Ideas for Halloween Parties

Halloween is a great time to host a party. Fall is a colorful season and makes decorating fun and easy—witches, spiders, and ghosts, oh my! Many themes work for both adults and children. Go for something as simple as a “Come in Disguise” party or as elaborate as a Mystery Dinner Theater.

Every Party Needs Party Food

Whatever theme you choose, plan some frightful foods and beverages. Halloween invites a great opportunity to be creative with food and décor. Some spooky treats and devilish drinks will go a long way towards the success of your party.

Heavy hors d’oeuvres are generally a good way to go. Serve them on a decorated table along with a “cauldron” (punch bowl) of potent witch’s brew. Add some traditional chips in assorted varieties, dips, and raw veggies, and your scary spread is complete!

Tasty and Spooky-Looking Hors D’Oeuvres for Halloween

1. Meaty Eyeballs
2. Bloody Loaded Potatoes
3. Mummified Franks
4. Really Creepy Salsa
5. Slime Dip
6. Graveyard Pudding Cups
7. Witch’s Fingers and Toes

1. Meaty Eyeballs

These appetizers get their “eyeball” appearance from cocktail onions and pimento-filled green olives.

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 to 2 pounds ground beef, lean
• 3/4 cup onions, finely diced
• 1 cup bread crumbs, dry
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2-3 tbs olive oil
• cocktail onions and olives

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients. Form into balls.
2. Heat oil. Sauté meatballs until done (no pink in the middle).
3. Spear a pearl onion and an olive slice with a toothpick.
4. Add to each meatball to represent an eyeball.

 

 

2. Bloody Loaded Potatoes

 

A generous dollop of “bloody” salsa on top adds a Halloween twist to regular loaded potatoes.

Ingredients

• 12 medium-sized baking potatoes
• 8 oz. light sour cream
• 1/2 cup light mayo
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 package Bacos Bacon Bits
• Salsa dip

Instructions

1. Bake the potatoes with the skin on. Cool slightly.
2. Divide and scoop out the potato from the skin.
3. Put in a bowl and add the other ingredients.
4. Mash with a potato masher, then spread into potato shells.
5. Cut them into quarters for hors d’oeuvres-sized loaded potatoes.
6. Add a dollop of salsa on top of each.

These mummified franks are all rolled up and ready to munch! 

3. Mummified Franks

These are so easy and so spooky! Simply wrap wieners up with strips of crescent roll dough.

Ingredients

• Two packages of hot dogs
• One tube of refrigerated crescent rolls

Instructions

1. Rinse and pat dry the hot dogs.
2. Cut crescent roll dough into strips and wind around the hot dog in mummy fashion.
3. Bake in a 374-degree oven until brown.

 

4. Really Creepy Salsa

This is another dish that’s quick and easy but visually effective. It is a quick little trick that is just in time for this trick-or-treating holiday.

Ingredients

• Prepared salsa
• Sliced black olives

Instructions

1. Put salsa in a holiday dish and sprinkle with sliced black olives. The added sliced black olives give the salsa a nice new flavor.
2. Serve this devilish mixture with healthy tortilla chips.

 

5. Slime Dip

 

Ok, this is really just guacamole dip. I renamed it in honor of the holiday. This recipe uses all fresh ingredients.

Ingredients

• 3-4 ripe, peeled, pitted avocados
• 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
• 1 cup diced green pepper
• 1/2 cup diced chili peppers
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• cilantro
• 1 tbs lemon juice

Instructions

1. Dice or chop ingredients as stated above.
2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
3. Enjoy!

 

6. Graveyard Pudding Cups

Add Vienna Finger “gravestones” and candy bones to regular pudding cups to give them a scary twist.

Ingredients

• Dirt pudding
• Gummy worms
• Assorted candy bones and skulls
• Vienna Finger cookies

Instructions

1. Follow the recipe for dirt pudding.
2. Place the pudding in small, wide, clear plastic cups.
3. Use the Vienna Finger cookie for the headstone. Lace with tiny candy bones and skulls. (I found these at Dollar Tree.)
4. Put three gummy worms crawling off the side of the cup.

 

7. Witch’s Fingers and Toes

Please check out the video for directions on these cool witches’ fingers. I made just a few modifications to it:

• For the toes, the breadstick dough is cut in halves. The nails are almond slices dyed green.
• For the fingers, I sliced the halves of breadsticks vertically to make them thinner. The fingernails are almonds tinted red.

These breadstick fingers and toes make great dippers for the really creepy salsa!