Halloween is here! (Or if you live in Central Florida like us, you’re all too familiar with celebrating Halloween starting the first of September thanks to the theme parks.) Halloween signals several things: cozier weather, fun decorations, a spooky movie or two, and more time gathering together with family and friends!
All that time together means festivities and food! For people on the go, however, it can be tiring to bring over meal after meal to parties. If you’re hosting, you’ll likely want easy ways to impress your guests and have enough food that everyone will love. Slow cookers are the perfect way to make the most of your prep time, allowing you to whip up more Halloween-inspired meals without sweating over time. At CrockPockets, we pulled together a set of recipes perfect for your
Halloween party.
Impress Guests with Mains
Pumpkin chili
What screams Halloween more than pumpkin? This filling chili from The Real Food Dieticians will keep your guests warm and satisfied during any party. The best part? It’s beanless, perfect for those who prefer a meatier chili.
-
1 Tbsp cooking fat of choice (avocado oil, olive oil or ghee)
-
2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
-
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
-
6 cloves garlic, minced
-
1 ½ pounds ground beef or bison
-
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
-
½ 6-oz. can tomato paste
-
1 14-oz. can pumpkin puree
-
½ – 1 cup chicken broth or water
-
2 ½ tsp. dried oregano
-
2 Tbsp. chili powder (plus more to taste)
-
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
-
2 tsp. ground cumin
-
1 tsp. sea salt
-
½ tsp black pepper
-
Optional: ¼ – ½ tsp of cayenne (for heat)
Start by sauteeing onions and peppers until onions start to soften. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds should do it).
Add in ground beef, cooking for 8-10 minutes.
Drain beef before putting it into slow cooker.
Add in all remaining ingredients to CrockPocket.
Combine everything thoroughly.
Set heat to low for 5-6 hours.
We recommend doing a meatless version for the other side by swapping the meat for red lentils! Also, make sure you use water or vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Trust us, it will still be a very filling chili!
Whip Up Savory Brews
Vampire Punch
This warm punch is perfect for keeping toasty at a party or for warming up your house’s trick-or-treaters while they make the rounds in the neighborhood. We adjusted this recipe from Boulder Locavore’s idea so that it will fit a CrockPocket. (To fill a 6 quart slow cooker entirely, double the recipe!)
Ingredients:
32 oz red Hawaiian Punch (or similar red juice drink)
1 liter ginger ale
2 oz Red Hots / cinnamon candies of choice
Combine all ingredients. Cook on low for 3 hours, and serve warm to guests!
Want to make these boozy for the “big kids”? Add a cinnamon whisky or vodka of choice to taste.
Butterbeer Rum
This butterbeer isn’t for the under 21 Harry Potter fans! It’s a perfect recipe for anyone throwing a Harry Potter party or hosting a Hogwarts-inspired Halloween party. Again, this has been halved to fit into your CrockPocket, but double the recipe if you choose to fill a 6 qt slow cooker with the beverage entirely.
Ingredients:
-
3 cup water
-
6 oz of cream soda
-
1/2 cup brown sugar
-
1/2 stick unsalted butter
-
1/4 c butterscotch syrup, divided
-
3 cinnamon sticks
-
.5 teaspoon vanilla
-
1/4 teaspoon salt
-
1 cup spiced rum (or rum to taste)
-
Whipped cream, for serving
-
Additional butterscotch syrup, for serving
Instructions:
-
In Crock-Pot, combine water, cream soda, sugar, butter, 1/4 cup butterscotch, cinnamon sticks, vanilla, and salt.
-
Cover and cook on low for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until warm and butter is melted. Remove the lid and stir in the rum.
-
Pour the remaining butterscotch syrup onto a shallow plate.
-
Dip rims of mugs in syrup before filling them with butterbeer.
-
Top with whipped cream, drizzle with additional butterscotch, and serve.
Don’t all of these sound great? If you can’t decide which ones to make, use your CrockPockets to maximize the space in your slow cooker! Make double the main dishes, whip up a main + side, or brew up an alcoholic vs nonalcoholic version of your favorite drinks!