Have a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Dinner Party

By: Victoria Phillips

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To celebrate the recently released Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition, which features behind-the-scenes extras with director Mel Stuart, we say throw a Wonka-inspired dinner party and invite your closest friends.

Whether you create an entirely edible room — complete with chocolate fountain, of course — is entirely up to you. We’ve got the menu covered, so you can spend every last second making the factory (and oompa loompas!) come to life.

Start by channeling your inner Charlie Bucket with a simple, humble dish. Jamie’s Italian Bread and Cabbage Soup with Sage Butter, though slightly more decadent than the version the Bucket family often ate, layered like lasagna with grilled bread and cabbage in stock that plumps up like bread pudding when cooked.

Serve a second soup in honor of Violet Beauregarde's three-course bubblegum meal. To start, try Giada’s Hearty Tomato Soup with Lemon and Rosemary. Let it warm you up from the inside out as it slides down the back of your throat, and serve it with a dollop of lemon rosemary crème fraiche.

Violet’s second course consisted of roast beef and a baked potato. Whip up Sunny’s Herb-Crusted Roast Beef with Horseradish Cream and Michael Chiarello’s Mini Baked Potatoes with Marscarpone and Prosciutto Bits. The bite size potatoes will leave just enough room for dessert.

Even if you ate Alex Guarnaschelli's Blueberry Pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in its entirety, we promise you won't actually turn into a blueberry.

Float on a Fruit Fizz high as you let the rest of dinner digest. Charlie and Grandpa had to burp their way down from the ceiling, but these mango, raspberry and blackcurrant versions from Nigella won’t leave you feeling bloated or gross.

No Wonka feast would be complete without chocolate. Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pops are a perfect parting gift that’s both easy to make and fun to eat.

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