13 Easy Dinner Recipes To Make On Halloween, Because Candy's Just The Appetizer

The orange, cheesy goodness oozing out of these irresistible patty melts from Damn Delicious screams Halloween. The sandwiches cook in a waffle maker in under five minutes, so making them doubles as a fun Halloween activity (a big plus for little ones).

Nothing goes better with the nostalgia of dressing up in costume than comfort food, which is why this slow-cooker bolognese sauce courtesy of A Beautiful Plate is a great option for your Halloween dinner. Your kids will love the cheese and pasta, and you’ll love that you can prep it all ahead of time.

My parents usually ended up ordering takeout on Halloween, so this easy apple cheddar rosemary bacon pizza recipe from Climbing Grier Mountain would have changed the game. There’s cheese, apples, bacon, and it only takes 20 minutes to make. Need I say more?

Halloween feels like the start of the holidays, and cozy food only makes the most wonderful time of the year feel even closer. Starting Halloween night with this instant pot chili from Damn Delicious will warm you from the inside out, keeping you and the kids toasty when you head out to Trick or Treat in the fall air.

On holidays, the best meal is often the one that requires the least work, which is why I love this slow-cooker alphabet soup from Baked By Rachel. The alphabet pasta makes it fun for the kids to eat, and you can leave it in the cooker while you Trick or Treat. Win win.

Discovered on A Spicy Perspective, these mini pizza chips are ridiculously easy to make, and kids can grab them with their hands for quick eating. If you're going for a light dinner before Trick or Treating, these little snacks can take your Halloween from stressful to easy peasy in two bites or less.

This festive mac and cheese from Well Plated takes about 30 minutes to prep and an hour to cook, so you can prepare it before the kids get home from school and let it bake while you’re getting them costumed to perfection. Plus, the greek yogurt and pumpkin in the recipe are good for the whole family, so you can sneak in a healthy dinner before the candy gorging begins.

To make this honey mustard chicken from Budget Bytes, all you need is a skillet, 9 ingredients, and 20 minutes. Plus, the honey flavor will get you in the mood for Halloween candy (as if you weren't already).

What's Halloween without pumpkins? A weird day where we all dress up for no apparent reason, I guess. To honor the most important Halloween food, make this easy pumpkin soup for dinner on the big night, courtesy of Averie Cooks. It cooks in under 30 minutes from prep to ready to serve.

This cheesy chicken crescent bake from Cookies and Cups is another great comfort food option for Halloween night. The orange coloring will feel apropos, and there's no way your kids won't love the combination of chicken, cheese, and bread. Pro tip: you can personalize the stuffings in the casserole, so it's great for families with dietary restrictions.

If you're looking for an easy Halloween dinner that will literally taste like fall, look no further. With fresh pumpkin and nutmeg, this pumpkin Alfredo with cheese tortellini from Family Fresh Meals will have you feeling full and festive — with less than 10 minutes of prep time for you.

This egg-in-a-whole recipe from Gimme Some Oven is ridiculously easy to make, but it's also an entire meal packed into one piece of bread, making it ideal for parents trying to get their kids to eat something real before they eat their weight in candy.

Efficiency is the bread and butter of busy families, and this one-stop slow cooker recipe will definitely make your Halloween dinner more efficient. Courtesy of The Scrumptious Pumpkin, this dijon chicken with winter vegetables recipe is packed with nutrients, so you can feel sure your kids are heading off to Trick or Treat with a full meal in their systems.