Spooky Halloween Snack Board
AKA the perfect thing to serve pre-Trick or Treat (or, at your halloween party!)
The first time I drove through my current town, a quaint, semi-rural hamlet about an hour’s drive from New York City, it was late October and autumn foliage was doing its thing. As a fall girl through and through, I immediately fell in love and mentally bookmarked it as a place I’d like to live some day (at the time, I was living on Long Island and dreaming of moving back to my home state of New Jersey). I was enchanted by the historic homes, farms, forests and hiking trails, and could perfectly envision my life here. Some years later, when the move finally became a reality, we considered homes across multiple counties and serendipitously landed on one in the very town I became enamored with all those years before. It was mid-summer when we moved, but I was already looking forward to fall, when the beauty of this area really shines.
Not only was our new town just as gorgeous in October as I’d remembered, but it was harboring another little fall surprise - it turns out, we do Halloween big here. One local neighborhood in particular really pulls out all the stops with elaborate decorations, on-theme driveway tailgates and a trick-or-treating scene that rivals one from any 80’s Halloween movie. This is all to say, since we’ve moved here, I’ve been re-inspired to do it up for the spookiest day of the year.
One of my favorite newer traditions of late is planning for some festive pre-trick or treat food. By the time we’re done collecting candy, everyone is too tired and too full of sugar to even think about dinner. So, instead, I’ve started to make sure that we all eat beforehand, even if it’s on the early side. The kids are usually so excited to get in costumes and meet up with friends that they’re not really interested in a sit down dinner, but they’ll always graze on snacks. I decided to put together a Halloween themed snack board full of on-theme foods that are simultaneously fun to eat, filling and nutritious. This would also be perfect to serve at an adult-only Halloween soiree, especially when paired with some Prosecco or sparkling non-alcoholic cider. I get everything ready while the kids are at school, and set it out on the dining table so everyone can help themselves in the afternoon when the adrenaline really starts to kick in for the night ahead (and, as a pro-tip, I usually have some soup or pasta prepped in the fridge as well, just in case anyone is extra hungry).
Here’s how I put mine together (plus a shopping list and the wooden board I recommend):