7 Hands-Off Slow-Cooker Halloween Foods That Serve Themselves
Creepy Crawly Chili
Creepy Crawly Chili is a fun and flavorful dish that brings a festive twist to your Halloween gathering. This hearty chili is loaded with beans, ground meat, and a medley of spices, perfect for warming up on a chilly autumn evening. To add to the Halloween spirit, you can decorate each bowl with creepy edible garnishes like bug-shaped tortilla chips or olive “bugs.” Cooked effortlessly in a slow cooker, this recipe will leave your guests anticipating a spooky surprise!
Prepare the ingredients: Start by dicing the onion and bell pepper, and mincing the garlic. Drain and rinse the kidney and black beans if you haven’t chosen canned beans yet.
Brown the meat: In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and ground beef. Cook until the meat is browned, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Once cooked, drain excess fat.
Transfer to slow cooker: Move the browned meat to the slow cooker. Add in the diced onion, garlic, and bell pepper.
Add canned ingredients: Pour in the canned diced tomatoes (with their juices), kidney beans, black beans, and tomato sauce into the slow cooker. Stir gently to combine.
Season the mixture: Sprinkle in the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
Set the slow cooker: Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Serve: Once the chili is ready, stir it well before serving. Ladle the hot chili into bowls, and if desired, top with shredded cheddar cheese and creepy garnishes like bug-shaped tortilla chips.
Enjoy your creepy creation: Gather your friends and family, share spooky stories, and enjoy this delicious Creepy Crawly Chili!
Bewitching Pumpkin Soup
Bewitching Pumpkin Soup is a delightful and creamy soup that captures the essence of fall and the Halloween spirit. Made with pureed pumpkin, warm spices, and a touch of cream, this dish is perfect for serving as an appetizer or a main course at your Halloween gathering. Its vibrant orange color and rich flavors will enchant your guests as they sip on this cozy seasonal treat, effortlessly prepared in a slow cooker.
Sauté the aromatics: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute until fragrant.
Transfer to slow cooker: Pour the sautéed onion and garlic mixture into the slow cooker.
Add pumpkin and broth: Add the pumpkin puree and vegetable broth to the slow cooker, stirring well to combine all the ingredients.
Season the soup: Sprinkle in the ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly to guarantee the spices are evenly distributed throughout the soup.
Cook the soup: Cover the slow cooker and cook the mixture on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, allowing the flavors to meld together.
Blend for creaminess: Once the cooking time is complete, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. If using a regular blender, be cautious and blend in batches, ensuring to allow steam to escape.
Add cream: Stir in the heavy cream until well incorporated. If desired, adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper to taste.
Serve: Ladle the bewitching pumpkin soup into bowls and top with pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of fresh parsley for an extra touch.
Enjoy your enchanting broth!
Monster Meatballs
Monster Meatballs are a fun and spooky twist on traditional meatballs, perfect for your Halloween festivities. These hearty, flavorful meatballs are loaded with ground beef, breadcrumbs, and a medley of spices, then shaped into fun monster forms, complete with googly eyes made from olives or mozzarella balls. Bake them in your slow cooker in a delicious marinara sauce for a winning dish that will delight both kids and adults alike.
Preheat the slow cooker: Begin by preheating your slow cooker to low heat.
Combine meatball ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Use your hands to thoroughly combine the ingredients until they are evenly mixed.
Shape the meatballs: Take small portions of the meat mixture and roll them into balls, about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. Aim for consistency in size for even cooking.
Prepare marinara sauce: Pour the marinara sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker, spreading it evenly.
Add the meatballs: Carefully place each meatball on top of the marinara sauce in the slow cooker.
Cook the meatballs: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours, until the meatballs are fully cooked and the internal temperature reaches 160°F (70°C).
Add the monster eyes: About 30 minutes before the cooking time is up, remove the lid and add the pitted black olives or mozzarella balls to the top of each meatball to resemble googly eyes, pressing them slightly into the meatballs.
Serve: Once cooked, carefully scoop the meatballs out of the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and serve them hot, ensuring to spoon some marinara sauce over them.
Enjoy your spooky feast!
Spooky Sweet Potato Curry
Spooky Sweet Potato Curry is a vibrant and flavorful dish that combines the earthy sweetness of sweet potatoes with a medley of aromatic spices. This warm and comforting curry is perfect for Halloween gatherings, bringing a touch of festive color to your table while being completely vegan and a hit among both kids and adults. Let the slow cooker do the work for you as it melds the flavors together, making for an easy yet impressive dish to serve.
Preheat the slow cooker: Start by preheating your slow cooker on low heat while you prepare the ingredients.
Sauté the aromatics: In a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once hot, sauté the diced onion for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and ginger, cooking for an additional minute, until fragrant.
Mix the vegetables: Add the diced sweet potatoes and bell pepper to the skillet, stirring to combine them with the sautéed aromatics. This will help to enhance their flavors.
Combine with curry paste: Stir in the red curry paste, ensuring that the vegetables are well coated with the paste for a more robust flavor.
Transfer to slow cooker: Pour the sweet potato and vegetable mixture into the preheated slow cooker.
Add liquids: Carefully add the coconut milk and vegetable broth into the slow cooker, stirring gently to combine.
Season the curry: Sprinkle in the salt and black pepper, mixing everything together once more to distribute the seasonings evenly.
Cook the curry: Cover the slow cooker and set it to cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Add chickpeas and greens: About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the drained chickpeas and spinach (or kale) into the curry. Cover again and allow to wilt the greens and heat through.
Finish and serve: Once cooked, stir in the lime juice for a burst of freshness. Serve the curry hot, garnished with fresh cilantro if desired.
Enjoy your spooky feast!
Haunted Hot Chocolate
Haunted Hot Chocolate is a rich and indulgent drink that adds a spooky twist to traditional hot chocolate, perfect for chilly Halloween nights. With its dark chocolate base, creamy marshmallow topping, and a dash of spooky garnish, this comforting beverage is bound to delight both kids and adults. Best of all, it’s simple to prepare in your slow cooker, allowing you to serve a crowd with ease.
Prepare the slow cooker: Begin by setting your slow cooker to the low setting to preheat while you gather your ingredients.
Combine ingredients: In the slow cooker, pour in the milk and then add the dark chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and cocoa powder. Stir the mixture gently to combine all the ingredients.
Add vanilla: Add the vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture, incorporating it thoroughly to enhance the flavor of your hot chocolate.
Cook the mixture: Cover the slow cooker and allow the hot chocolate to cook on low for 2-3 hours. Stir every 30 minutes to guarantee the chocolate melts evenly and doesn’t stick to the sides.
Check for consistency: After 2-3 hours, check the hot chocolate’s consistency; stir it well. If it’s too thick, you can add a little more milk to reach your desired creaminess.
Serve: Once the hot chocolate is fully melted and heated through, ladle it into mugs. Add a generous scoop of marshmallows on top for extra spookiness.
Garnish: For a festive touch, top with whipped cream if desired and sprinkle with Halloween-themed sprinkles.
Enjoy: Serve the Haunted Hot Chocolate warm and enjoy the enchanting flavors as you celebrate Halloween!
Ghoulish Green Bean Casserole
Ghoulish Green Bean Casserole is a fun and festive twist on the classic green bean casserole, perfect for Halloween gatherings. This creamy dish combines green beans with a flavorful mushroom sauce and crispy fried onions, all while incorporating an eerie green hue with the addition of spinach. It’s an easy-to-make recipe that can simmer in your slow cooker while you prepare other Halloween delights.
Ingredient
Quantity
Fresh green beans
4 cups, trimmed
Cream of mushroom soup
2 cans (10.5 oz each)
Fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup
French fried onions
1 cup
Grated cheddar cheese
1 cup
Milk
1 cup
Garlic powder
1 teaspoon
Salt
½ teaspoon
Pepper
½ teaspoon
Cooking Steps:
Prepare the slow cooker: Set your slow cooker to the low setting to preheat while you prepare the ingredients.
Combine the base ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the cream of mushroom soup, milk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well combined.
Add vegetables: Stir in the chopped spinach and the trimmed green beans into the soup mixture, ensuring that the vegetables are evenly coated.
Layer the mix: Pour the mixture into the preheated slow cooker and spread it out evenly.
Add cheese: Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese over the top of the green bean mixture for an extra creamy flavor.
Top with fried onions: Add the French fried onions on top of the cheese to create a crispy crust when it’s cooked.
Cook: Cover the slow cooker and let the casserole cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until the green beans are tender and the flavors are melded together.
Stir before serving: After the cooking time, give the casserole a gentle stir to mix the ingredients before serving.
Serve and enjoy: Spoon the Ghoulish Green Bean Casserole into bowls and watch as your guests enjoy this delightful Halloween treat!
Phantom Pudding Parfaits
Phantom Pudding Parfaits are a spooky and delightful dessert that adds a touch of fun to any Halloween celebration. These layered treats combine different flavors and colors to create a visually appealing dessert that is both delicious and eerie. The use of chocolate pudding, crushed Oreos, and ghostly whipped cream makes this dessert a must-have for your Halloween festivities.
Ingredient
Quantity
Chocolate pudding mix
2 boxes (3.9 oz each)
Milk
4 cups
Crushed Oreo cookies
2 cups
Whipped topping
3 cups
Ghost-shaped candies
1 cup
Food coloring (optional)
Black and orange
Cooking Steps:
Prepare the chocolate pudding: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the chocolate pudding mix and milk until well combined. Continue whisking for about 2 minutes until the mixture thickens. Let it sit for 5 minutes to fully set.
Layer the ingredients: Choose clear cups or glass bowls for serving. Start by adding a layer of chocolate pudding to the bottom of each cup, filling them about one-third full.
Add Oreo layer: Sprinkle a layer of crushed Oreo cookies over the chocolate pudding in each cup, creating a crunchy texture that complements the smooth pudding.
Repeat layers: On top of the Oreo layer, add another layer of chocolate pudding, followed by another layer of crushed Oreo cookies. Repeat this process until the cups are almost full, ending with a layer of pudding on top.
Top with whipped topping: Gently spoon the whipped topping over the final layer of pudding, covering it completely. This creates a ghostly appearance that’s perfect for Halloween.
Decorate: Place the ghost-shaped candies on top of the whipped topping for a spooky finishing touch. If desired, you can also drizzle a bit of black and orange food coloring on the whipped cream for added Halloween flair.
Chill and serve: Refrigerate the parfaits for about 30 minutes to let them set and chill before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together perfectly.
Presentation: Serve the Phantom Pudding Parfaits to your guests and enjoy watching their faces light up with delight when they see this spooky dessert!
