Clever Halloween Recipes

Halloween is not only a time for dressing up and going out—it can also be a great opportunity to stay in with friends and watch a scary movie, or better yet, cook something delicious to eat. In the age of Pinterest, which allows us to access ideas in every category imaginable, it’s easy to find a variety of recipes with just a few clicks. Below is a selection of some clever recipes for 2013, drawn from all areas of the Internet.

Fun and Simple Appetizers

Each of these recipes can be made without much trouble; they’re totally dorm friendly and require only a few ingredients. Give them a try if you’re not feeling ambitious but have the Halloween munchies or are watching a movie and craving something fun to go along with it.

Halloween Chex Mix

Ingredients:

• 8 oz white chocolate chips (or vanilla candy melts)
• 4 cups Corn Chex cereal
• 2 cups bite-sized pretzel twists
• 1 cup candy corn M&Ms
• 1 cup candy corn
• ¼ cup orange and black sprinkles

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients together in a bowl. That’s it!

Black Cat Oreos

Ingredients:

• Oreos
• Frosting
• Green M&M’s
• Pumpkin sprinkles or circle sprinkles
• Chocolate chips
• Black edible marker

Directions:

1. Frost the back of the M&M’s and attach to the cookie for the eyes.
2. Using a toothpick dipped in frosting, attach the pumpkin sprinkle upside down to the cookie for the nose.
3. Dip the flat part of the chocolate chips in the frosting and attach to the top of the cookie for the ears.
4. With the black edible marker, draw the center of the eyes on the M&M’s.

Pumpkin Pie Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 tub (16 oz) Cool Whip, thawed
• 1 small box instant cheesecake pudding
• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not the pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• Sprinkling of cinnamon sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, gently fold together the Cool Whip, pudding mix, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.
2. Garnish dip with cinnamon sugar. Serve with graham cracker squares, vanilla wafers, or fruit. Store the dip in the fridge, covered tightly, for up to 2 days.

Terrifying Entrees

If you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, are throwing a Halloween party in your apartment, or are just looking for a more substantial Halloween-cooking experience, these recipes are for you. Give them a try if you’re feeling up to it!

Zombie Eyeballs/Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 40-50 prepared and/or fully cooked meatballs (you can make them or buy them)
• 1 2/3 cups of grape jam
• 1 bottle of chili sauce
• Green olives (stuffed with pimentos works best)
• Toothpicks

Directions:

1. Mix together chili sauce and jam in a medium sized bowl until smooth.
2. Place prepared meatballs in a slow-cooker or CrockPot and pour the jam/sauce mixture over top.
3. Cook on low for about 2 hours or until sauce is hot and bubbly.
4. Place meatballs on platter. Use toothpick and poke through the center of an olive (You can use a half olive if you want the eyes to be less “bulgy”) and poke into meatball to secure.
5. Drizzle the extra sauce over the meatballs an extra spooky effect.

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 apple, peeled and diced
• 2 cups fresh pumpkin, roasted and diced (see note)
• 1 tbsp sage leaf
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup cream
• 1 sprinkle of salt
• 1 black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

1. In a stockpot over medium heat, melt butter and saute onion, carrot, apple, roasted pumpkin, and sage until all are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Puree the mixture in a food mill; if you do not have a food mill, then puree in a food processor or blender.
3. Return the puree to the stockpot, add the chicken stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the cream and simmer for 5 more minutes, lowering the heat if necessary so it does not boil.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Divide soup among 4 soup bowls and serve immediately.
6. Cook’s Note: To roast pumpkin, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut whole pumpkin in half and then cut each half into several pieces. Discard seeds or reserve for another use. Place pumpkin on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until tender but not falling apart, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool, peel away skin, and dice.

Monster Claws

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into ¾” strips
• 1 ½ cups French’s fried onions, crushed
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 red pepper cut into triangles
• Dipping sauce of choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Lightly grease baking sheet. Combine flour and 2 teaspoons of Old Bay into a large Ziploc bag. Add chicken, seal bag shut, and shake.
2. Place crushed fried onion in a shallow bowl. Place eggs in a separate shallow bowl
3. Dip chicken in eggs, then roll in onion until well covered. Place on baking sheet.
4. Bake 12-15 minutes, and make sure chicken is no longer pink in the center.
5. Let chicken cool slightly so it is easy to handle. Make a ½ inch slit in one end and slide the slice of pepper into the slit. This creates the nail. Serve with dipping sauce of choice.

Ambitious Desserts

Finally, if your sweet tooth is active but you want something a little more challenging than Oreos with cat faces, give these three dessert recipes a try. They’re perfect for a night in with friends or a sweet end to a Halloween date night.

Caramel Corn with Pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
• 12 cups popped popcorn (from 1/2 cup kernels)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250°. Heat pepitas in a skillet over medium, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool; then place in a large bowl with popcorn and toss to combine.
2. Combine melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves.
3. Bring to a boil without stirring. Cook until mixture reaches 248° on a candy thermometer, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully stir in baking soda.
4. Pour caramel over popcorn mixture and stir to coat with a flexible spatula. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet.
5. Bake, tossing occasionally, until golden, about 40 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon salt; let cool completely. Break into clusters. (Caramel corn can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.)
6. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 20 crème-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
• 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8-inch-square pan with foil so that foil overhangs sides. Mist with cooking spray.
2. Make crust: Process cookies in food processor until ground. Pulse in butter. Press evenly into pan. Bake until firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly.
3. Make filling: With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin, then eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla, flour, spice and salt until just combined.
4. Pour mixture into pan. Put pan on a large rimmed baking sheet; place in oven. Pour hot water into baking sheet until it’s nearly filled. Bake until cheesecake is set around edges but jiggles slightly in center, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove pan from sheet; cool completely on rack. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill until firm, at least 3 hours.
5. Note: Pipe whipped cream onto bars in a circular motion. Use mini chocolate chips for eyes.

Salted Caramel Candy Corn Bark

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of waffle-style pretzels (approximately 75)
• 1 (16 oz) pkg. vanilla candiquik coating
• 1 (11 oz) pkg. caramel bits
• 1 (9 oz) bag candy corn M&Ms (could use regular candy corn as well)

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and then place pretzels in the pan side by side.
2. Melt caramel in a microwaveable bowl according to package directions.
3. Stir caramel until smooth and then spoon over each individual pretzel. Allow to cool for five minutes.
4. Melt the vanilla coating in the microwave according to package directions. Pour the coating over the caramel and spread evenly.
5. Allow to cool for a minute and then place M&Ms or candy corn on top. Allow candy to harden and then cut into pieces.
6. Peel the wax paper from the caramel and enjoy!

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