by Melissa Cunicelli

Created on: October 04, 2009   Last Updated: October 06, 2009

This is one of the most fun holidays to cook for and get creative. We will be working up our appetites with a lot of walking and dancing this Halloween, so let's explore some of the ways we can satisfy our taste buds.

=APPETIZERS=

- Carrot sticks and ruffled chips with that world famous onion dip. Put only a drop or two of orange food coloring in the dip. The orange carrots and dip will fit into the theme nicely. This is a tried and true classic.

- Goblins in a blanket. Purchase the little cocktail sausages and the refrigerated croissants. Bake according to croissant directions, cutting little faces in the dough for to show their expressions.

- Pumpkin seeds baked and salted to crispy perfection. It gives you something to do with the remains of your jack-o-lantern as well.

- Cheddar Pizza bites. You can get the refrigerated pizza crust, use marinara, cheddar cheese for the orange, a little green pepper for the pumpkin vine, and sliced black olives for the eyes. Cut it into individual servings, making a face for everyone, Yum!

=ENTREES=

-Chicken Pasta with broccoli is a great entree for Halloween with this sauce which is one of our family secrets. Take a jar of marinara mix it with a jar of Alfredo bring it to a light simmer and then whip in two egg yolks, which will create a nice orange color with no artificial coloring necessary. Saute your chicken & broccoli and cut it into little pieces mixing everything together to make a one dish meal that fits perfectly into your theme. The orange and green will pop off your buffet, but don't over cook the broccoli or it will lose color and nutrients.

- Stuffed orange peppers with spicy ground beef and rice will look fabulous on your table scape. All of the fillings should be pre-cooked, stuff then bake for 40 minutes at 350* top with some cheddar cheese and serve the naturally portioned delights. They are a hit every time.

=DESSERTS=

-Pumpkin pie or Pumpkin cheesecake are perfect on Halloween. Anything pumpkin is perfect.

-Spider bite cup cakes are visually stimulating and yummy to boot. Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla icing, half of a black jelly bean for each eye, and black licorice legs are the way to go to create this edible creature.

-Ectoplasm dessert is made simply by making green jello with candy corns sprinkled through for and extra treat.

Don't forget to decorate your table to tie it all together. You can also make an orange soda punch for the kids or an orange Sangria for the adults to wash it all down. Have a fun and delicious holiday. When the food is good it makes things more memorable and the guests appreciate it tremendously.

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