If you’re planning to take your children out trick-or-treating this Halloween, you may be looking for delicious and nutritious meals to serve them beforehand. After all, Halloween trick-or-treating tends to involve large amounts of candy and other sugary, seasonal treats, so it’s important to make sure your kids get a hearty, healthy meal in before consuming their goodies.
However, you may not want to spend too much time cooking in the kitchen when you need to help your kids put on their costumes. That’s why it’s essential to find some tasty dinner options, such as jack-o-lantern pizza, that you can easily whip up and serve in a jiffy before heading out for some trick-or-treating. Stuck for options? Here are some of the easy seasonal dishes your kids might enjoy.
Halloween Themed Food
If your kids are already super excited for Halloween, why not keep the spirit going with some Halloween-themed food? These tasty delights are sure to satisfy the taste buds while getting your kids in the mood to head out on a fun night of trick-or-treating. For a special seasonal twist, you can include a few treats and serve your little ones:
- Warm apple tea with honey
- Green “Frankenstein”-styled marshmallow pops
- Maple butter blondies
- Apple cider donuts
- Pumpkin bread with walnuts and chocolate chips
- Cheesy jack-o-lantern pizza
Don’t forget about yourself and any other adults who may be walking the kids from house to house! If you’re planning on spending the night wandering through the neighborhood with your little ones, make sure to get hydrated beforehand. You can up the ante for an enjoyable night by responsibly sipping on some:
- Spiked punch
- Cinnamon-spiced apple cider
- Candy corn margaritas
- Hot clove-infused tea
Fill Up on Good Food Before the Candy
Whether you’d rather cook at home or whether you’re already searching for pizza delivery near me, getting a good meal in before eating lots of candy is crucial. You can whip up a quick meal to prevent sugar spikes and make sure your child gets the daily nutrition he or she needs. Fortunately, just because a dish is quick to make doesn’t mean you can’t still work in a seasonal flavor. Some of the best dinners to serve before going trick-or-treating include:
- Loaded avocado toast with chopped cherry tomatoes and poached eggs
- Rich and savory pumpkin chili in a bread bowl
- A smorgasbord complete with chopped vegetables, deviled eggs, and cured meats
- Shepherd’s pie topped with creamy cheese and ghost-shaped mashed potato lumps
- Quick and hearty chicken-and-veggie pizza
- Roasted marshmallow yams with pumpkin spice topping
Best Dinners To Make Before Trick-or-Treating
Beef and Cheddar Casserole
When you combine egg noodles with sour cream, ground beef, and parmesan cheese, you get creamy goodness. It can be served before trick-or-treating.
Ingredients:
- Olive Oil – 1 Tbsp, Extra Virgin
- Kosher Salt
- Egg Noodles – 3 Cups, Wide Noodles
- Sour Cream – 1 1/2 Cups
- Parmesan – 1/2 Cup, Freshly Grated
- Ground Beef – 12 Ounces
- Red Bell Pepper – 1, Seeded and Chopped
- Scallions – 1 Bunch, Finely Chopped
- Tomato Paste – 1 Tbsp
- Italian Seasoning – 1 Tsp
- Can Petite Diced Tomatoes – 14 1/2 Ounce
- Cheddar – 2 Cups, Grated
Procedure:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 2-quart baking dish.
- Boil a large pot of salted water and add noodles. Cook them at dente according to the package directions. Now drain and place them in the prepared baking dish.
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the ground beef and cook for 4 minutes with stirring until it is no longer pink.
- Add green onions and peppers. Cook them for 3 minutes until tender.
- Add tomato paste to the skillet and grill for a minute. Sprinkle the salt and Italian seasoning.
- Add diced tomatoes and bring to a boil while stirring. Cook them for 2 minutes until thickened.
- Pour the beef mixture over the noodles and sprinkle the grated cheddar.
- Bake on the middle rack for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbly.
- Let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Chicken Fingers and Green Beans with Tahini Sauce
Chicken fingers are not just for kids. Tasty, addictive, and sweet tomato tahini dipping sauce offers intriguing palate adults will love. The flavor familiarity is enough to keep it kid-approved.
Ingredients:
- Chicken Breast Tenders – 8 Pcs, 1 1/4lb
- Black Pepper – 1/2 Tsp
- Kosher Salt – 1/2 Tsp
- All-Purpose Flour – 3 Tbsp
- Eggs – 2 Large, Lightly Beaten
- Whole-Wheat Panko – 3/4
- Lemon Rind – 1/2 Tsp
- Cooking Spray Olive Oil – 2 Tsp
- Fresh Green Beans – 12 Ounces, Trimmed
- Fresh Lemon Juice – 2 Tbsp, Divided
- Canola Mayonnaise – 3 Tbsp
- Unsalted Ketchup – 2 Tbsp
- Tahini – 1 Tbsp
Procedure:
- Preheat the grill to high heat over 6 inches from heat.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken. Place the flour in a deep dish and place eggs in the second deep plate. Now combine panko, parmesan, and crust/rind in a third shallow dish.
- Gently dip the chicken filet in flour, then dip in eggs and then in panko mixture. Coat the chicken with the cooking spray.
- Over medium-high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet and add chicken to it. Cook it for 5 minutes until browned from both sides.
- Arrange beans in a jelly pan and lightly coat them with cooking spray. Grill them for 5 to 6 minutes until tender and lightly charred. Mix the beans with 1 tbsp of lemon juice and the remaining with 1/4 tsp salt.
- Now combine the remaining with lemon juice, tahini, ketchup, and mayonnaise.
- Serve the chicken fingers with green beans and the sauce.
Mini Mozzarella and Kale Pita Pizzas
Cut the pitas into half before grilling, so that you get crispier crusts. It is a quick and easy way of making dinner before trick-or-treating.
Ingredients:
- Whole-Wheat Pita Rounds – 6 Miniatures, 1 Oz. Each
- Olive Oil – 3 Tbsp, Extra Virgin
- Shallots – 1/2 Cup, Thinly Sliced
- Garlic – 1 Tbsp, Sliced
- Baby Kale – 6 Ounces
- Pizza Sauce – 1/2 Cup
- Italian Cheese Blend – 2 1/2 Ounces, Pre-shredded, 2% Reduced-Fat,
- Mozzarella Cheese – 1 1/2 Ounces, Shredded
- Black Pepper – 1/2 Tsp
- Kosher Salt – 1/8 Tsp
Procedure:
- Preheat the grill to high heat with an oven rack in the middle position.
- Divide each pita in half horizontally and make 12 rounds. Place rounds on the baking sheet with the cut side up. Now drizzle oil and grill for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly toasted.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add garlic and shallots and cook for 2 minutes until golden brown. Now add kale and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Spread the pizza sauce on each pita. Top the pita with kale mixture, tomatoes, and cheese. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly.
- Broil the pitas for 4 to 5 minutes until the cheeses are melted.
Trick-or-Treating Dinner Ideas – Serve Them Before Candies
Before you help your kids into their Halloween costumes and head out into the neighborhood for a fun and spooky night of trick-or-treating, it’s important to get a delicious and healthy meal in their bellies. This can keep their energy up throughout the evening and help ensure that they get adequate nutrition before chowing down on Halloween candy.
If you’ve been searching for quick and easy seasonal dishes to serve to your kids on Halloween night, you may want to bookmark the above recipe ideas. You can try these recipes to serve kids and adults with cheesy dinner items. These healthy and kid-friendly dinners will give your kids enough boost to focus on collecting sweets on Halloween night.