No meal is complete without a show to match. Is there any better feeling than coming home from a long day at class or work and turning on your current favorite show while chowing on a home-cooked meal? Take note from that show you’re tuning into and create a meal inspired by it.
Peaky Blinders – Full English Breakfast
You may have heard your friends talk about the Netflix original series Stranger Things a bit over the past few months, but there are other originals just as deserving of the same hype. Enter: Peaky Blinders, the 1920s era drama that centers on a family who’s willing to do just about anything to stay at the top of the gangster hierarchy in Birmingham, England. A rugged group calls for a deserving dinner – English breakfast. I think we’re all in agreement in saying nothing beats breakfast for dinner, so make it English style with baked beans on toast and all the intercontinental goodness on the side.
The Crown – Roasted Lamb and Potatoes
While many are still reeling from this drama following Queen Elizabeth II’s reign beating Stranger Things at the Golden Globes, I’m over here jumping for joy because this show is probably one of the best TV performances, ever. Totally an objective opinion. When you decide to binge-watch this before bed, you might be inspired to try something just as regal for dinner the next night. Roasted lamb and potatoes is a palace favorite, one that’ll make you feeling like a royal in no time. It’s even better as Shepard’s pie for leftovers, or so the former chef for Prince Charles and Princess Diana says. And what she says, goes.
Reign – Noodle Bowl
This CW historical drama follows Mary, Queen of Scots and all of the intrigue and royal scandal surrounding life in French court in the 16th century. The cast is stellar, the wardrobe will leave you Googling “how to dress like a French lady-in-waiting on a budget”, and the modern-day soundtrack is somehow all too fitting. While simple meals of the day like bread, cheese, and meat is always a go-to even today, try a dinner more fit for a royal (and your TV tastes) and make your own noodle bowl. Ordering Chinese when watching a drama-filled show like Reign is like second nature, but making your own version can be just as fulfilling.
Designated Survivor – Nachos
In case you need more politics in your life, ABC’s Designated Survivor is the perfect binge-approved show on deck. If you’re half as excited about politics as the writers are for this show – who took only 2 weeks to pen a script – than this new drama is for you. What better way to channel your inner-president than by eating like one? Every president has their favorite foods, so go with the most recent POTUS’s pick and have nachos for dinner. When in doubt: guac.
Mr. Robot – Pizza
Mr. Robot is equal parts smart and creepy – making nail-biting your new habit to kick with all the nerves you’ll build up within the first five minutes. You need something quick to make and tasty, like these English muffin personal pizzas. The time spent making a complicated meal could go towards watching another episode. And another.
Next time you sit down to press play on your current Netflix favorite, consider making a dinner the main character would approve of. Maybe then you’ll feel less guilty about staying up too late to finish an episode…or a season.