Trick-or-Treat: A Fun Halloween Dinner

It is trick-or-treat time of year! Start your evening off right with a fun feast to keep everybody fueled for the festivities—a warm, filling main dish and a few quick sides will keep your little goblins going well into the spooky night.

When I was in college, Harrison Hall served a dish called Texas Straw Hat. I was never sure what exactly went into it, but my friends loved it. It was basically ground meat in a tomato bases, served over corn chips. Everybody waited for that to be on the menu.

Over the years, I started serving basic sloppy Joe’s over corn chips, mimicking the Texas Straw Hat dish. One of my children dubbed it, “Witches Hat,” making it perfect for Halloween night.

Adults can have a little fun, too, when you serve a basic cocktail, dressed for the evening. Pair that with mini-cheese balls then round out the meal with fun cookies disguised as ghosts.

The cookies are basic peanut shaped, crème filled cookies. They can be found at  or . Dip the cookies into white candy melts, found at  and you have ghost shaped treats that will bring a smile to anyone’s face. Some simple decorator icing, also found at My Sons Cake & Candy Supply, finishes the ghost cookies with ease.

The cheese balls are a take on the classic appetizer, except that they are made into tablespoon sized balls and finished off with sliced olives, to make Monster Eye Cheese Balls. Serve with your favorite crispy cracker.

The candy corn colored cocktail is an adaptation of the famous Tequila Sunrise drink. During the heyday of classic cocktails, bartenders frothed egg whites to top many drinks, such as the Pink Lady.

Over the years, people have shied away from using egg whites to top drinks out of salmonella contamination fears. One way to get around that is to use pasteurized egg whites or in this case, meringue powder. I found meringue powder at My Sons Cake & Candy Supply. I simply shook it up with water, powdered sugar and a touch of lemon. This tops the candy corn colored cocktail with a white froth that dissipates as the drink is stirred. Garnish with cherries or pineapple.

Ghost Cookies

Makes 24

• 1 package peanut shaped sandwich cookies
• 16 ounces white candy melts
• Decorator frosting

Line a large cookie sheet with waxed paper. Microwave white candy melts according to package directions.

Carefully dip each cookie into the melted white candy, gently shaking off excess candy coating. Place coated cookies onto waxed paper.

When you finish coating each cookie, add eyes and mouth with decorator frosting.

Chill until firm, for at least 20 minutes.

Monster Eye Cheese Balls

Makes about 24

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese spread, softened
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• Dash of hot pepper sauce
• Dash of onion powder
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• ½ cup ground almonds
• 6 olives, sliced

Process all ingredients except almonds and olives in a food processor until smooth and fluffy.

Scoop out one tablespoon of the cheese mixture and roll into a ball. Roll the cheese ball in the ground almonds, leaving a small portion of the cheese exposed. Adhere one olive slice to the exposed cheese.

Chill for at least 30 minutes before arranging on a platter.

Witches Hat

Serves 4

• 16 ounces ground turkey breast
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Chili flavored corn chips, for serving
• Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add ground turkey, onion and garlic and cook until browned.

Reduce heat and add ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire. Continue cooking until heated through.

Serve with corn chips and shredded cheddar cheese.

Halloween Cocktail

For each cocktail, you will need:

• 4 ounces orange juice
• 1.5 ounces white rum or tequila
• Splash of grenadine syrup
• 2 tablespoons meringue powder
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 – 3 tablespoons water

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake orange juice and liquor until chilled, about one minute. Pour into glass.

Slowly pour grenadine syrup down the side of the glass, until desired amount settles to the bottom of the glass.

In a small canning jar, shake meringue powder, sugar, lemon juice and water. Shake until frothy. Spoon froth gently on top of the cocktail.