Bat FriesYum! These simple fries were a big hit with our taste testers and were very easy to make. They can be made in advance and rewarmed in the oven before serving if desired. Another fun variation is loaded bat fries which are these fries topped with cheddar, bacon, scallions, and sour cream. Serve these plain, with colored ketchup (black is nice!), cheddar dipping sauce, or any savory sauce and your guests whill adore them! We used a cookie cutter to form our bats, but if you do not have one, you can print our template and use that to make your fries.
Oil for frying
4 large russet potatoes
Salt
Bat FriesHeat the oil to 325 degrees in a deep fryer or large heavy, deep skillet. Peel the potatoes and slice lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Cut the potato slices into bat shapes. Pat the slices dry with a paper towel. Fry the slices in small batches until cooked through but not brown. Remove from the fat and let drain on the paper towels. Increase the temperature of the oil to 375 degrees and refry the potatoes in small batches until brown and crispy. Drain again on paper towels, salt, and serve hot.
This very simple recipe mixes sweet tart flavor with bright color and vanilla ice cream to produce a fun and tasty punch. I have seen this served in a new cleaned baby bathtub for a fun effect, but you can serve it in a punch bowl. I like floating a new clean rubber duckie in the punch bowl for added effect.
64 ounces cran-raspberry cocktail
4 cups apple juice
4 cups vanilla ice cream
Mix together the cran-raspberry coctail and apple juice and chill. Pour into a punch bowl or other serving container. Scoop the vanilla ice cream into the punch and serve immediately.
Bread:
Moist Spiced Pumpkin Bread
This is my favorite basic pumpkin bread recipe. This recipe makes two regular sized loaves of bread and 4 mini loaves. This bread is one of the most convenient recipes to have. It stores well (in the refrigerator or freezer) and is actually better if you make it a day or two ahead of time. This bread is essential for Halloween Stuffed Acorn Squash, Pumpkin Bread Cream Cheese Sandwiches, and .
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups of fresh pumpkin puree
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped roasted pecans
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 for mini loaf pans) and heavily grease your loaf pans. Combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar in a large mixing bowl. In a medium bowl beat the eggs. Add the water, vanilla, oil, and pumpkin puree. Stir until well blended. Add the roasted pecans. Pour into the prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour (40 minutes or until firm for the mini loaf pans). Place the pans on a rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and let cool on a rack until at room temperature. Bread seasons best if chilled overnight and then served at room temperature the next day.
Dessert:
Candy Corn Puddings
These simple puddings are very fast to make and quite cute. You can make either regular candy corn puddings or the brown bottomed ones using chocolate pudding for the brown. Do not add the candy corn in advance to these puttings. Unless you want to gross out your guests! They will actually "melt" into the pudding and form a liquidy mess. Truly disgusting! We cheated and used individual pudding cups to make our puddings because they were on sale and allowed us not to have to make three batches of pudding and have lots of leftovers. However, for larger batches, boxed pudding and milk would probably save you time. We used a tiny bit of gel paste food colors in yellow and orange to tint vanilla pudding for our puddings.
1 cup yellow or chocolate pudding
1 cup orange pudding
Whipped cream
Candy corn
Spoon the yellow or chocolate pudding evenly into four champagne flutes. Top with the orange pudding. Add a dollop of whipped cream to form the top of the candy corn shape. Chill until ready to serve. Before serving, add a few candy corn pieces.
This savory dish, a variation of Sloppy Joes with a Halloween twist is very flavorful and unique. Sloppy Joes don't have to go far to look slightly disgusting and messy, and this version is sure to please all those sloppy eaters. This is also a very low fat dish that is perfect to serve to mixed company. Kids will love the sloppiness and adults will appreciate the slightly more "grown up" flavor. This is great on rolls or thick slices of French bread, my preference.
1 pound ground turkey
2 medium chopped onions
2 minced garlic cloves
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt to taste
In a large heavy saucepan brown the ground turkey over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions. Cook until the onions are almost soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for additional minute or two. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve hot.
Side Dish:
Sage-Shallot Pumpkin
Fresh sage and pumpkin are a marriage made in heaven! The flavors and colors mix together for a beautiful contrast and the added kick of the shallots makes for a savory side dish that pairs well with any roast meat or assertive entree. The pumpkin can be boiled up to two days in advance and refrigerated until ready to finish.
4 pound pumpkin, seeded, peeled, and cubed
1/4 cup butter
3 minced shallots
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Additional sage leaves for garnish
Boil the pumpkin in lightly salted water for 20 minutes, or until tender but still firm. Drain well. Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent and soft. Add the pumpkin and cook until lightly browned. Add the chopped sage, salt, and pepper and serve immediately garnished with additional sage leaves if desired.
These garlic spiked pumpkin seeds are full of vibrant flavor and crunch. Any dried herb mixture works well - salad herbs, fines herbes, herbs de Provence, Italian herbs, etc.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the water, garlic powder, herbs, Worcestershire, onion powder, salt, and cayenne in a medium saucepan and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the pumpkin seeds and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pumpkin seeds and place on a large baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the seeds are crisp. Store in an airtight container.
This lovely soup mixes the wonderful flavors of early autumn and fall with leftover turkey and a hint of the southwest. It is also great with cooked chicken.
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 scallions, chopped
1 small jalapeno, minced
5 cups turkey or chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
salt and pepper
2 cups frozen corn
cilantro leaves
Saute the onion, scallion, and jalapeno until the onion is soft in a large saucepan. Add the broth, sweet potatoes, turkey, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the corn and cook until the corn is heated through. Garnish with the cilantro leaves before serving.
8 Course Halloween Dinner Recipes Part 2
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