipops and pat dry with paper towel. Season well with sea salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. When grill is hot, grill the lamb for 3-5 minutes per side depending on the size. You want the internal temperature to read 145 degrees F.
4. Let the lamb sit on a plate while you mash the potatoes and steam green beans.
5. Plate the dish with a generous scoop of mashed potatoes, two lamb lollipops, green beans, cubed Feta cheese, and a nice pour of rosemary au jus.

Mashed Potatoes
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes
Spoonful sour cream
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp butter

1. Put potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil until potatoes are fork tender.
2. Drain the water from the pot, return potatoes to the pot, and put the lid on for five minutes.
3. Transfer potatoes to a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat potatoes with sour cream, milk, and a bit of softened butter. Be careful not to overmix the potatoes! You want them nice and creamy.

Rosemary Au Jus
1/2 Tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves
4 rosemary sprigs, chopped
2 cups beef stock
Salt, pepper

1. Melt butter in small saucepan. Add garlic cloves and sauté until fragrant, about two minutes. Add chopped rosemary and cook for one more minute. Add beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper to taste.