15 Halloween Dinner Ideas to Haunt the Taste Buds

While it seems impossible to get everyone’s mind off of candy during Halloween, the following 15 Halloween dinner ideas will definitely get family and friends excited for a spooky festive meal (especially kids!). Just don’t try to scare yourself while you’re concocting these frightful recipes.

1. Mummy Calzones

Unlike a real mummy, this Mummy Calzone recipe is one Halloween dinner idea that you’re going to want to bring to life. Entomb your favorite pizza toppings inside a golden-brown, soft calzone dough and savor the flavors for eternity (or, at least until you inevitably end up making the dish again).

Treats Needed: You’re going to need Olive Oil (opt for Roasted Garlic or Italian Herb for an extra-flavorful calzone experience. The recipe calls for sliced olives, but we recommend using Olive Tapenade and/or Asiago Parmesan Tapenade instead.

Unravel the full recipe.

2.   Chicken Pot Fright

Give the traditionally comforting Chicken Pot Pie dinner a frightening (yet tasty) twist for Halloween dinner. This Chicken Pot Fright allows you to get creative for Halloween. Instead of the traditional puff pastry crust, you’ll add a Halloween-shaped puff pastry into the bowl of pot pie. The recipe has you making a crawling hand, though you can just as easily make a ghost, pumpkin, or another spooky shape of your choice.

Treats Needed: Garlic Sea Salt is a must to get enough flavor to match the fright. Add Mediterranean Herbs to taste for a unique, savory flavor profile in your pot pie. You can use butter but we prefer Olive Oil as a healthier substitute, and for a more savory taste as well.
This frighteningly delicious recipe is available here.

3. Spaghetti and Eyeballs

Just like Frankenstein used to make, this Spaghetti and Eyeballs Halloween dinner idea is the kind of freakish creation that shows the delicious consequences of experimenting on a classic recipe.

Treats Needed: This recipe calls for garlic cloves, which can be supplemented and complemented by Roasted Garlic Sea Salt and Roasted Garlic Olive Oil. You can also add other herb flavors with Basil Olive Oil and Italian Herb Olive Oil.

See the entire recipe.

4. Jack-o’-Dillas

Turns out lanterns aren’t the only thing you can make with the jack-o’-lantern shape, and they’re certainly not the yummiest. Jack-o’-Dillas cheese quesadillas are an easy and fun Halloween dinner idea good for the whole family. Turn cheesy into spooky without even having to carve a pumpkin.

Treats Needed: Olive Oil to lightly brush over the tortillas for a perfect golden-brown, perfectly crispy effect. Apply a layer of Gourmet Jam or Tapenade to the inside to elevate the flavors of the dish.
Carve out the full recipe here.

5.   Chic’kins (Chicken Pumpkins)

Turn chicken bites into a Halloween dinner treat by making them look like pumpkins. All it takes is some creative shaping and some celery stalks to use as the pumpkin stems. Even though you can’t give these crispy, savory treats out to trick-or-treaters, they’re so good that you and the family will be popping them back like candy.

Treats Needed: Instead of vegetable oil, consider using or supplementing it with healthier and more flavorful Olive Oil. You’ll also need high-quality Salt.

Check out the full recipe.

6. Stuffed Pasta Brain

If you’re going for a Halloween dinner idea with a frightening visual, look no further than inside this Stuffed Pasta Brain recipe. It turns out that when constructed properly, spaghetti and marinara sauce can look a lot like bloody brains. Kids will love it, especially when they cut in to find meatballs and more sauce gushing out.

Treats Needed: Use Asiago Parmesan Tapenade for extra parmesan flavor. You’ll need Olive Oil. Opt for a Flavored Olive Oil to really punch up the flavors and add some depth to the dish.

Find the rest of this smart recipe here.

7.“Bat” Wings

Chicken wings are always a family favorite, but when they’re served on Halloween they’re called “Bat” Wings. We recommend pairing this recipe with some cool bat decorations, or even better, a bat-shaped platter to add to the theme of the dish. Your family is sure to go batty over this fun dish!

Treats Needed: A great Barbecue Sauce is a key to the flavor of your “Bat” Wings. Jalapeno BBQ Sauce has a sweet, tangy flavor perfect for Halloween, as well as a dark color that fits the theme of the dish.

Take flight over to the full recipe.

8. Monster Burgers

Are your kids afraid of monsters under the bed? How about monsters under the bun? These Monster Burgers are not only an easy Halloween dinner idea, but they’re also super fun to make and get creative with. All you need to do is make your usual burger recipe and then use condiments as decoration to make them Monster Burgers.

Add “eyes” to the top bun by placing sliced cherry tomatoes on it or using toothpicks with olives. Cut the edge of cheese slices into the shape of teeth and have it stick out of the bun. Get creative with it!

Treats Needed: This Creole Mustard will become your new must-have condiment for burgers, sandwiches, and hot dogs. Use Fresh Homemade Salsa as a stand-in for blood (while tasting delicious).

9. Rib Cage Ribs

You can make dishes scarier on Halloween just through its presentation. Case-and-point: Rib Cage Ribs. For this Halloween dish, you’ll be making delicious short ribs and then serving on a platter laid out in the form of a rib cage. Add the Stuffed Pasta Brain dish on top to create an even eerier effect. Do you know what’s even scarier? Just how delicious these ribs taste.

Treats Needed: You need a jelly for flavor and texture, and there are few better than the Apricot Jalapeno Pepper Jelly. Grab a good Sea Salt for taste and high-quality Olive Oil.

See the full skeleton of this recipe here.

10. Ghostly Pizza

Full disclosure: you may be haunted by this Ghostly Pizza recipe when your family asks you to make it every Halloween. Not only is it super fun to make, but you can also customize it with all your favorite pizza treat toppings. If it disappears off of people’s plates quickly, don’t worry. It’s not a ghost, it’s just that good.

Treats Needed: Olive Oil for the baking sheet. Use Roasted Garlic Olive Oil or Rosemary Olive Oil to add hints of flavor (it smells devine, too). Asiago Parmesan Tapenade is a fantastic pizza topping to add with sauce, as well as Garlic & Herb Hot Sauce for a little bite. Sprinkle Banana Pepper Rings on top for a fresh, zesty flavor.

Unveil the full recipe here.

11. Eye-Popping Blood Soup

Not to fear, the blood in this recipe is actually tomato soup. And the eyeballs floating around in it are mozzarella balls with pimento-stuffed olives. So, while this Eye-Popping Blood Soup is a frightful sight perfect for Halloween, it’s also one of the best comfort foods you can serve during the chillier month of October.

Treats Needed: Instead of butter, try Butter Olive Oil that has a fantastic buttery flavor while being much healthier for you. Choose your favorite gourmet Sea Salts and Seasonings for spookily savory flavoring.

Get your eyeballs on the full recipe here.

12. Jack-o’-Licious Sweet Potato Pie

Instead of carving a pumpkin, carve a puff pastry into a Jack-o’-Licious Sweet Potato Pie for dinner. You’ll be making a delicious sweet potato pie recipe (with your choice to add chicken or not) and carving the top of the pie to look like the face of a jack-o’-lantern. One bite will light up your eyes brighter than a jack-o’-lantern!

Treats Needed: High-quality Sea Salt. You need Olive Oil, and this Koroneiki Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a scary good pairing with sweet potato.

Check out the recipe before you start carving.

13. Spinach Ricotta Skulls

There’s nothing dead about this Spinach Ricotta Skulls Halloween dinner idea, as it packs a flavorful punch that will make anyone feel alive after one bite. The presentation, though, is very fit for Halloween. A perfect start to a spooky meal!

Treats Needed: Use Basil Olive Oil to compliment and bring out flavors of the dish. The recipe calls for coarse salt, so Sea Salt is your best bet.

Unbury the full recipe here.

14. Snakesticks and Blood Soup

Like some ghoulish sorcerer, you’ll be turning breadsticks into snakes for this Halloween dinner idea. The recipe involves twisting breadsticks into a “slithery” snack shape and decorating with food coloring and poppy seeds (or any other seed you like). Frankly, you can bake Snakesticks to go with anything, like some of the scary pasta dishes also on this list. This recipe pairs them with Blood Soup, which again, is tomato soup. If you’re entertaining kids for dinner, they’ll have so much fun with the Snakesticks that you should be sure to make a few extra.

Treats Needed: Koroneiki Extra Virgin Olive Oil is perfect for using in soups for that comforting texture and flavor.

Slither on over to the full recipe here.

15. Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese

Toxic waste makes for a slimy fun visual for Halloween dinner, but this Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese recipe tastes whatever the opposite of toxic is. Heavenly? If you can serve this dish in a dark bowl or serving dish it will fit the Halloween theme even more. The best possible vessel for Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese is a cauldron if you can get your hands on one. It helps to know a witch.

Treats Needed: Butter Olive Oil for a tastier and healthier substitute to butter. You’ll also need Sea Salt and your Seasonings of choice for an anything but toxic flavor.

Dig into this toxic recipe here.