Description

This festive Halloween dinner platter features a variety of quick, easy, and spooky recipes perfect for parties or family gatherings. With playful shapes and bold flavors, it’s a crowd-pleasing way to celebrate before trick-or-treating.

Ingredients

Scale

8 hot dogs or veggie dogs
1 can (8 oz) crescent roll dough
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 mini pizza crusts or English muffins
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 small can (4 oz) pitted black olives
12 meatballs (homemade or store-bought)
1 cup marinara sauce
4 sticks string cheese
20 pretzel sticks
2 large flour tortillas
2 tbsp olive oil
20 edible candy eyes (optional)
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup baby carrots
1/2 cup ranch dip
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
A few drops red food coloring (optional)
2 tbsp yellow mustard
4 slices pickles
4 mini sweet peppers

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut bat shapes from tortillas using a cookie cutter or knife. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake on a parchment-lined sheet for 8-10 minutes until crisp. Cool.
Unwrap hot dogs and pat dry. Roll out crescent dough and cut into thin strips. Wrap each hot dog with dough strips, leaving gaps for faces. Bake at 375°F for 12-15 minutes until golden. Cool, then decorate with mustard or candy eyes.
Lay mini pizza crusts or English muffins on a tray. Spread each with pizza sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella in a spiral, then drag a toothpick outward to create webs. Slice olives for spider bodies and legs. Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly.
Warm meatballs in marinara sauce on stovetop or microwave (about 5 minutes). Slice olives into rounds and press onto each meatball for eyes. Add ketchup or red food coloring for bloodshot effect.
Cut string cheese sticks into thirds. Fringe one end with kitchen scissors for bristles. Insert a pretzel stick into the other end for broom handle.
Slice green bell pepper for mouths, cherry tomatoes for noses, and use olives or candy eyes for eyes. Arrange veggie pieces on baby carrots or mini sweet peppers to create monster faces. Secure with toothpicks if needed.
Arrange all items on a large serving tray: bat chips, mummy dogs, mini pizzas, meatballs, broomsticks, and monster veggies. Fill gaps with carrots, pickles, and extra olives. Scatter parsley for color. Serve dips in small bowls.
Drizzle red food coloring over marinara for a bloody effect, add extra candy eyes, and garnish with parsley sprigs.

Notes

Hand-cut shapes work just as well as cookie cutters. Bake chips and mummy dogs separately for best texture. Use parchment paper for easy cleanup. Prep veggies and cheese broomsticks while baking. Imperfect shapes add to the fun. For gluten-free or vegan, substitute tortillas, crescent dough, cheese, and meatballs as needed.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/10th of platter
Calories: 320
Sugar: 4
Sodium: 780
Fat: 14
Saturated Fat: 6
Carbohydrates: 25
Fiber: 3
Protein: 19

Keywords: Halloween dinner, spooky recipes, festive platter, party food, kid-friendly, easy Halloween, mummy dogs, bat chips, monster faces, cheese broomsticks, mini pizzas