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    • 55+ Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights

      55+ Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights

      Everybody understands the stuggle of getting dinner on the table after a long day. If you're looking for a simple recipe to simplify your weeknight, you've come to the right place--easy dinners are our specialty. For an easy supper that you can depend on, we picked out some of our tried-and-true favorites that have gotten us through even the busiest of days. Whether you're cooking for yourself or for a family, these easy dinners are sure to leave everyone satisfied and stress-free. Read More
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  1. Home
  2. Holidays and Occasions
  3. A Foodie's Guide to Halloween Recipes
  4. 15+ Must-Try Halloween Dinner Ideas

15+ Must-Try Halloween Dinner Ideas

Updated October 13, 2021
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Spinach Jack-O'-Lantern Hand Pies
Credit: Erin Kunkel

These delicious Halloween dinner ideas guarantee full tummies that won't be tempted to sneak candy during trick-or-treating. You could make a big batch of chili or an easy spaghetti casserole—but why not add a little fun and make a delicious Halloween-themed dinner? A boneyard pot pie, brain-like dumplings, and ghostly pizza graveyard are all easy, fun ways to make Halloween dinner a meal to remember. 

Hungry for more spooky ideas? Check out 20 Gross (But Tasty) Halloween Recipes next. 

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Chicken Curry Moon Pies

Chicken Curry Moon Pies
Credit: Erin Kunkel
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Toasting the cumin brings out its flavor, and a bit of Madras curry powder makes this a savory pie that's as appealing to grown-ups as it is to kids.

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Devilish Chorizo Chili with Hominy

Devilish Chorizo Chili with Hominy
Credit: Greg DuPree
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Not only is this chili easy to make ahead, it actually improves with time. If you like your chili very spicy, add an extra teaspoon of chipotle powder. Prep and Cook Time: 50 minutes. Notes: Prepare chili up to two days ahead. Cool, cover, and chill; reheat before serving. Buy the best-quality chorizo you can find, preferably from a butcher or Mexican market, and avoid the type of chorizo that is very soft and sold in plastic casings; it tends to break down too much in cooking. Substitute another spicy uncooked sausage if you can't find good chorizo.

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Boneyard Chicken Pot Pie

Boneyard Chicken Pot Pie
Credit: Thomas J. Story
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We made good old chicken pot pie Halloween party-worthy by loading up the filling with fresh vegetables and herbs, and decorating the top with bones and skulls cut from puff pastry. You'll need special cookie cutters; or you can create your own skull and bones from cardboard and cut around them on the pastry with a knife. For the best "puff," keep the pastry cold as you work.

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Orange-and-Black Salad Platter

Orange-and-Black Salad Platter
Credit: Kate Sears; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps
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Skip the food coloring this year and bring Halloween hues to the table in the form of a healthy salad, instead. Orange slices, black Kalamata olives, feta, and a red wine vinaigrette infuse this arugula salad with bright Mediterranean flavors.

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Roasted Red Pepper Deviled Eggs

Roasted Red Pepper Deviled Eggs
Credit: Kate Sears; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps
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Serve these devilishly tasty treats as part of a Halloween feast. Roasted red peppers and paprika give the filling an orange hue reminiscent of jack-o-lanterns, while snipped chives resemble their stems.

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Mummy Dogs

Mummy Dogs
Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey, Rose Nguyen
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These make-ahead hot dogs use refrigerated breadstick dough, perfect for goblins, pretty princesses, superheroes, and even their parents. 

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Spider Bagel Pizza Bites

Spider Bagel Pizza Bites
Credit: Kate Sears; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps
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These adorably spooky pizza bagel bites make a tasty app for guests before your Halloween feast starts.

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Jack-o'-lantern Quesadillas

Jack-o'-lantern Quesadillas
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You only need three ingredients to create these spooky quesadillas. Use colorful wheat wraps to make them even more fun. 

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Monster Meatball Sandwiches

Monster Meatball Sandwiches
Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey, Rose Nguyen
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These 5-ingredient, money-saving mini sandwiches will satisfy the heartiest of appetites. Using premade frozen meatballs keeps preparation swift and simple.

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Ghostly Pizza

Ghostly Pizza
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Lynn Miller
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Frozen pizza dough is the secret to this easy pizza which is topped with slices of mozzarella cheese shaped like ghosts.

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Pumpkin-Shaped Crispy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Pumpkin-Shaped Crispy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Credit: Thomas J. Story
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These chubby sandwiches have shredded cheese on the outside, which melts into a crunchy sheath as they cook. We used a Wilton 4 1/2-in. cutter for the large sandwiches and a 3 3/4-in. cutter for the smaller ones (find both as part of a nested set on amazon.com). Make these festive Halloween sandwiches alongside a pot of tomato soup for an easy dinner if you're having guests over to trick-or-treat. 

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Pork Dumplings with Chile-Sesame Sauce

Pork Dumplings with Chile-Sesame Sauce
Credit: John Kernick
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These wrinkly dumplings are filled with pork, shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, scallions and ginger. For Halloween, David Burtka soaks the brain-like dumplings in the dipping sauce, then serves them in science-lab beakers.

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Jack-'O-Lantern Sandwiches

Jack-'O-Lantern Sandwiches
Credit: Oxmoor House
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Plain-Jane bagels turn into Jack-'O-Lanterns with just a little green pepper and some bacon strips.

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Kitty Cat Sandwiches

Kitty Cat Sandwiches
Credit: Oxmoor House
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Surprise the kids with these tasty little Halloween cats.

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Boil and Bubble Soup Cauldron

Boil and Bubble Soup Cauldron
Credit: Richard Jung
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Notes: The hominy can pass for teeth and the green peas as beady little eyes. If making soup ahead, don't add peas; cover soup when cool and chill, then add peas when reheating. For a tureen, use a rustic pan, such as a cast-iron Dutch oven. Or you can use a pumpkin shell. You'll need a pumpkin at least 12 to 16 inches tall and wide. Cut off top and scoop out seeds. About 10 minutes before serving, fill shell with boiling water to warm. Drain and fill with hot soup. Use top as lid for the pumpkin tureen.

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Spinach Jack-O'-Lantern Hand Pies

Spinach Jack-O'-Lantern Hand Pies
Credit: Erin Kunkel
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Turns out that spinach wrapped in pie dough passes the picky-eater test! For these Halloween riffs on the classic calzone, use 4- by 5-in. pumpkin-shaped cookie cutters (find at cooking or craft stores and online). Or cut out a pumpkin-shaped template from paper, set it on the dough, and cut around it with a thin, sharp knife.

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    1 of 16 Chicken Curry Moon Pies
    2 of 16 Devilish Chorizo Chili with Hominy
    3 of 16 Boneyard Chicken Pot Pie
    4 of 16 Orange-and-Black Salad Platter
    5 of 16 Roasted Red Pepper Deviled Eggs
    6 of 16 Mummy Dogs
    7 of 16 Spider Bagel Pizza Bites
    8 of 16 Jack-o'-lantern Quesadillas
    9 of 16 Monster Meatball Sandwiches
    10 of 16 Ghostly Pizza
    11 of 16 Pumpkin-Shaped Crispy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
    12 of 16 Pork Dumplings with Chile-Sesame Sauce
    13 of 16 Jack-'O-Lantern Sandwiches
    14 of 16 Kitty Cat Sandwiches
    15 of 16 Boil and Bubble Soup Cauldron
    16 of 16 Spinach Jack-O'-Lantern Hand Pies

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