Ghoulish Grub for Halloween

The costumes are coming out and the candy is in ample supply, which means Halloween must be near! With the spooky holiday comes plenty of friendly get-togethers. But that also means helping with lots of snacks.

To make life simple, we've rounded up four easy Halloween recipes for both children and adults. While the kids play, adults can sip on an eerie crowd-pleasing cocktail or dip into a colorful cheese ball. In any case, the night is sure to be fun. Happy Halloween!

Halloween Recipes for Children and Adults

Pumpkin Cheese Ball

Easy, cheesy, and great for serving with crackers, this cheese ball only looks like a pumpkin. It gets its bright color from cheese puffs, and its stem from a bell pepper. Both delicious and on theme, this pumpkin cheese ball is a great Halloween appetizer!

Recipe borrowed from our friends at Food Network.

Ingredients

• 3 cups orange cheese puffs
• 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 cups shredded cheddar
• ¼ cup chives, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 bell pepper with a long stem
• Crackers, for serving

1. Process the cheese puffs in a food processor until finely ground. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Combine the cream cheese, cheddar, chives, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and mix. Mold the mixture into a ball and use your palm to gently flatten it. With the tip of a butter knife, carve lines down the sides of the cheese ball to resemble a pumpkin.
3. Roll the cheese ball in the ground cheese puffs. Remove the entire bell pepper stem with a paring knife and put it on top of the cheeseball as the pumpkin stem.
4. Serve with crackers and sliced bell pepper.

Reese's Pieces™ Halloween Cookie Bars

Is there any doubt that Reese's™ peanut butter cups are the most iconic Halloween candy? These simple cookie bars turn two of our favorite candies into one of the best Halloween recipes around.

Recipe borrowed from our friends at Betty Crocker.

Ingredients

• 1 box/pouch (1lb 1.5 ounces) peanut butter cookie mix
• Vegetable oil, water, and egg for cookie mix
• ¾ cup Reese's Pieces™
• ¾ cup Reese's™ peanut butter chips

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease bottom and sides of a 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, combine cookie mix, oil, water, and egg and mix with a spoon. Stir in ½ cup of Reese's Pieces™ and all 3/4 cup of peanut butter chips. Press dough in bottom of pan. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup Reese's Pieces™.
3. Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 1 hour. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container.

Halloween Popcorn Balls

Popcorn balls are a traditional treat, but this recipe adds a fun twist. A variety of candy brings in lots of flavor, plus some distinct holiday flair. For handing out as party favors, place in small bags and tie shut with colored ribbon!

Recipe borrowed from our friends at Food Network.

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup popcorn kernels
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 cups (12 ounces) mini marshmallows
• 6 fun-size Snickers™ bars, cut into ¼-inch pieces
• 3 (3-inch) chocolate chip cookies, crumbled
• 1/3 cup chopped almonds
• ½ cup orange and black M&Ms™

1. Coat a large mixing bowl and a baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Prepare popcorn using your favorite method, such as stovetop or air popping. Place the prepared popcorn in the mixing bowl.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over low heat. Add the vanilla extract and marshmallows. Stir constantly until the marshmallows have melted and the mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes. Pour the melted marshmallow mixture over the popcorn.
4. Using a spatula coated with cooking spray, stir the mixture until the popcorn is coated. Spread over the prepared baking sheet.
5. Sprinkle with the Snickers™ bar pieces, cookie crumbles, almonds, and M&Ms™. Using a spatula, gently press the toppings into the popcorn. Allow the mixture to cool and dry for 1 hour.
6. Break into 2-inch pieces and store in an airtight container.

Good and Evil Cocktail

A recipe published by the Jekyll and Hyde Club in New York City, the Good and Evil Cocktail is a sweet and sour party favorite. And unlike many specialty cocktails, it requires no complex preparation! Please remember to drink responsibly.

Recipe borrowed from our friends at Delish.

Ingredients (per cocktail)

• 1 ounce vodka
• 1 ounce ApplePucker
• 1 ounce Midori
• 1 ounce Triple Sec
• 1 handful ice
• Pineapple juice
• Sierra mist
• Lemon slice, for garnish

1. Combine vodka, ApplePucker, Midori, and Triple Sec in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake.
2. Pour the mixture into a cocktail glass, then top with desired amounts of pineapple juice and Sierra Mist. Garnish with a slice of lemon.

We hope these Halloween recipes have given you inspiration for your get-together. If you enjoyed these dishes, let others know about them by sharing this post on social media!

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