In this article
You’ve probably gotten your kid’s Halloween costume squared away, put up all the pumpkin decorations, and bought all the treats to hand out. Still have that nagging feeling you’re missing something? It’s probably because you don’t have anything for you and the other adults in your household to eat. Fun-sized Snickers bars don’t count.
It’s easy to make this night all about the kids, but the grownups have to eat, too. Otherwise midnight will roll around, and you’ll realize you’ve gone the entire day without anything that isn’t ninety-percent sugar. Here are some dinner recipes to keep you going all the way through trick-or-treating, candy counting and cleanup.
Halloween dinner recipes for adults
All of these recipes have parts that you can prepare ahead of time, so that you’re not toiling over a cauldron in the kitchen while you’re putting the finishing touches on your kid’s witch costume at the same time.
Bedeviled Eggs
Everyone loves deviled eggs, and these horned delicacies from Martha Stewart are spiced up with cayenne and hot sauce. These can be an appetizer, or part of an all-finger-food menu that includes simple dips and a cheese board. Boil the eggs and make the egg mixture ahead of time, and assemble just as the trick-or-treating is winding down.
Mac-o’-Lantern and Cheese Bowls
These clever jack-o-lanterns from Food Network are made out of orange bell peppers and filled with a grownup mac n’ cheese recipe like Ina Garten’s version made with Gruyere and Roquefort, or even a simple pasta salad. Carve the “pumpkins” and make the mac n’ cheese the day before, and fill them on Halloween night.
Boneyard Chicken Pot Pie
This irresistible chicken pot pie from MyRecipes gets the spooky treatment from bones and skulls cut from puff pastry. You can make the pastry and filling the day before and assemble it on Halloween. Can’t you already smell this one baking in the oven?
Don’t forget the adult beverages
If you’re thinking of raiding your kid’s treat bag for dessert, Wine Enthusiast has a guide for pairing wine with your favorite Halloween candy. They even elevate the much-hated candy corn by suggesting a Prosecco or sparkling Riesling. “The bubbles will help cleanse the palate from all the sugar,” assistant tasting director Fiona Adams advised. “But this isn’t the time for heftier bubbles — stick with crisp and simple.”
Easy Halloween dinner recipes
Maybe you’re just exhausted from this whole Halloween thing and really want to take it easy on the big night. No judging here. Try these recipes that require little or no prep and practically cook themselves. But not in a scary way.
Bewitched Chili
This pot of deliciousness from Taste of Home can be started in the morning in a slow cooker and be ready for your Halloween dinner. The witch’s hat tortilla chips are such a nice touch. “I start off every Halloween by getting out my Crock Pot in the morning” mom Lisa Frakes-Sakai told Mom.com. “Whether it’s chili, soup or wings, it’s great to have a meal cooking in the midst of this crazy day. And I always use a simple recipe that I’ve made before so I’m not stressing.”
Make-a-Monster Pizza
This fun pizza, also from Taste of Home, uses refrigerated pizza dough and is super simple. Use asparagus, sweet peppers, mushrooms, olives, pepperoni and red onion to make some monster faces. Or not — why make it more attractive to the kids when it’s your special dinner?
Honey Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli
Keep it super simple by picking up Honey Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli from Trader Joe’s (it’s really, really, good), topping it with an easy sage browned butter sauce or just some jarred sauce, and a few shavings of fresh parmesan. Toss a fresh salad and you’ve got dinner in less than thirty minutes. Which gives you plenty of time to mix up a pumpkin pie martini for yourself.
Vegetarian and gluten-free Halloween dinner recipes
To make sure that everyone gets fed, here are vegetarian and gluten-free recipes to serve up on Halloween night.
Vegetarian Witches Stew
This “Witches Stew” from The Spruce Eats is actually a vegetarian Thai green coconut curry, but you won’t care about the name once you try it. If you want to stick with the Halloween theme, they suggest you add a few “witches fingers” (steamed asparagus tips) to the bowls before serving. Sounds wicked good.
Gluten-Free Halloween Nachos
Who doesn’t like nachos? Not only are they delicious, they’re easy and quick to make. This gluten-free version from Simply Gluten Free gets Halloween-ified by a clever “puking pumpkin” that seems appropriate for the occasion.
Gluten-Free Autumn Pumpkin Chili
With its addition of canned pumpkin, this chili recipe from Taste of Home is perfect for All Hallows Eve. You can make it ahead of time and heat it up while the kids are out trick-or-treating, or put it in the slow cooker in the morning. Either way you’re going to have the perfect meal for a cold, Halloween night.
