Whip up a "devilish" array of foods for your Halloween party. The more varied the choices you give guests on your menu, the more likely you are to please everyone.
Halloween Menu Planning
The month of October brings plenty of delicious sweets and treats; however, an entire party menu cannot consist of candy alone. Many people will enjoy getting hearty seasonal comfort foods alongside the traditional Halloween treats at a party.
The type of Halloween party you throw will determine what is on your menu. Kids' Halloween party foods should be easy to eat and make, while adults might enjoy a little more sophisticated fare. Purchase the ingredients for recipes approximately a week before the party. If you wait until the day of the party, it may be too late. Specialty items and seasonal items may be sold out the closer it is to Halloween. Look for apples, pumpkin pie filling and candies early to ensure your menu will be a success.
Sample Halloween Party Menu Ideas
Planning a Halloween party menu in advance saves you time and trouble on the day of the party. By organizing yourself, you are sure to have a wide array of foods that everyone will love. Plan your menu based on the type of meal you want to have: a sit-down dinner or a buffet.
Spooky Sit-Down Dinner Options
A fun Halloween party idea is to host a sit-down dinner that includes a murder mystery or séance. The menu for the party might include some of the following menu ideas:
- Starters and Sides: Antipasto salad, hot tomato soup, hummus and vegetables, roasted nuts, shrimp cocktail, roasted squash medley, hot German potato salad
- Main Dishes: Apple-plum glazed pork tenderloins, rotisserie chicken, vegetable lasagna
- Desserts: Halloween cake or cupcakes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, decorated sugar cookies
Boo-rific Buffet Ideas
On a buffet, virtually anything goes as far as party food. Plan to have some crock-pot dishes and a large buffet warmer on hand to keep things fresh and tasty as long as the party goes on. Otherwise, leave the main dishes out for an hour or two and then put them away, bringing out a buffet of festive Halloween desserts for everyone to enjoy as the evening continues.
Savory Buffet Ideas:
Party buffet food ideas to put on your menu for Halloween include:
- Deviled eggs
- Eyeball salad (grape salad or black olive salad)
- Pumpkin dip with graham crackers
- Baked beans
- Salad on a stick (skewer vegetables)
- Cocktail wieners in sauce
- Hamburger goulash
- Broccoli and cheese
- Barbeque pulled chicken or pork
- Chili
- Sloppy Joes
- Sweet potato chips
Sweet Treat Buffet Ideas:
Top off your Halloween party buffet with a do-it-yourself decorating bar for cookies and cupcakes. Simply bake cut-out cookies in Halloween shapes and prepare chocolate and vanilla cupcakes in Halloween wrappers. Place cookies and cupcakes on large trays on a long table and provide plenty of toppings for guests to decorate their own desserts.
Topping ideas include:
- Chocolate buttercream icing
- Vanilla buttercream icing (dyed orange)
- Candy sprinkles
- An assortment of small Halloween candies
- Chopped nuts
Don't forget to add a few other some traditional Halloween treats to the dessert bar. Candied apples and popcorn balls are always a hit at any party with costumed kids of all ages, as are fresh grapes.
Selecting Halloween Menu Items
Coming up with a great Halloween party menu is a little trickier than other holidays, because the traditional Halloween foods are treats and sweets. However, you can use Halloween colors and ghoulish textures as your guide when selecting savory foods to serve. Anything orange or black is a good option, as are mushy and stringy items like grapes or spaghetti. Plan the menu in advance to be sure that you have plenty of options for party-goers to eat.
