With the 2020 Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival in full swing, I thought I would share some of my favorite dishes from this year’s festival marketplaces! This festival celebrates the best of global food and drink across six continents with authentic ingredients, cooking techniques, and presentations so it was a challenge to narrow them down to just a handful of top tastes. 

Our chefs have done a fabulous job of creating a diverse menu of offerings at each marketplace with mouthwatering savories, delectable sweets, plant-based options, gluten/wheat-friendly options, and more! This list is just a quick peek at a few of my personal favorites. I also have a special recipe the whole family can enjoy – Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese from the Mac & Cheese Marketplace Hosted by Boursin® Cheese located in World Showplace. This special dish is made with Boursin® Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese and topped with herb panko, YUM! 

Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese with Boursin® Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese topped with Herbed Panko

From Mac & Cheese Hosted by Boursin® Cheese (World Showplace)

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Toasted Panko: 

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup panko
• Coarse salt, to taste

Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese:

• 1 (16 ounce) box cavatappi pasta or elbow macaroni
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup flour
• 8 cups whole milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 pound white cheddar cheese, shredded 
• 1/2 pound yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 (5.2-ounce) Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese wheels, divided
• Coarse salt, to taste
• White pepper, to taste

Directions

For Toasted Panko:

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add panko and stir until combined. Toast in pan for 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from heat; salt to taste. Set aside.

For Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese:

1. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain well. Set aside keeping warm.
2. Melt butter in 5-quart saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until a blonde roux, approximately 4 minutes.
3. Add milk, garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard powder and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes, until thickened.
4. Fold in both shredded cheddar cheeses and two Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese wheels.  Blend with immersion blender until cheese has melted and smooth.
5. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.  
6. Add hot, cooked pasta with cheese sauce and mix until combined and divide evenly into 6-8 bowls.
7. Cut remaining Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese wheel into 6-8 pieces or crumble into a small dish.
8. Top Gourmet Macaroni and Cheesewith toasted panko and Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese pieces or crumbles.
9. Serve immediately.

Click here for a print-at-home version of this recipe!

As for the rest of my picks, read on to see which dishes I chose as my top dishes of this year’s Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival! To see the whole list of offerings, check out our recent Foodie Guide. Enjoy!

Impossible Farmhouse Meatball with Lentil Bread, Spinach, Marinated Vegetables, and Creamy Herb Dressing (plant-based)

From Earth Eats Hosted by Impossible (Near Mexico)

Piri Piri Skewered Shrimp with Citrus-Scented Couscous

From Africa

Kālua Pork Slider with Sweet-and-Sour DOLE® Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise

From Hawaii

Liquid Nitro Chocolate Cake Pops with Crumbled Twix® Original or Crushed M&M’S® Milk Chocolate

From Desserts & Champagne (World Showplace)

Crispy Citrus Chicken with Orange Aïoli and Baby Greens (gluten/wheat friendly)

From The Citrus Blossom (Showcase Plaza)