13 Halloween Dinner Ideas for Before the Candy Feast
Between handing out candy and taking kids through the neighborhood to collect their haul, dinner still needs to happen on Halloween. And as tempting as a plate full of Twix and Sour Patch Kids may be, you need Halloween dinner ideas to line the belly and ward off the shivers if it's a chilly evening. Below you'll find our recommendations: some dishes hued appropriately orange with pumpkin, squash, and sweet potato, others just the kind of fall fare that feels comforting on a particularly busy Monday night. They're all easy to make, which is ideal if you're fussing with costume adjustments, face paint, and homemade fake blood. You'll find chili, soup, and creamy polenta below—plus some spooky breadsticks to stay on the Halloween theme.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich1/13Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
We're not exactly sure how chili after trick-or-treating because a tradition, but it's one of the Halloween dinner ideas we come back to year after year. This recipe has an active prep time of just 30 minutes, and it's ready to serve in 45—less time than it'll take for the kids to start sorting all their candy.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Molly Baz4/133-Ingredient Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
In 25 minutes, you can have this creamy pasta ready to eat, so it's perfect if you want to fit dinner in before trick-or-treating begins. Not sure which canned pumpkin to buy? We did a pumpkin purée taste test to find out the best option.
Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo5/13Miso-Squash Ramen
Sticking with the pumpkin theme, this ramen gets its rich flavor from kabocha squash—but butternut works, too.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Dawn Perry6/13Trenton Tomato Pie Pizza
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell8/13Lentil and Chicken Soup With Sweet Potatoes and Escarole
This warming—but fresh-tasting—soup starts with a rotisserie chicken. Lentils and sweet potatoes join in to make it hearty.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini9/13Cheesy Baked Butternut Squash Polenta
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell10/13Spiced Turkey Chili with Spaghetti Squash
Here's another chili recipe that we love. It's a Cincinnati-inspired version made with ground turkey and served over spaghetti squash.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou11/13Braised Butternut Squash in Spiced Coconut Gravy
This low-effort squash dish is full of flavor; it's the ideal vegetarian main for a night when dinner needs to be on the table with minimal prep.
