PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
During Halloween (otherwise known as the month of October), it’s easy to get too caught up with getting costumes just right, making sure you have enough candy for the trick or treaters, putting up spooky (but not too scary!) decorations, and coordinating myriad party plans, to even think about what to do for dinner. You could go with the same old standbys, but we think it’s way more fun (for you and your kids) to make your dinner Halloween-themed too. That can mean inviting creepy ghosts, mummies, and Jack-o’-lanterns to your plate, or just sneaking in as much seasonal produce (like pumpkins, apples, sweet potatoes…) as possible. Check out our list of 31 Halloween dinner recipes for kids and adults alike—they’re sure to please all the little goblins and ghouls at your dinner table.
Halloween dinner is also a great time to utilize all the great fruits and veggies that become available during the fall. It’s easy to sneak them into meals that are hearty, comforting, and warming—perfect for those cold October nights. Try our pumpkin or sweet potato sausage lasagna, our butternut squash risotto, or our apple cider glazed chicken to see how deliciously fall produce can fit into your weeknight dinners.
Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic, but dinner on Halloween can't be regular—it's gotta be spooky! Our classics have been Jack-o'-Lantern stuffed peppers and ghost pizza bagels, but now we're obsessed with turning ordinary meatballs into scary works of art by making them look like monster eyeballs.
It takes fewer than 10 ingredients to throw this simple graveyard together—you might have some of them at home already! Feel free to use all store-bought ingredients to make it easier, or make your own enchilada sauce, homemade chicken, and taco seasoning.
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
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Pumpkin Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Sticks
While we love classic tomato soup, we sometimes want to shake things up a bit when fall comes around. This soup gets an extra creamy dose, not only thanks to sweet pumpkin puree, but also with heavy cream and sharp Parmesan. One of the best parts? Both the soup and cheese sticks are ready in under 30 minutes, great to throw together before going out trick or treating.
Cooking the macaroni directly in the goulash means the pasta gets to soak up all that beef and tomato flavor while simultaneously releasing some of its starch into the pan, thickening the goulash to create a hearty, comforting stew. Once you cook pasta this way, you might never go back to boiling water again.
Looking for something delicious that's only a little bit spooky this Halloween? Try these adorable raviolis filled with ricotta, Parmesan, and finely chopped pear. We made these from wonton wrappers, rather than pasta dough, to make them scary easy on you too. 😉 You're welcOoOme.
Baked, not stirred, this recipe for pumpkin risotto takes some of the work off the chef without sacrificing that classic risotto flavor and texture. And it's not just pumpkin and butternut squash that bring the fall flavor in this dish—A sprinkle of goat cheese, parsley, and the tart-sweet touch of dried cranberries round out the earthy autumnal vibes.
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
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Creamy Pumpkin & Parmesan Chicken Skillet
This creamy pumpkin & Parmesan chicken skillet is a one-pan dish that bathes chicken breasts in a garlicky pumpkin cream sauce. This recipe is super-versatile, allowing you to mix up whatever you want to pair it with (of course, you can also just enjoy it on its own!).
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER
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Chili Cheese Sweet Potato Casserole
If you think every bowl of chili should be hidden under mounds of melty cheese and a big dollop of sour cream, this is the casserole for you. With roasted sweet potatoes and black bean chili layered together under a gooey blanket of cheese, this easy vegetarian weeknight dinner is both incredibly comforting and surprisingly hearty, perfect for Halloween night.
Creamy, sweet, and conveniently orange, butternut squash adds extra body, richness, and fun seasonality to mac & cheese. A little thyme does some heavy lifting, making the homey comfort classic a little fancy, and bringing some fall flavors to the table that are *chef’s kiss*.
The scariest thing about these pizza bagels is how fast we're going to eat them. 😉 We definitely recommend using a cookie cutter for the ghosts—try other seasonal shapes too if you got 'em!
Lasagnas can do no wrong. They're the most soul satisfying food around, and this one is no exception. It also proves that pasta isn't necessary. With no noodles to boil, it's almost easier to make than a classic lasagna.
There are a lot of mummy hot dogs in the world, but ours is the best for a couple of big reasons. Firstly, they're stuffed with cheese. Secondly, each mummy is brushed with melted butter before baking. Buttery, flaky, and cheesy, you really can't go wrong!
The pork chops here pair perfectly with apples and onions—a savory-sweet combination that balances the rich meat. You'll glaze both with a mustard-balsamic mixture that has a hint of sweetness from maple syrup. At the end of cooking, you'll finish the dish with a quick broil to create a gorgeous crust on the pork chop. Yum!
Missed the window for dinner, and now it's trick or treating time? Halloween is a day for fun, not stress, so let this recipe come to your rescue. On-the-go-friendly Frito pie will keep you (and your kids) full, while still keeping those holiday spirits up.
This healthy, hearty soup featuring chicken sausage, crushed tomatoes, white beans, spinach, and tortellini NEEDS to be in your fall dinner lineup. It's warm, comforting, and so full of flavor. What more could you want?
Take your favorite risotto recipe into fall with the addition of pumpkin puree, sage, and just a pinch of nutmeg. We love the creaminess the shaved ricotta salata adds, but Parm's fine if that's all you got.
Craving homemade pizza, but don’t have time to deal with finicky pizza dough? We get it, that stuff can be tricky. Skip it altogether, and grab the nearest loaf of French bread instead. The loaf makes for a delicious pizza “crust” that will get crispy on the outside, while staying nice and soft on the inside. It’s truly the best of both worlds.
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER PHOTOGRAPHY; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
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Butternut Squash Casserole
This savory casserole is packed with bacon and two types of cheese (mozzarella and cheddar) and just enough kale to lend the dish a healthy-ish twist (perfect to offset all that candy!).
Making these adorable peppers is just as satisfying as carving pumpkins (and is way easier)! We went with a pretty classic filling here (rice + ground beef), but feel free to take inspiration from any of our stuffed pepper recipes if you like.
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
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Apple Cider Braised Brisket
Apple cider adds a subtle sweetness to a classic brisket, and after letting it braise low and slow, it will be as tender as possible. Letting the potatoes and carrots cook with the brisket flavors them from the inside out, making the whole dish deeply savory. This is perfect for a crowd, so make it if yours is the house all the little ghouls and goblins are meeting at before trick or treating this year.
What dish is the most indicative of leaves falling and the chilly autumn breeze? Some might say it's pumpkin pie, others might say warm apple cider, but to us, nothing fits better with October sweater weather than a delicious bowl of butternut squash soup.
Our smoky vegetarian chili mac comes together all in one pot, and it's SUPER versatile. Throw in your favorite bean and pasta shape, melt in your favorite cheese, and top with whatever you like! (As long as it's crunchy. Fritos are classic, but fried onions, any corn/tortilla chip, or toasted nuts would do the trick.)
At first, pumpkin lasagna might not seem as sexy as, say, spinach artichoke lasagna, but don't be fooled: With layers of melty fontina and mozzarella and notes of sage and nutmeg, you'll definitely be wanting seconds of this veggie-filled lasagna.
This satisfying casserole has ALL of your fall favorites—Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cranberries... It's perfect for fueling up you and your family before trick or treating on Halloween.
This soup has everything you like about a classic stuffed pepper—ground beef, rice, tomatoes, and CHEESE. It's perfect on its own or served with cornbread or a salad for a hearty Halloween evening meal.
The broccoli here is a great way to sneak in an extra serving of greens before going trick or treating. Even the pickiest of ghouls and goblins will eat their vegetables if they are coated in cheese!
Having a quiet night in on Halloween? This risotto is surprisingly easy (a lot of butternut squash risotto recipes call for roasting the squash first, but not this one), meaning you can make it even while getting the door for trick or treaters. Here, everything cooks in the same pot, which means the butternut squash kind of becomes the sauce too. The results are insane.
This meatless, dairy-free take on shepherd's pie is packed with veggies (mushrooms! celery! butternut squash! parsnips!) and loaded with flavor. It's also incredibly hearty, thanks to lentils, so it'll keep you going long into the spooky night.
