Halloween Dinner Ideas (semi sugar-free)

Back in the (long ago) day I had a houseful of 6 kids ready to tear out the door trick-or-treating right after getting home from school (yes - they do grow up!)  Those were 3-4 hours of stress - for both the kids, and my husband & I.  My husband taught middle school for over 20 years, and he was NOT a fan of Halloween (trust me, have you ever been at your local middle school on that day?)  

I really tried to tone it down a bit by having dinner at 5:00 pm on that day - even though the kids were already tearing through their treats from school.  It did help to have something they could help me make - especially if it fit in the "Halloween" category.

These ideas would have been fun to try... Most of them have very little sugar - because there will be enough of that when they come home from trick-or-treating.  Granted, some of them also are made from convenience foods - but it's days like this when you really need convenience foods, right?  

Maybe you'll find something here to keep your Halloween 'Eve less stressful.  The links are included in the titles. Happy spooking.

Quickie Halloween Lunch
Wouldn't any pre-schooler love this?

Bubbling Cauldron Dip
Everyone loves chili-cheese dip,
and what a fun way to serve it.

Adam's Ribs 
Any teenager would think this is great
(love the red pepper "heart" in the center?)
And I wish I could have made the photo larger...

Witch Finger Sandwiches
(from refrigerated breadsticks - of course!)

Wicked Witch Stuffed Potatoes
It just might motivate them to decorate their own faces.

"Boo" Spaghetti
(A little more "subtle" - for your teenagers)

Big Smile Chalupas
Who can resist this face?   (OR the chalupa?)

Mid-day Mwa-ha-ha-ha Meal for the Kids
Lunch or early dinner idea for little ones.

Chicken Mummy
(Deli chicken & ham baked in pizza dough)
Don't you love the eyes?

Eyeball Taco Salad
Add a little appeal with ingredients already in the salad.

Ghost of Monte Cristo Sandwiches
Fun with the sifting of powdered sugar...