Spooktacular Recipes

Halloween isn’t only about costumes and candy—it’s also the perfect excuse to get creative in the kitchen. Whether you’re hosting a party or just looking to add a festive touch to family dinner, these Halloween-inspired meals and treats are simple to make, fun to serve, and guaranteed to bring smiles (and maybe a few shrieks) to the table.

To start off with a classic American dish, mummy hot dogs are as easy to make as they are adorable. All you need are hot dogs, crescent roll dough, and a little mustard or ketchup. Wrap strips of dough around each hot dog, leaving small gaps for the face, then bake until golden. Add dots of mustard for eyes, and you’ve got a batch of spooky little mummies ready to serve with your favorite dipping sauces.

​Turn a common meal into a festive jack-o’-lantern with pumpkin quesadillas! Carefully cut tortillas into pumpkin shapes using a knife, then carve out triangle eyes and a toothy smile in only the top layer. Fill with shredded cheese (cheddar works beautifully for a bright orange color), press together, and cook in a skillet until melted and golden. It’s a quick, family-friendly meal that looks nearly too cute to eat.

​For something more cozy, try whipping up a pot of witches’ brew soup. A simple broccoli and cheddar soup can give you a perfectly eerie green hue. Sauté onions and garlic, add broccoli florets and vegetable broth, then simmer until tender. Blend smooth and stir in some shredded cheddar for richness. Serve in small bowls – or black cauldrons to add to the vision – and garnish with croutons shaped like bones if you have the proper cookie cutter.

​Let your inner artist shine with Jack-o’-Lantern stuffed peppers. Slice off the tops, hollow out the seeds, and carve jack-o’-lantern faces into each pepper. Then stuff them with a hearty filling—think rice, ground beef or turkey, onions, tomatoes, and spices. Bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is bubbling. When served, they look like little glowing pumpkins right off the dinner table.

​The standard spaghetti and meatballs dish gets a spooky makeover with monster eyeball pasta. Prepare your usual spaghetti with marinara, then top with meatballs. For the monster-eye effect, place a round slice of mozzarella cheese on each meatball, let it melt slightly, and add a slice of black olive in the center to resemble a pupil. The result? A plate full of monster eyes staring back at you—creepy and delicious.

​No Halloween menu is complete without dessert, and graveyard dirt cups are an easy, crowd-pleasing choice. Layer chocolate pudding with crushed chocolate cookies to mimic soil, then decorate with gummy worms and candy pumpkins. For a chilling touch, opt to add cookie “tombstones” by writing “RIP” on vanilla sandwich cookies with black icing. It’s the kind of dessert that disappears fast at any party.