50 Halloween Dinner Ideas For Kids & Adults Alike

Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic, but dinner on Halloween can't be regular—it's gotta be spooky! Our classics have been Jack-o'-Lantern stuffed peppers and ghost pizza bagels, but now we're obsessed with turning ordinary meatballs into scary works of art by making them look like monster eyeballs.

Get the Eyeball Pasta recipe.

Looking for something delicious that's only a little bit spooky this Halloween? Try these adorable raviolis filled with ricotta, Parmesan, and finely chopped pear. We made these from wonton wrappers, rather than pasta dough, to make them scary easy on you too. 😉 You're welcOoOme.

Get the Ghost Purse Ravioli recipe.

One of our favorite Italian-American pasta sauces, vodka sauce, just got a super-tasty touch of fall flair with the addition of pumpkin and sage! Pumpkin fanatics: This spin really hits the spot.

Get the Creamy Pumpkin Vodka Sauce & Penne recipe.

These festive Halloween snacks are not only easy to make—they’re even easier to devour. Wrapped in crescent dough and stuffed with cheese, these mummy dogs are buttery, flaky, and cheesy (AKA, everything we could ever want in an easy appetizer).

Get the Mummy Hot Dogs recipe.

Cooking the macaroni directly in the goulash means the pasta gets to soak up all that beef and tomato flavor while simultaneously releasing some of its starch into the pan, thickening the goulash to create a hearty, comforting stew. Once you cook pasta this way, you might never go back to boiling water again.

Get the "Ghoul"-ash recipe.

The idea of combining curry powder with sausage comes from a German fast food dish called currywurst, and it's equally delightful in this ketchup-free, creamy rendition. It adds a hit of flavor to the freshly roasted kielbasa, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and grapes.

Get the Autumn Kielbasa Sheet Pan Bake With Creamy Curry Dijon Sauce recipe.

It takes fewer than 10 ingredients to throw this simple graveyard together—you might have some of them at home already! Feel free to use all store-bought ingredients to make it easier, or make your own enchilada sauce, homemade chicken, and taco seasoning.

Get the Graveyard Chicken Enchiladas recipe.

Here, creamy rice gets a zappy hit from vinegary peppers that lean more sweet than spicy. Deglazing the pan with the pickling liquid from the pepperoncini helps really flavor the rice, making this taste like the grown-up version of broccoli-cheese rice.

et the One-Pot Pepperoncini Chicken & Rice recipe.

Traditional Bolognese sauce might take forever to cook, but this weeknight version is done in just 30 minutes. Delicate and earthy miso paste adds serious depth to the ground beef sauce, making it just that extra bit special too.

Get the Miso Bolognese recipe.

The scariest thing about these pizza bagels is how fast we're going to eat them. 😉 We definitely recommend using a cookie cutter for the ghosts—try other seasonal shapes too if you got 'em!

Get the Ghost Pizza Bagels recipe.

This casserole tastes exactly like your favorite spicy roll—chopped fish or crab combined with a wasabi-spiked mayo and sushi rice—with extra toppings, like creamy sliced avocado, cucumber, and plenty of sriracha. It's the perfect entry point for trying your hand at making sushi at home or introducing sushi to picky kiddos.

Get the Sushi Bake recipe.

Instead of making homemade sweet potato gnocchi, this genius recipe puts the sweet potato right into a creamy sauce and uses store-bought gnocchi for the same exact flavors and textures. The result: an incredibly irresistible fall dinner ready in less than 20 minutes.

Get the Sweet Potato Maple Brown Butter Gnocchi recipe.

While we love classic tomato soup, we sometimes want to shake things up a bit when fall comes around. This soup gets an extra creamy dose, not only thanks to sweet pumpkin puree, but also with heavy cream and sharp Parmesan.

Get the Pumpkin Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Sticks recipe.

Creamy, sweet, and conveniently orange, butternut squash adds extra body, richness, and fun seasonality to mac & cheese. A little thyme does some heavy lifting, making the homey comfort classic a little fancy, and bringing some fall flavors to the table that are *chef’s kiss*.

Get the Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese recipe.

Baked, not stirred, this recipe for pumpkin risotto takes some of the work off the chef without sacrificing that classic risotto flavor and texture. A sprinkle of goat cheese, parsley, and the tart-sweet touch of dried cranberries round out the earthy autumnal vibes too.

Get the Baked Pumpkin Risotto recipe.

Craving chicken Parm but not in the mood for all the time it requires to prepare this labor of love dish? Opt for our chicken nugget Parmesan casserole instead. This comforting dish has all the cheesy flavor you know and crave, but with simple shortcuts to cut down on all that hands-on cooking time (and effort).

Get the Chicken Nugget Parm Casserole recipe.

The flavors of this meat sauce are more evocative of Greek dishes like moussaka and pastitsio than other chilis, but what really makes this dish extra-special (and extra fun for Halloween) is how it’s served—atop a plate of spaghetti!

Get the Cincinnati Chili recipe.

Craving chicken Parm but trying to eat less meat? This cabbage recipe is about to blow your mind. It's even Italian mother-approved!

Get the Cabbage Parmesan recipe.

Lasagnas can do no wrong. They're the most soul-satisfying food around, and this one is no exception. It also proves that pasta isn't necessary. With no noodles to boil, it's almost easier to make than a classic lasagna.

Get the Sweet Potato Sausage Lasagna recipe.

This creamy pumpkin & Parmesan chicken skillet is a one-pan dish that bathes chicken breasts in a garlicky pumpkin cream sauce. This recipe is super-versatile, allowing you to mix up whatever you want to pair it with (of course, you can also just enjoy it on its own!).

Get the Creamy Pumpkin & Parmesan Chicken Skillet recipe.