Jenny Mollen’s Movie-Night Truffles Are Better Than Peanut Butter Cups
The Dinner and a Movie co-host shares her favorite movie snack, her opinions on flavored popcorn and what it’s like to host a TV show with your spouse.
Photo Courtesy of TBS
Editor’s Note: TBS and Food Network are sister brands under parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.
For 16 years, the TBS series Dinner and a Movie added fun, games and food to everyone’s favorite blockbusters. The hosts and their guests made movie nights at home extra entertaining — and the recipes made them even more delicious.
Starting June 1 only on TBS, Dinner and a Movie is coming back with hilarious new hosts Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen. Not only are they big movie fans, but they’ve been married for 15 years. They’ll invite you into their cozy dinner parties with special guests, including a few Food Network stars, to enjoy perfectly paired movies and bites.
We reached out to Jenny for a sneak peek of the new season, plus her stances on movie night snacks. Here’s everything you need to know.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
What’s your go-to movie theater snack?
When I was a kid, we used to pop our own microwavable popcorn at home and sneak it into the theater with us to save money. Orville Redenbacher actually lived nearby, and Orville sightings were frequent. In my mind, he’s still the biggest celeb I’ve ever seen IRL.
Do you like any savory seasonings or sweet toppings on your popcorn, or are you a butter and salt person?
I think the first time I tried kettle corn, I was at a theater in Heidelberg, Germany. While it felt sacrilegious for a movie theater to offer anything but fake butter and salt on their corn, I remember scarfing down two large bags. Nowadays, I’m more into the Bjorn Corn Truffle flavor.
Do you have a favorite movie genre?
I can’t watch scary movies. I’ve never been able to. If I even hear the premise for a scary movie, I fixate on it and lose sleep for days.
My favorite movies are usually some sort of subverted hero’s journey that makes you cry but also want to scream and pump your fist in the air. It also has to be self-aware and funny.
What are your favorite dinner-and-a-movie foods?
I have these Peanut Butter Strawberry Truffles that taste better than Reese’s Peanut Butter cups. If it’s dinner time, I will typically opt for a giant salad as big as my face.
Photo Courtesy of Jenny Mollen
In your book Dictator Lunches, you share your foolproof method for packing winning lunches for your kids, so what would you put together for a “Dictator” Dinner and a Movie?
My kids demand “night snacks” every night, regardless of how much they consume for dinner. A typical “night snack” includes, string cheese, apples, blueberries, raw cashews, Bjorn Corn and the occasional MadeGood granola bar.
What can the audience look forward to in this season of Dinner and a Movie? What are you most excited about?
Audiences can look forward to seeing a real-life married couple try to work together. Jason and I have a hard time faking things, so you are going to get a real dose of our dynamic — for better or for worse!
I’m most excited about the format for this show. It is unlike anything I’ve ever worked on. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but more than that, it brings you in in a way that I’ve never seen done before. You are going to feel less like a passive viewer and more like a participant … or perhaps even a couples’ therapist.
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