I love Halloween! The décor, the candy, dressing up, the candy, little kids shyly saying “trick or treat”, the candy, a night of pure fun, and of course, the candy. I typically host some kind of costume party around Halloween (this year’s theme is retro TV) but the day itself is saved for answering the door and enjoying the neighborhood ghouls. So I have a go to make ahead menu that we have on Halloween night after the doorbell stops ringing. It’s full of fall flavors, and would also be perfect for a casual dinner party.
■8 oz cream cheese, softened
■8 oz tub of vegetable cream cheese
■2 tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch Spicy Dressing mix. Or for more heat, Franks Red Hot mix.
■3 green onions, finely diced
■1 red pepper, finely diced (save the stem, wrap in a wet paper towel and plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed)
■2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided use (freshly shredded works best)
Combine cream cheeses with electric mixer. Mix in dressing mix. Gently stir in onion and red pepper. Stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese. Spread out a large sheet of plastic wrap. Sprinkle about ¼ cup cheese on to center of plastic wrap. Shape cream cheese mixture in to a ball and place on the cheese on plastic wrap. Sprinkle remaining cheddar onto the top and sides of the ball.
Wrap the ball up well in the plastic. Add another layer or two of plastic. It needs to be well-wrapped and wrapped tightly. Wrap 4 large rubber bands (double wrapped) or use kitchen twine, and wrap tightly to make pumpkin shaped indentions in the cheese ball. Chill at least 2 hours. To serve, cut off rubber bands or twine and gently remove plastic wrap. Push in red pepper stem. Serve with buttery crackers or tortilla chips. Serves: 8
■8 oz uncooked pasta (for extra Halloween fun use black bean or squid ink pasta)
■2 slices bacon, chopped
■1 shallot, minced
■15 oz pumpkin puree
■1 cup reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
■¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
■½ tsp fresh rosemary or sage, chopped
1/8 tsp nutmeg
■Pinch cayenne pepper
■Salt and fresh pepper to taste
■Splash of cream or half and half
In a large skillet over medium heat saute bacon until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add chopped shallot and cook 1 minute. Add pumpkin, broth, rosemary, spices, and cheese. Simmer 8-10 minutes. Boil pasta according to package instructions. Drain well, reserving some pasta water if needed to thin sauce.
Add a splash of cream to the sauce and stir in drained pasta. Serve with additional shredded Pecorino Romano. You can make the sauce ahead and reheat while the pasta boils. Serves:4
This dish is so versatile. Its special enough for a nice dinner but you can also serve it with your fall cookout burgers, ribs or pulled pork when you tailgate or watch the game on TV. Leftovers are great for lunch.
For the dressing
⅓ cup vegetable oil
■¼ cup apple cider vinegar
■2 tbsp maple syrup
■4 tsp Dijon mustard (regular yellow isn’t quite the same but works)
■½ tsp kosher salt
■1 shallot, very finely chopped
For the salad
■2 bags of packaged broccoli slaw
■¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted
■¾ cup dried cranberries
■Kosher salt and fresh pepper
Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add salad ingredients and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves: 8
The bright green, slime color makes this perfect for Halloween. And it’s a delicious way to “trick” your kids into eating spinach. You can have it ready to go, and just pop it in the oven.
■4 cups spinach leaves, stemmed
■4 cloves garlic, cracked from skin
■1 stick butter, softened
■1 cup grated parmesan cheese
■Salt and pepper to taste
■1 loaf Italian bread, sliced in half lengthwise
Preheat broiler or set oven to 400 degrees. Place all ingredients but bread in a food processor; process and scrape down as needed. Spread butter mixture on bread. Place cut sides up on a baking sheet. Broil for 3 minutes or bake 6-7 minutes. Serves: 8.
For those who don’t want candy for dessert, as crazy as that is. Growing up, I knew it was officially fall when my mother made this cake after we went apple picking.
■2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
■2 tbsp cocoa powder
■1 tsp baking soda
■1 tsp ground cinnamon
■1 tsp ground allspice
■3 large eggs
■2 cups sugar
■2 sticks margarine, softened
■½ cup water
■2 cups grated apples
■½ cup chocolate chips
■1 tbsp vanilla extract
■1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice. Set aside. Cream together eggs, sugar, margarine and water until light and fluffy. Slowly mix in dry ingredients. Mix in vanilla.
Fold in apples, chocolate chips and pecans. Spoon in to prepared pan and bake for 60-70 minutes.