Due to the unheralded success of the film The Hangover, 2009 has been a great year for the bromance, the debaucherous bachelor party, and bringing the honor back to slipping into work bleary-eyed and sunglass-hidden. Todd Phillips' film starred this year's furry secret weapon, Zach Galifianakis, catapulted Bradley Cooper—a 2009 Tribeca Film Festival juror—to mega-movie star status, and ultimately, proved that having fun with the boys can still bring in the bucks. Don't forget: what happens in Vegas...is still pretty hilarious!

The Hangover captures in full form the hijinks and misadventures of a Vegas bachelor party gone awry, but it misses the saving grace of an achy morning after—the much-needed, high-calorie, medicinal foods we love. Hangover food maximizes the joys of comfort: there is nothing like a creamy and delicious mac & cheese to nurse whatever ails you when you need it most. As an intense lover of both food and film, I believe nothing can be more satisfying than marrying the dynamic twosome, so I created a night of viewing and eating pleasure for some of my closest friends, with The Hangover as the star and muse of the night.



To execute such an evening, I enlisted my close friend and cooking mentor, Phoebe Lapine, whose blog biggirlssmallkitchen teaches you the fine art of working wonders in a NYC apartment. Instead of the classic mac & cheese, we made a version with butternut squash; the classic ham & cheese sandwich was “foodified” into prosciutto & fontina paninis with arugula pesto and pickled shallots; and grilled cheese was spun into a delectable sundried tomato pesto panini with mozzarella and arugula. As I hoped, the food served to highlight the spirit of the movie, while joyously satiating my friends’ appetite.

A food & film night with The Hangover can be enjoyed even after this over-indulgent time of year. It amplifies any movie night with your closest buds, turning it into a gastronomic feast. And the best part is that if you really enjoy yourself during the movie, you'll have leftovers the next day to make it all feel better…

So starting this week, you can rent the movie, rally the troops, and download the recipes below (click for PDF versions). Let the revelry commence!
 

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese (click for PDF)

  


 

Prosciutto & Fontina Panini with Arugula Pesto and Pickled Shallots (click for PDF)

  

Sundried Tomato Pesto Panini (click for PDF)

  

Rent The Hangover today.

Order your very own copy on DVD or Blu-Ray.

The trailer will remind you why you loved the movie so much: