Whether you’re hosting a party for children, adults or both, you will be busy on Halloween night answering the door to trick or treaters and entertaining your own ghouls, princesses and goblins. If you’re having a Halloween party — indoors or outdoors in the pool or poolside, you will want to prepare as much of your food in advance of the party.
No one wants to be in front of the stove, oven or microwave, indoors or out in the outdoor kitchen when they just want to be enjoying the party. Planning as much of your menu and preparing it in advance will let you enjoy the party right along with your guests!
No matter what type of party your hosting, you shouldn’t be stressed out about it — parties are supposed to be fun! Plan as much of your menu as you can around prepare ahead treats and finger foods. Don’t be afraid of offering chips, dips, pretzels and chopped up veggies — they are always welcomed!
Try some of these recipes for your Halloween party and grilling pleasure.
Plan A Fun, Spooky & Delicious Halloween Party Menu
Bacon-wrapped Jalapeno Mummies
Ingredients:
- Jalapenos — sliced in half length-wise, seeds removed
- A mix of cream cheese, parmesan cheese, scallions and thyme
- Put the mix into the halved jalapenos
- Wrap each half with bacon
- Drop in capers for eyes.
Cook in a pre-heated 350 degree oven until the bacon is crispy. You can also grill them until the bacon is crispy. Place on a bed of red tortilla chips. These can be put together early in the day then just popped in the oven or on the grill prior to the guests arriving — they are better warm.
Halloween Popcorn Balls
Ingredients:
- Cooked popcorn (from one-third cup of unpopped kernels)
- One tsp. vanilla
- 12 ounces of marshmallows
- Cooking spray
- Chopped up candy bar of your choice
- 1/3 of a cup of salted almonds
- One-half cup of black and orange M&Ms
- One tablespoon butter
In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter, add vanilla then stir in marshmallows, stirring until marshmallows are melted. Pour the melted mixture over the popcorn. Mix with a spatula in a bowl that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Spread the popcorn/marshmallow mixture on a baking sheet covered with waxed paper. Sprinkle remaining ingredients over the top. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour, break into bite-sized chunks. Serve. These can be made a couple of days in advance then formed into bite sized balls for a yummy finger food dessert.
Hot Dog Zombies
Ingredients
- Hot dogs
- Refrigerated crescent rolls
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- String cheese
Separate the crescent rolls and hot dogs. Roll a hot dog up into a crescent roll. Bake according to package instructions. Once the hot dog (also known as a Pig In A Blanket) is cooked, use ketchup to draw on “wounds.” Use mustard to dot on eyes. String cheese can be draped across the hot gods on a serving platter to resemble tattered clothing. These can be prepared in advance and put into the oven or on the grill on a sheet of foil and served warm.
Haunted Marshmallows
Ingredients
- Bag of full sized marshmallows
- Black food coloring
- Paint brush
Draw faces — scary and funny — on marshmallows with the black food coloring. To amp up the scariness — let your guests spear the marshmallows and roast them over an open flame! Adult supervision needed!
“Eyeballs”
These are a Halloween party staple! Peel grapes, put them in a bowl and cover the bowl. Let your guests reach their hands in and grab a few eyeballs for dinner!
“Guts”
Cook up spaghetti noodles, place in a bowl and let the kids stick their hands in and play with the guts! They may or may not want to eat them after they’ve been playing with them. But guts are always fun for the kids!
“Ghost” peppers
Grab orange sweet peppers, carve in pumpkin faces. You can stuff the carved peppers with a “stuffed pepper” mix of cooked burger, cooked rice and tomato sauce. Put the cooked mixture into the peppers and put the peppers in the oven or on the grill and cook until the peppers are warm and the mixture is oozing out! Delicious!
Spooky Spiced, Warm Cider
This spooky treat will take some pre-planning to allow time for the apples to dry. This is a treat that will also require knife skills and DIY talent.
Ingredients
- Apples cut into slices with faces (think Jack-o-lantern) cut into the slices. Once these dry they will look spooky floating in the cider.
- Cider of your choice
- Cinnamon sticks
- Creepy ice cubes. (Pick up Halloween spider rings, fill a bundt tray halfway with cider — freeze. Place the rings into the bundt pan ring, cover with cider and freeze until solid.
- Butter rum or butterscotch candies
Allow two to three days for your apple faces to shrink, wither and dry. If you want to move the process along, place the slices in a 250-degree oven and cook for a couple of hours until dry and withered.
Pour cider into a large kettle. Add in the butterscotch candies, heat until warm. Remove from heat, Drop in cinnamon sticks and a few cloves.
Prior to the party, pour the spiced cider into a cast iron, Halloween-themed decorated bucket and add the bundt cake ice cube ring to float on the top. Once it melts your guests will see “spiders” floating in the cider.
Add the dried apple rings either to the bucket or add them to individual glasses. Enjoy!