ComScore

55 Halloween Dinner Ideas for Adults

It’s Halloween: If you’re lucky enough *not* to be chaperoning a gaggle of candy-seeking, costumed children, you’re probably making dinner plans. And whether your night involves burrowing into the couch with a spooky movie or hosting a low-key dinner party with your fellow non-trick-or-treaters, we’ve got 55 Halloween dinner ideas that are festive and seasonal, yet still classy (think: sausage and fennel pasta, baked ginger and lemon chicken, and stuffed butternut squash).

Need a few more menu ideas? We have you covered with spooky Halloween cocktails to serve and Halloween desserts that will round out your meal.

55 Halloween Cookies to Bake This Spooky Season


1. Winter Squash Galette with Caramelized Onions and Gruyère

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
  • Recipe Serves: 8

Roasted, stuffed or pureed into soup, we’ll eat winter squash any way you make it. So yeah, pie is on the party menu. The homemade crust is gloriously flaky (not to toot our own horn), but you could use store-bought in a pinch.

2. Sausage and Fennel Pasta

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
  • Recipe Serves: 6

Thanks to Italian sausage, this dish is practically overflowing with flavor (but requires just six ingredients and 25 minutes to make).

3. Skillet Roast Chicken with Shmaltzy Potatoes

  • Time Commitment: 5 hours, 45 minutes
  • Why I Love It: one pan, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
  • Recipe Serves: 4 to 6

If you’re looking to impress a costumed crowd, look no further. This glorious roast chicken is practically foolproof, thanks to an overnight buttermilk brine and a beginner-friendly skillet method.

4. Split Pea Soup with Bacon and Beer

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours, 15 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, dairy free
  • Recipe Serves: 6 to 8

Don’t knock it ’til you try it, folks. This soup is so much more than its humble appearance—the usual ham is replaced with smoky bacon, and there’s a whole can of lager in there.

5. Oven-Baked Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, dairy free, high protein
  • Recipe Serves: 4

Listen, just because the kids are out trick-or-treating doesn’t mean you can’t eat off their menu. Plus, the chile-infused honey drizzle makes these tenders *so* grown up.

6. Crispy Cast Iron Skillet Pizza with Fennel, Sausage and Garlic

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why we Love It: one pan, ready in <30 minutes
  • Recipe Serves: 4

Don’t tell anyone, but this crispy-chewy pie starts with store-bought dough and it’s still light-years better than takeout.

7. Baked Ginger and Lemon Chicken

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why I Love It: one pan, high protein
  • Recipe Serves: 4

Sultry ginger, tangy lemon, hot chiles and sticky honey are a combo made in heaven. Feel free to swap the thighs and drumsticks for chicken wings or even pork ribs; just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

8. Sheet-Pan Cashew Chicken

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, high protein, beginner-friendly
  • Recipe Serves: 2 to 4

Fewer dirty dishes and more Halloween movies, we say. While many sheet-pan numbers yield ho-hum results, this one actually works, since you cook the vegetables before adding the chicken.

9. Sweet Potato Chili with Turkey and Black Beans

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 35 minutes
  • Why I Love It: one pot, beginner-friendly, <500 calories
  • Recipe Serves: 6

Brisk fall nights call for a warm pot of beans, meat and veggies; it’s just a fact. As with most chili recipes, this one is super forgiving, so swap ingredients at will.

10. Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Herbed White Wine Sauce

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, vegetarian
  • Recipe Serves: 6

While everyone else is out trick-or-treating, you’ll be lounging on the couch with a big bowl of this homemade gnocchi (and a glass of wine).

11. Easy One-Pot Lentil Kielbasa Soup

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
  • Why I Love It: one pot, beginner-friendly, dairy free, gluten free
  • Recipe Serves: 4

Tonight is all about staying cozy. This hearty, healthy Halloween dinner will do just fine. If you want to make it a day ahead, go for it—the flavor will only get better.

12. Yotam Ottolenghi’s Roasted Butternut Squash with Lentils and Gorgonzola

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, gluten free, no sugar
  • Recipe Serves: 6

After all, it is W.S.S.winter squash season. Serve it warm or at room temperature; we prefer the former, since the cheese gets a little melty that way.

13. Cheater’s Sicilian-Style Pizza with Jalapeños and Honey

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
  • Recipe Serves: 8

Skip the subpar frozen pizza (talk about spooky) and make this homemade version instead. It’s cheesy, spicy and—best of all—ready in 30 minutes flat. No shame in that store-bought crust game.

14. Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Soup

  • Time Commitment: 5 hours, 35 minutes
  • Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, crowd-pleaser
  • Recipe Serves: 8

This soup has not one but two tricks up its sleeve: store-bought biscuit dough and your trusty Crockpot. The actual active cooking time? A cool five minutes.

15. Kale Salad with Persimmons, Crispy Chickpeas and Fried Shallots

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free
  • Recipe Serves: 4

This is to offset all the Halloween candy we’ll inevitably eat in the upcoming days (or weeks). Choose Fuyu persimmons over Hachiya, since they can be served while still crisp.

16. Instant Pot Spicy Thai Butternut Squash Soup

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, vegan
  • Recipe Serves: 4

This recipe is all about maximum flavor and minimum effort, so naturally it takes just 30 minutes to whip up. Psst: Use pre-cubed squash to make it even easier.

17. Cornish Hens in Parchment Paper

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly, gluten free
  • Recipe Serves: 4

We think we just found the easiest Halloween dinner in the history of ever—the veggies and chicken steam in their packets, so the parchment does all the hard work. Even better, the cleanup is a breeze.

18. Cheater’s Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

  • Time Commitment: 8 hours, 20 minutes
  • Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
  • Recipe Serves: 6

Beef stew, but make it fancy…and then tell everyone at the party you’re being Julia Child for Halloween. You’ll have plenty of time to come up with a costume, since it basically cooks itself.

19. Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili

  • Time Commitment: 6 hours, 15 minutes
  • Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, <500 calories
  • Recipe Serves: 8

Few things are more comforting than a steaming bowl of chili on an, ahem, chilly evening. This one has ground turkey to keep it light. (You could use ground chicken, too.)

20. Low-Carb Zucchini Enchiladas

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
  • Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, <500 calories
  • Recipe Serves: 8

Sure, they’re healthier for you—that’s not why we’re making them on repeat. It’s because they’re also really delicious. Bonus: The leftovers reheat like a dream.

21. Antoni Porowski’s Moroccan-Style Pasta Bolognese

  • Time Commitment: 3 hours, 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: make ahead, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
  • Recipe Serves: 6 plus 2.5 cups of extra sauce

The next best thing to getting Queer Eye’s food expert in our kitchen? His meaty, tasty pasta sauce. Make it ahead and store it in the freezer if you’re into dinner meal-prepping.

22. Pumpkin Soup in Pumpkin Bowls

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, vegetarian
  • Recipe Serves: 4

Guys, come on. This is a Halloween no-brainer. The “bowls” are made with small sugar pumpkins, which you can find in any produce section.

23. Spicy Turkey Enchiladas with Pumpkin Seeds

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: low sugar, <500 calories, beginner-friendly
  • Recipe Serves: 6

Enchiladas, but make them autumnal with a sprinkle of pepitas. If you don’t have leftover roast turkey in the fridge, just use a rotisserie chicken.

24. Hearty Stuffed Butternut Squash

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 25 minutes
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, gluten free, beginner-friendly
  • Recipe Serves: 4

Who needs a bowl when you’ve got a gourd? They’re filled with quinoa, chickpeas, Gruyère and all the good stuff. Serve them for a few as a main, or a crowd as a side dish.

25. Pumpkin Pizza Crust with Arugula and Prosciutto

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours
  • Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, low sugar, high protein
  • Recipe Serves: 4

While we’re here, we might as well stay on theme. This easy and festive pizza recipe makes great use of the canned pumpkin you already have in your pantry.

26. Macaroni and Cheese in Acorn Squash Bowls

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, special occasion–worthy
  • Recipe Serves: 4

This is—dare we say it?—better than a bowl of Halloween candy. (Yes, even candy corn.) To really take things over the top, add bacon bits to the breadcrumb garnish.

27. One-Pan Creamy Chicken Fricassee with Sage

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: dairy free, one pan, low sugar
  • Recipe Serves: 6

What’s the opposite of spooky and scary? Glossy, saucy chicken in a skillet (with almost no cleanup) is what. It’s surprisingly creamy, without a drop of cream in sight.

28. Pumpkin Polenta

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, gluten free
  • Recipe Serves: 6

Rich, creamy and oh-so-seasonal. You can use fresh or canned pumpkin, depending on how fancy you want to get.

29. Tomato Soup in Grilled Cheese Bread Bowls

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, high protein
  • Recipe Serves: 4

Raise your hand if you grew up eating your mom’s homemade tomato soup on cold, cozy nights. This one will bring back all the nostalgic dinner feelings. (If you aren’t feeling a bread bowl, just serve cheesy toast on the side.)

30. One-Pot Creamy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
  • Recipe Serves: 4 to 6

Now this is how you do Halloween dinner. And if you’re not the biggest fan of pumpkin, don’t fret: The sauce can be made without squash, too.

31. Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Leeks

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 35 minutes
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, gluten free, special occasion–worthy
  • Recipe Serves: 6

Risotto is the ultimate comfort food—add creamy squash to fall-ify it, and you’ll be going back for seconds (or thirds). Wondering how to cut a butternut squash without channeling a slasher film? Refer to our handy guide.

32. Spicy Bucatini Amatriciana

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, low sugar
  • Recipe Serves: 6

Spooky? Nope. Spicy? You bet. This pasta will become a weeknight regular long past Halloween night.

33. Sausage, Corn and Poblano Chowder

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
  • Recipe Serves: 8

When you’re sufficiently chilled and tired from handing out candy, come inside to a bowl of chowder that will warm you right up. Plus, the leftovers will freeze beautifully for up to three months.

34. Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms and Bacon

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients, <500 calories
  • Recipe Serves: 4 to 6

This dinner is creamy, filling and begging to be served with a pour of homemade apple cider. If your grocery store doesn’t carry a wide selection of mushrooms, reach for shiitake—they have a meaty texture and umami flavor that complements the dish.

35. Honey Mustard Sheet-Pan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <10 ingredients, gluten free
  • Recipe Serves: 4

On our ideal Halloween dinner checklist? Fast, easy, minimal cleanup and tastier than a king-size chocolate bar.

36. Mac and Cheese with Crispy Parmesan-Phyllo Crust

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser
  • Recipe Serves: 10

The decadent, cheesy pasta is just waiting to emerge from that gorgeous blanket of phyllo rosettes. They’re easier to assemble than they appear, but if you want to save time, just layer the phyllo in flat sheets.

37. Roasted Squash and Tofu with Soy, Honey, Chili and Ginger

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, dairy free, <500 calories
  • Recipe Serves: 6

This is technically a side dish, but we recommend serving it as a vegetarian main course with rice on the side.

38. Curried Parsnip and Apple Soup

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: dairy free, <500 calories, gluten free
  • Recipe Serves: 4

While everyone else picks the candy apple out of their teeth, you’ll be enjoying a silky bowl of apple soup. Never cooked with parsnips? They’re like pale, sweet carrots.

39. Spinach and Three-Cheese Stuffed Shells

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
  • Why I Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser, high prtoein
  • Recipe Serves: 4

It’s not every day that we dig into a melty skillet full of cheesy, meaty pasta. But it’s Halloween and we’re going all out.

40. Alison Roman’s Roasted Squash with Yogurt and Spiced Buttered Pistachios

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, gluten free, low sugar
  • Recipe Serves: 6

You haven’t lived until you’ve tried spiced buttered pistachios, trust us. Use your favorite squash variety; acorn, kabocha or red kuri would all taste fantastic.

41. Baked Coconut-Curry Meatballs

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, gluten free, low sugar
  • Recipe Serves: 6

FYI, baking your meatballs instead of pan-frying them ensures a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture that can’t be topped.

42. French Onion Chicken

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
  • Why I Love It: gluten free, low carb, one pot
  • Recipe Serves: 6

One of our all-time favorite soups meets an easy skillet chicken dinner that’s smothered in gooey Gruyère cheese—yum. (The dish also happens to be gluten free and low carb, NBD.)

43. Pumpkin Risotto with Seared Scallops

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 8 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, gluten free
  • Recipe Serves: 4

Feeling ambitious? Go ahead and roast your own pumpkin. Or don’t; canned will taste equally delicious.

44. 30-Minute Coq Au Vin Chicken Meatballs with Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, ready in <30 minutes, <500 calories
  • Recipe Serves: 6

You had us at browned butter mashed potatoes, but the 30-minute cooking time certainly sweetens the deal.

45. Whole Roasted Pumpkin Stuffed with Wild Mushrooms and Gruyère

  • Time Commitment: 3 hours, 20 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
  • Recipe Serves: 8

If you’re not eating straight out of a pumpkin at least once in October, you should fix that. A small-to-medium size squash will ensure the filling is cooked without extra time in the oven.

46. Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Pasta Salad

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, vegetarian, <10 ingredients
  • Recipe Serves: 6

Sorry, summer. You don’t own pasta salad. With an apple cider vinegar dressing, pine nuts and squash, this one has Halloween day written all over it.

Halloween Dinner Ideas: Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

47. The Ultimate Chicken Pot Pie

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: one pan, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
  • Recipe Serves: 6

Simple store-bought puff pastry and your cast iron skillet prove that this comfort food is as easy to make as it is to devour.

Halloween Dinner Ideas: Mexican Posole
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

48. Mexican Posole

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
  • Why I Love It: low sugar, high protein, <500 calories
  • Recipe Serves: 8

This chili-soup hybrid is loaded with chicken, chiles and hominy, a type of large-kernel corn that’s soaked in an alkaline solution to soften it. You can find it in the canned-goods aisle.

Halloween Dinner Ideas: Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Erin McDowell

49. Oven-Baked Buffalo Wings

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, high protein, crowd-pleaser
  • Recipe Makes: 2 dozen chicken wings

Admit it: It’s what everyone wants. Serve them with plenty of ranch dressing and crudités.

what to serve with stuffed peppers: tomato soup in a bowl with a silver spoon and topped with spices.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

50. Roasted Tomato Soup

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, <500 calories, low sugar
  • Recipe Serves: 10

Don’t settle for the stuff in a can if you can help it because TBH, you can do so much better. Grilled cheese sammies, anyone?

halloween-dinner-ideas-skillet-chicken-fajitas-recipe
Photo: Eric Moran/Styling: Erin McDowell

51. Skillet Chicken Fajitas

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why I Love It: one skillet, high protein, beginner-friendly
  • Recipe Serves: 4

Our love for our cast iron skillet runs deep. Serve with plenty of lime wedges and fresh guacamole.

Halloween Dinner Ideas: mustardy pork tenderloin with grapes and red onions
Photo: Nicole Franzen/To The Last Bite

52. Mustardy Pork Tenderloin with Grapes and Red Onions

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly
  • Recipe Serves: 2 to 4

This flavorful and hearty meal will keep you warm on those chilly autumn nights.

Halloween Dinner Ideas: miso maple loaf cake
Photo: Mark Weinberg/Baking With Dorie

53. Dorie Greenspan’s Miso-Maple Loaf

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
  • Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly,
  • Recipe Serves: 10

While some takes on meatloaf are actually spooky, this autumnal staple is absolutely incredible.

54. Veggie-Loaded Stuffed Bell Peppers

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, crowd pleaser
  • Recipe Serves: 6

This veg-friendly dish is even more colorful than the leaves are outside right now.

Halloween Dinner Ideas: Sweet Potato Cheese Fries
Photo: Eric Moran/Styling: Erin McDowell

55. Sweet Potato Cheese Fries

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly
  • Recipe Serves: 3 to 4

This fall take on a diner classic is all we want to be eating right now. It’s super-cozy but without all the heaviness of a deep-fried meal. Win-win.

105 Fall Dinner Ideas to Savor All Season Long


Katherine Gillen is a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she's an avid home cook and fanatic baker.


headshot

Senior Food Editor

  • Heads PureWow’s food vertical
  • Contributes original reporting, recipes and food styling
  • Studied English Literature at the University of Notre Dame and Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education

purewow author

Freelance PureWow Editor