Next week is Halloween, which means it's time to start planning food for your Super Awesome Halloween Party!

PRE-PARTY

Before guests arrive (or you head out) to the party, festival, trick-or-treating, etc., consider a fun Halloween-themed lunch or dinner for you and the kids, like this Vampire Spaghetti (face made from sliced mozzarella roll, olives, and tomatoes or red peppers): 

or the Spooky Shepherd's Pie below from The Girl Who Ate Everything (the cute little ghost mashed potatoes can, of course, also be placed alongside meat loaf, barbecue chicken, and a host of other foods and work just as well):

If you haven't seen our post on other non-dessert Halloween foods for you and your family, check it out here.

FOOD

Whether you're the host or bringing your own yummy contribution to the party, consider some of these ideas to wet the guests' appetites... 

SAVORY

These Eyeball Tacos from Genius Kitchen are a mix of creepy, silly, and delicious:

For a super simple (yet adorable) appetizer, you can easily make these "spooky snacks" from Peas and Crayons using mini cookie cutters for the tiny cheese ghosts, bats, etc.:

These stuffed pizza skulls from Hungry Happenings are sure to impress (and prep is fairly simple with the help of skull baking pans):

SWEET

Candy apples like these from Genius Kitchen are a classic favorite (two notes on this recipe: 1) You don't have to add food coloring; it just makes the red apples more red, and 2) You will need a candy thermometer, so make a Wal-Mart run before starting if you don't have one in your kitchen tool drawer already.)

If you're looking for something fun, easy, and oh-so-sugary, consider adding these Rice Krispies Treat Mummies from Creme de la Crumb to your party food lineup. You can either follow the 3-ingredient recipe on their site using pre-packaged Rice Krispies Treats or you can make your own from scratch (also only three ingredients) with Kraft's recipe here.

This too-cute Halloween Snack Mix from Kitchen Fun With My Three Sons is as entertaining as it is delicious.  You can find the recipe / instructions here (which involves using edible marker to draw the little ghost faces, available at retail stores and on Amazon.) 

SCARY

If you want something on the gory side, try these fabulous Blood Drip Cupcakes from Delish (and yes, the "glass" is edible-- it's made from corn syrup, sugar, and cream of tartar-- again, you'll need a candy thermometer).

If your party guests have strong stomachs and a taste for macabre decor, consider using this zombie centerpiece that doubles for a buffet service as featured on Marilyn's Treats: 

You can also creepi-fy pretty much anything by adding some of this edible fake blood from Food and Whine (very simple and pretty tasty-- corn syrup, chocolate syrup, and red food coloring):

DRINKS

To wash down all that savory, sweet, and scary food, you can serve equally impressive drinks, like this Black Magic shimmering cocktail from Elle Talk made with black vodka, lime juice, simple syrup, and Wilton Edible Pearl Dust:

or this Walker Blood Sangria from Cravings of a Lunatic:

As a non-alcoholic option, try adding Halloween-themed straws and other odds and ends into your soft drinks, juice options, etc. for a fun and festive touch like these drinks from A Girl and a Glue Gun (the gummy eyeballs she uses are discontinued, but you can find similar ones here):

When it comes to Halloween party food, you can go sweet, scary, spooky, silly, or all of them mixed together.  A good idea is to also invite your guests to bring their own favorite dish to celebrate (you may even discover a new favorite!)  Regardless of your approach, make sure you and your loved ones have a good time putting together your spread this Halloween... it's one of the most fun (and most delicious) times of the year, so enjoy!