Hoo’s Picks for Halloween Dinners

Yummy Mummy Calzone

Ingredients: 

  • 2 loaves (1 pound each) frozen bread dough, thawed
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup pizza sauce
  • 50 slices pepperoni
  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 pitted ripe olive, sliced and cut in half

Directions: 

  1. Roll out each piece of dough into a rounded triangle shape, about 14-in. high and 11-in. wide at the base of the triangle. Place each on a parchment-lined baking sheet with the tip of the triangle toward you. Lightly score 4-in.-wide rectangle in the center of the triangle 2 in. from the top and bottom.
  2. On each long side, cut 1-in.-wide strips at an angle up to the score line, leaving a triangle in the top center of the wide end for the head.
  3. Inside the scored rectangle in the center, layer the cheese, pizza sauce, pepperoni and green pepper. Shape the top center triangle into a head. Starting at the head, fold alternating strips of dough at an angle across filling stopping at the last strip on each side. Fold the bottom dough tip up over the filling, then fold the remaining two strips over the top; press down firmly.
  4. Brush dough with egg. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes. For eyes, press 1 olive slice into each head. Discard or save the remaining slices for another use.
  5. Bake at 350 ° for 25-28 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Courtesy of Tasteofhome.com 

Halloween Worm Sandwich

Ingredients:
  • 8 Chicken Hotdogs
  • Hamburger Buns
  • 2 tbsp banana ketchup+1 tsp soy sauce OR 3 tbsp barbecue sauce
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil

Directions:

  1. Cut each hotdog lengthwise into 4. If you want thinner worms, you can cut into 6.
  2. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet and fry hotdog strips until it curls.
  3. Mix ketchup and soy sauce, and gently stir into curled hotdogs. Or if you’re using barbecue sauce, just gently stir the sauce with the hotdogs
  4. Toast hamburger buns in the oven for a few minutes, you can put sliced cheese then put some of your curled hotdogs.
  5. It would seem like they were worms and would shock the kids..or your guests.

Courtesy of Thepeachkitchen.com

Feet of Meat

 

Ingredients:

  • 2-1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs or oatmeal
  • 1/2 cup milk or water
  • 1 egg
  • 1 envelope (1 ounce) dry onion soup mix
  • 8 Brazil nuts or almonds
  • 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce or ketchup

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine ground beef, garlic, bread crumbs, milk, egg and onion soup mix in large bowl; stir until well blended. Reserve 1 cup meat mixture.
  2. Divide remaining meat mixture in half; shape each half into 7X4-inch oval. Place ovals on rimmed baking sheet. Divide reserved 1 cup meat mixture into 8 balls; place 4 balls at end of each oval for toes. Press 1 nut into each toe for toenails. Brush meat loaves with barbecue sauce; bake 1-1/2 hours or until meat thermometer registers 160°F.

Tip: When shaping feet, form “ankles” that have been “cut off” and fill with dripping ketchup before serving for an especially gruesome effect!

Courtesy of Howstuffworks.com

Spooky Spaghetti

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 tsp Black Food Paste Colorant or any other color of your choice.
  • 1 16 oz Box of  Spaghetti
  • 4 Quarts of water
  • 1 tsp. Salt

Directions:

  1. In a large pot put 4 quarts of water, 1/2 tsp. food coloring and 1 tsp. salt for each pound of dry spaghetti.
  2. Bring the water to a boil.
  3. Add spaghetti and return to boil.
  4. Cook uncovered approximately 10-12 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Avoid overcooking.
  5. Remove from heat and drain.
  6. Top with meat sauce and olives!

Courtesy of The36thAvenue.com 

Monster Burgers

 

Ingredients:

  • 8 ground beef patties (4 oz each)
  • 8 burger buns, split
  • 8 slices (3/4 oz each) American cheese
  • 8 thin slices cooked ham
  • 16 slices dill pickle
  • Ketchup

Directions:

  1. Set oven control to broil. Place ground beef patties on broiler pan. Broil with tops 3 to 4 inches from heat 10 to 12 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, turning once.
  2. Place bottom halves of buns on serving platter. For each monster burger, place 1 cooked patty on bottom half of bun. Cut cheese slice in half in zigzag pattern to look like teeth. Place half of cheese slice on burger, with “teeth” hanging off 1 side of patty.
  3. Loosely fold ham into tongue shape; place on top of “teeth.” Place remaining cheese “teeth” on top of “tongue.” Top with top half of bun. Place 2 pickle slices on top for eyes. Dot “eyes” with ketchup for pupils.

Spooky Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:

Mashed Potatoes:

  • 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) butter
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • salt pepper to taste

 

Beef Mixture:

  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon steak seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 3/4 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
  • 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese for topping

 

Frankenstein Dogs

Ingredients

  • State Fair® Corn Dogs
  • Green food coloring
  • 1 egg + 2 tablespoons of water for egg wash
  • Black olives
  • Peanut butter
  • Pretzel sticks
  • Candy googly eyes
  • Black tortilla chips

 

Instructions

    1. Mix the egg and water to make egg wash.
    2. Add a few drops of green food coloring to the egg wash until you achieve a deep green. Brush egg wash on corn dogs.
    3. Bake corn dogs according to instructions.
    4. Cut thin strips of black olives and crush the tortilla chips.
    5. Once the corn dogs have cooled put some peanut butter on the top of each corn dog using a spatula and dip in crushed black tortilla chips to create Frankenstein’s hair.
    6. Put a small dab of peanut butter behind each candy googly eye and attach the eyes to your green corn dog.
    7. Gently press a pretzel stick into each side of Frankenstein’s head.
    8. Using a toothpick trace Frankenstein’s mouth and scar with peanut butter. Gently press your black olive strips onto the peanut butter to make the mouth and scar.

Toxic Waste Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk (or Half & Half – I used Unsweetened CashewMilk)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 Tablespoon dry mustard powder
  • 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more if desired)
  • 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese (grated)
  • 1 package frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
  • green food coloring
  • 1 pound dry pasta (cooked and drained – I used medium shells)
  • 1 head fresh cauliflower (cut and steamed**)

 

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a large pan/Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
  2. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Simmer, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Pour in the milk and whisk to combine and remove all lumps.
  4. Add the salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, and mustard, stir to combine.
  5. Continue cooking until mixture starts to simmer, 6 to 8 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat and add the grated cheese. Stir until melted and completely combined.
  7. Add the drained spinach, stir to combine. Add a few drops of green food coloring if desired.
  8. Add the drained pasta and stir until completely coated.
  9. Stir in the steamed cauliflower, and serve immediately. **I left my cauliflower in large chunks and waited until the very end to add them so they would stay whole, and so they would look creepier sitting near the top.

Bat Wings

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup pineapple juice
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce optional
  • 1 tsp black food coloring
  • 3 lb whole chicken wings
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  1. Combine the pineapple juice, brown sugar, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and black food coloring in bowl. Add the chicken wings and turn carefully to coat.
  2. Marinate for 6-24 hours.
  3. Preheat oven to 400ºF/200ºC.
  4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
  5. Remove the wings from the fridge and place them in a single layer on the baking sheets.
  6. Bake chicken 30 minutes.
  7. Combine the honey and apple cider vinegar.
  8. Remove the wings from the oven and brush liberally with the honey mixture.
  9. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.
  10. Serve in your spookiest dish

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