When it comes to celebrating Halloween, most people focus on trick-or-treating or costume parties, both of which are traditionally nighttime events. However, in our family, Halloween is an all-day affair. Basically, we party from sun up to sun down. I’m kidding. Though, we do nosh from sunrise to the witching hour, on foods I make especially for the holiday.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner (and the occasional late snack) all feature Halloween-inspired foods, including these favorites that I whipped up last year:
PUMPKIN PECAN PANCAKES
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups milk
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
4 1/2 teaspoons butter, melted
1/3 cup chopped pecans
Few dashes of cinnamon
Toppings: Cut-up candy bar pieces, banana slices, raisins, craisins or chocolate chips
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk the egg, milk, pumpkin and butter; stir into dry ingredients until blended, then add in cinnamon and pecans.
Pour mixture on hot griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, then flip and cook until golden brown on the other.
Add toppings to pancake to create jack-o-lantern faces.
HALLOWEEN GOULASH IN A PUMPKIN
Ingredients:
1 medium pumpkin
2 pounds ground beef
Salt and pepper
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 can (15 ounces) French style green beans, drained
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
2 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 to 1 cup milk
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
Directions:
Cut off top of pumpkin and clean out seeds and pulp.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet brown beef, then add onions, celery and mushrooms.
Cook until the beef is crumbly and no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper.
Add both cans of soup, soy sauce, rice, beans, water chestnuts and 1/2 cup of milk. Stir well.
If mixture looks too dry add a little more milk.
Spoon mixture into the clean pumpkin shell. Replace pumpkin top and place entire pumpkin, with filling, on a baking sheet.
Bake one hour or until inside meat of the pumpkin is tender.
Remove pumpkin from oven and place it on a plate.
Remove pumpkin lid and serve.
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