My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Start before the movie·Serve ~0:03

Young Toula opens her lunchbox next to a row of sandwiches, unpacks her mother's moussaka, and gets 'moose-ka-ka' jeered at her by the other girls — the dish she'll spend the whole movie growing proud of instead. Cut a square right as her lunchbox opens.

PrepThree components — eggplant, meat sauce, béchamel — all need to be built and layered before a 45-minute bake and a full half-hour rest, so start this one well ahead.

Start before the movie·Serve ~0:09

The restaurant kitchen chaos of an ordinary morning — someone's dropped a bowl of it before the day has even properly started. Keep a bowl going on the counter the whole party through.

PrepBest made a few hours ahead so the flavors settle and the cucumber sheds its water — a five-minute stir job, mostly waiting.

Start before the movie·Serve ~0:44

The Millers' first, careful dinner with Toula — polite small talk about ethnicity, then Harriet's offer: 'Everyone like cheesecake?' Bring it out plain and unfussy, exactly as understated as the evening itself.

PrepNeeds a slow bake and a full chill — bake the day before and refrigerate overnight so it sets clean for slicing.

Start before the movie·Serve ~1:00

The Portokalos front lawn has a whole lamb turning as the Millers arrive, frozen on the sidewalk at the sheer scale of it — announcing exactly what family they're marrying into. Carve it as the two families meet.

PrepMarinate overnight, then roast the better part of two hours plus a rest — start the day before if you can, and definitely start well before the movie.

Pour ~1:00

Gus starts pressing ouzo on the bewildered Millers at the lawn party, glasses clinking around the roasting lamb, and the two families get acquainted the Greek way. Pour it right as the families meet.

PrepPour and add water just before serving so the louche happens fresh at the table — this is a two-minute drink, no lead time needed beyond having the bottle cold.

Start before the movie·Serve ~1:07

Maria turns the Millers' bundt cake over, baffled by the hole in the middle, and later solves it her own way — a flower pot, planted right in the center, announced to the whole room. Bring yours out the same way.

PrepBake and cool it fully so the hole holds its shape for the flower pot bit; have the powdered sugar and a small potted flower ready to go before the movie starts.

Start ~1:05·Serve ~1:09

The tray comes around the lawn party right on the heels of the bundt cake reveal — 'Spanakopita! You hungry?' Pass it while the ouzo keeps flowing and the Millers keep loosening up.

PrepAssemble the triangles ahead and freeze unbaked if you like; bake fresh, about 25 minutes, so they're hot and the phyllo is still crackling when the tray goes out.

Start before the movie·Serve ~1:17

A relative arrives at the bridal shower with a tray held high — 'Hello, ladies, fresh baklava.' Bring yours in the same way, announced before anyone asks.

PrepBake and syrup it the day before serving — baklava needs several hours (or overnight) for the honey syrup to soak all the way through the layers before it's ready to cut.