There’s no question about it: The food is one of the best things about Nancy Meyers’s movies. From the dinner party scenes where everyone is sipping on a glass of wine and swirling pasta onto their forks to the “casual” mornings where the breakfast table is set with homemade pancakes and freshly squeezed orange juice, there’s nothing like a Nancy Meyers movie to make you really hungry (or at least make you want to host something ASAP). I would know—I recently rewatched three of the six movies she’s directed, and let’s just say I was having some serious cravings after.
To satisfy those cravings, I did a deep dive into the Nancy Meyers movie catalog and rounded up a list of delicious recipes straight out of the films. Each of these yummy dishes is either eaten, mentioned, or shown on screen. If you’re ready to host an on-theme Nancy Meyers movie night or just want to enjoy some good food, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading for 12 cozy dishes you can recreate from Nancy Meyers’s beloved film collection.
1. Homemade Chocolate Croissants
Chocolate croissants play a starring role in one of my top five favorite scenes of Nancy Meyers’s entire movie catalog. In It’s Complicated, Jane Adler (played by Meryl Streep) and love interest Adam Schaffer (AKA Steve Martin) get high (and subsequently really hungry) and take their date to her bakery, where they make chocolate croissants together. If you’re in the mood for something warm and a little indulgent, these homemade chocolate croissants are absolutely worth the effort and wait time. There’s definitely a reason why Jane dubs them “her specialty.”
2. Linguine with Clams
Something’s Gotta Give is the blueprint for the coastal grandma lifestyle, complete with a candlelit seafood dinner hosted by Diane Keaton’s character, Erica Barry. While the conversation around the table is awkward at best, the meal itself looks incredible. A close-up pause on the plate reveals the main entrée is linguine alla vongole, or linguine with clams—an Italian pasta dish made with steamed clams. It’s a meal that feels elegant and restaurant-worthy, but it’s actually pretty budget-friendly and simple to make at home, making it the perfect Nancy Meyers-inspired dinner to impress friends with.
3. Lavender Ice Cream With Honey
Take another note from Jane Adler and try your hand at making homemade lavender honey ice cream, which Adam says in the movie was “the best dessert of any sort I’ve ever had… like, in my life.” (Of course, that was before he had the chocolate croissants, but c’est la vie.) This is the kind of dessert that is just impressive enough to have your guests talking about it for years to come. And to top it all off, you only need five ingredients and an ice cream maker (or a strong whisking arm) to get the job done.
4. Coq au Vin
In Something’s Gotta Give, when Erica and Harry are trying to decide what to eat during their pajama party, she suggests leftover coq au vin before they land on pancakes. Also known as chicken in wine, coq au vin is a comforting French stew made with vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, and onions. It feels like just the type of elevated dish a Nancy Meyers main character would make on a whim (and likely by memory). If you have a little extra red wine in your cabinet, it makes for a great excuse to treat yourself to this delicious recipe.
5. Peanut Butter Oreo Cookies
While you can simply dip Oreos into peanut butter like the twins do in The Parent Trap, why not take the iconic flavor combo one step further by making them into a cookie of their own? These peanut butter Oreo cookies are a delicious riff on the combo. Each bite brings the perfect balance of salty and sweet, plus the smoothness of peanut butter and the crunch of crushed Oreo cookies. If you’re skeptical at all about the flavor combo, I promise you’ll be pleasantly surprised after just one bite.
6. Gourmet Hot Dogs
While I don’t plan to have a meltdown over hot dog buns like Steve Martin’s character in Father of the Bride (totally valid, BTW), I do plan to enjoy plenty of hot dogs this summer. But I’m not stopping with a basic squirt of ketchup and mustard. With three different flavor topping combos (classic, Mexican-style, and Asian-inspired), premium wieners, and buns toasted to perfection, these upgraded hot dogs are worthy of a Nancy Meyers-approved backyard gathering.
7. Croque Monsieur
A few steps up from your regular ham and cheese, croque monsieur is a French toasted sandwich made with ham, Gruyère cheese, and béchamel sauce—basically the ideal cheesy comfort food. In It’s Complicated, Jane serves this dish alongside some leafy greens to Adam, saying, “It’s one of the first things I learned to make when I lived in Paris because the ingredients are really, really cheap.” Although the ingredients may be budget-friendly, this elevated recipe is perfect for when you’re feeling fancy.
8. Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Next time you’re in need of a real breakfast treat, whip up a batch of these chocolate chip pancakes just like Chessy did in The Parent Trap. Although “Hallie” barely touches her breakfast (immediately raising Chessy’s suspicions), you’ll definitely want to devour a whole stack. This recipe only uses a few pantry staples, so you likely already have all the ingredients on hand (a real win for Saturday mornings!).
9. Freshly-Squeezed Orange Juice
You’re going to need something to sip on along with that pancake stack. To channel your inner Nancy Meyers character, skip the bottled version and make your own freshly squeezed orange juice. All you need are a few oranges, so load up a bag at your local farmers market or grocery store and get squeezing.
10. Fettuccine Alfredo
There’s nothing quite as comforting as pasta, which is why in The Holiday, Iris (played by Kate Winslet) offers to make Miles (Jack Black’s character) some “Christmas fettuccine” to cheer him up, as he’s still reeling from a recent breakup. It may also be why we later see Cameron Diaz’s character with a big plate of fettuccine Alfredo at the cottage. And while it may not be Christmas quite yet, comfort food is always on the menu. This fettuccine Alfredo will most certainly hit the spot on those nights when you just want to cozy up and enjoy a warm bowl of pasta.
11. Roast Chicken
Roast chicken is a classic dish that can easily become the centerpiece of any dinner party. It’s also a staple in Jane Adler’s recipe repertoire in It’s Complicated—and a favorite of her ex-husband (AKA Alec Baldwin). The best part? It only takes 15 minutes of prep time before the oven does the rest of the work.
12. Homemade Chili
There’s nothing like a homemade pot of simmering chili to make you feel like you just walked onto the set of The Parent Trap. Dubbed Hallie’s favorite meal by Chessy, chili is cozy, comforting, and super nourishing, so you can feel good about eating it, too. The only thing that makes it better? Serving it Chessy-style with cornbread.
Lauren Barnhill, Contributing Writer
Lauren Barnhill is a freelance writer with a passion for all things fashion, beauty, home, and lifestyle. Beyond The Everygirl, Lauren has written for top outlets including Real Simple, SUCCESS, and BuzzFeed. She is also the voice behind Leisurely, a Substack newsletter all about living an unhurried, intentional life.
Images featured in graphics credited to: Everyday Elizabeth, Tastes Better From Scratch, Chungah Rhee | Damn Delicious
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