CookOS

Halloween party food and treats

Ghost bruschetta, cheese monsters and a pot of brisket chili for when the doorbell finally goes quiet. Here is the party, sorted the way a host thinks: what to set out, make ahead, make fast and pour.

Four mini red-wax cheeses carved into monster faces with edible eyes, on a wooden board with a toy spider and cobweb decorations

The Halloween table

Showpieces first, from ghost bruschetta to cheese monsters and spun-sugar cotton candy, then the flavors of the night: pumpkin, caramel apple and candy.

Party food for a crowd

Egg rolls, sliders, empanadas, taquitos and a bubbling hot dip for the buffet. Every recipe here makes eight servings or more.

Treats and sweets

S'mores bars, fudgy brownies, homemade gummy rings, a big bowl of puppy chow and a Texas sheet cake that serves 32: the sweet side of the party.

Last minute: ready in 30 minutes or less

Guests at the door in half an hour? Every recipe here records a total time of 30 minutes or less, from a five-minute dip to a tray of chili cheese dogs.

Make it ahead

Every recipe here can be made before the party: a chili, three bakes, a layered salad, a trifle, a crisp and cookies. Party day is for costumes.

Drinks for everyone

Hot chocolate, a green agua fresca, a deep purple lemonade, bubble tea and homemade cola, all made without alcohol, so every guest can have a cup.

Fall comfort for after trick-or-treat

Brisket chili, pumpkin mac and cheese, a biscuit-topped pot pie, four soups and a pot roast: warm dinners for when the candy has been counted.