Happy Halloween-is-coming! I’ve never been the best at creative costumes, but my talents lie elsewhere — namely, putting together an epic feast.
I’m at the life stage where I have both rambunctious toddlers (who would happily eat only cheese sticks, juice boxes, and Halloween candy for all of eternity) and adult friends and family who appreciate genuinely delicious food. So when it comes to hosting a kid- and adult-friendly fête, my entertaining philosophy is to keep things simple — and have some fun while doing it.
Below, you’ll find an easy hosting strategy for a small Halloween get-together — plus recipes for a spooky spread that will make everyone happy, from a campfire-inspired cheese plate to pumpkin-spiced cupcakes. The vibe is joyfully autumnal and super laid-back. The impossible is possible — to satisfy all ages with a can’t-go-wrong Halloween spread.
Add a scary stinky cheese like Époisses. It’s rumored to be banned from the Paris Metro due to its smell, which makes a good Halloween party anecdote.
Simple and Spooky Hosting Tips
I can get insecure with decorating for holidays, but Halloween is so easy to have fun with, without a big lift of money or interior decorating skills. Paper bats, gourds of all shapes and sizes (the more the better!), and spiderwebs galore are your friends. You can also have your kids help you use a Sharpie to draw ghostly faces on white balloons. But believe me: Nobody cares as much about cute ghost décor as they do about hanging out with their people and sharing a few laughs.
As far as food goes, I have a hosting rule for all parties: The more I can do ahead of time, the better. This applies even more when kids are around because I am attempting to both chat with my grownup friends and appease constant kid demands. All of the below recipes can mostly be made ahead a time — they’re also fun for kids to help with and show off later (but beware if your daughter is like mine and prone to eating the whole cheese board before anyone arrives).
Together, these recipes comprise a perfect pre- or post-trick-or-treating spread, or a Saturday-before-Halloween afternoon extravaganza. Or, you can just pick one thing and leave the rest. If you have kids, you’re tired. I get it.
Zesty Za’atar Pumpkin Seeds
The day before, recruit your kids to help you roast pumpkin seeds. Have the kiddos help you separate the seeds from the stringy, gooey pulp. (A favorite activity in my house! So slimy!) Rinse the pumpkin seeds thoroughly in a colander and pat them dry. Toss them with olive oil, za’atar, and sea salt. (Za'atar is an earthy, fragrant Middle Eastern spice blend. You could make your own with dried oregano, sumac, and toasted sesame seeds, or get a jar from the grocery store.) Roast the seasoned seeds at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes, or until they’re just golden and crisp.
Za'atar is an earthy, fragrant Middle Eastern spice blend. You could make your own with dried oregano, sumac, and toasted sesame seeds.
Let them cool. This will be a great party snack, just plopped in a little bowl for munching, and an ideal crunchy topping for…
Scarily Simple Butternut Squash Soup
This recipe from YummyHealthyEasy makes a creamy, soul-satisfying soup blended with only garlic, onion, butternut squash, and veggie broth. It’s a healthy foil to all the Halloween treats that even picky kids (might) love. Make this ahead of time and let all the flavors meld in your fridge before your gathering.
If you want to be very casual, leave it on the stove and let your (grownup) guests help themselves. Or be fancy and serve everyone with elegant(ish) bowls.
Get even fancier and turn your soup bowls into spider webs. Fill a plastic bag with sour cream, carefully cut the corner off, and pipe, zig zagging atop each soup bowl. Very spooky!
If you want to be more on-the-nose with the Halloween feel, add a pair of googly eyes atop a wheel of cheese and a few plastic spiders climbing up your platter. Boo!
Toasty-Ghosty Grilled Cheese Sammy Sticks
These are perfect for dipping in your soup, or devouring as-is. Also, who doesn’t love a grilled cheese sandwich? Any quality-sliced bakery bread will do — I usually opt for sourdough. You can make a whole tray of these in the broiler. Cut the bread into strips, generously butter both sides, and add slices of your cheese of choice — always sharp cheddar for me. Place the baking sheet under the broiler for approximately five minutes, or until the bread is toasted. Next, flip the bread and cook for two or three more minutes until the other side becomes golden and the cheese is gloriously melty.
Pro tip: It’s okay if the cheese sticks out of the bread a bit. Nobody scoffs at extra melty cheese.
An Autumnal Cheese and Charcuterie Board
To round out the meal, well, we have even more cheese! Assemble your platter ahead of time and leave it out for grazing. What makes a cheese and meat platter autumnal? It can showcase fall colors with pomegranate seeds, black grapes, and wine-soaked pecorino! You can add other smoky cheese and meat finds, too — like smoked Gouda, chorizo, and speck — that give a cozy feel.
Or you could add a scary stinky cheese like Époisses. Its bark is bigger than its bite — the pungent exterior yields to a pudding-soft, loveable cheese that my three-year-old enjoys by the spoonful. It’s rumored to be banned from the Paris Metro due to its smell, which makes a good Halloween party anecdote.
If you want to be more on-the-nose with the Halloween feel, add a pair of googly eyes atop a wheel of cheese and a few plastic spiders climbing up your platter. Boo!
Pumpkin-Spiced Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Of course, it wouldn’t be fall without something pumpkin-spiced. These cupcakes from Sally’s Baking Addiction are amazingly low maintenance, moist, and tasty. You don’t need a mixer to make the batter, so it’s a perfect job for slightly bigger kids. If you’re like my daughter, you’ll carefully devour the frosting and neglect the cupcake. But you shouldn’t!
The cream cheese frosting is rich but not overly sweet.
If you want extra-fragrant oomph, freshly ground allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves will deliver. If you’re all about efficiency, premade pumpkin pie spice does the trick. The cream cheese frosting is rich but not overly sweet. You can pipe it through a plastic bag or just swirl it atop your cupcakes with a knife, depending on your style.
If you want another kid activity, you can have the kid crew decorate the cupcakes with black and orange sprinkles and candy corn — they’re a great blank canvas for sugary creativity.
PHOTO CREDIT:
Photographer: Paul Quitoriano
Stylist: Charlotte Havelange
Food: Mary Rupp
Art Direction: Sarah Ceniceros
