A Pumpkin Carving Party Menu (Chili, Cider, Sliders + More)
When you host a pumpkin carving party, there’s a lot to set up and a lot to plan. But I’ll help you with the food. Here are 29 recipes perfect for an outdoor fall get-together.
Cold Apple Cider Punch
Put this in a big glass drink dispenser with fresh fruit and cinnamon sticks, with little plastic cups so kids can help themselves.
Chili with Toppings
A topping bar really makes things feel like a party. This will show you all the toppings you need and how to set it out so that everyone is having their ideal bowl of chili without you having to fix it for them.
Skillet Mac and Cheese
For a crowd I prefer to double this and serve it in a 13-by-9 baking dish. It’s really rich and creamy and the best baked mac and cheese ever.
Party Subs
You can assemble these in the morning, chill them, and then serve them sliced and ready to grab at the party. For extra points, you can get little Halloween-themed toothpicks to keep the slices holding together
Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
Put these in a napkin-lined basket next to the chili and let people help themselves. They aren’t spicy but there’s tons of flavor
Pepperoni Bread
Pumpkin carving parties often involve children, which means picky eaters WILL be present. This is something that everyone will eat. One recipe is enough for a small family so if it’s one of your two mains, I would double or triple it.
German Potato Salad
Warm, vinegary, bacony, and completely happy sitting on an outdoor table where mayo-based sides would sulk. Make it in the morning and reheat right before guests come.
Halloween Chex Mix
This is sweet and crunchy but not too filling or rich, another great choice for kids to snack on.
Smoked Chicken Wings
These have a rub and then an optional glaze that gets brushed on at the end. If you skip the glaze, picky kids will definitely like them. I tend to do half glazed and half plain. Another thing: they only take a few hours to smoke so start them around lunch time and you’ll have them ready by the afternoon.
Crockpot Barbecue Beans
These are sweet fillings and something that vegetarians can fill up on if you have some present.
Spiced Pecans
I put these out by the cocktail station so that adults have something salty and sweet to nibble on while they drink.
Coleslaw
Make the dressing the night before and then assemble everything about an hour before people come over. This is our favorite coleslaw recipe that’s at every single get-together we host
Queso Dip
This is best served in a mini Crockpot if you have it to keep it warm. If you have a warming plate, put a cast iron skillet on top of that and it will accomplish the same thing. A great recipe that everyone loves.
Slow Cooker Apple Cider
This recipe puts spiced rum right in the Crockpot but for a party like this I would recommend having a bottle off to the side and making the apple cider itself plain so kids can have some too.
White Chicken Chili
A chili bar is a great thing to have at a party like this, mostly because you can make everything in the morning and let the chili cook while you set up. Then when it’s time to eat, everyone just serves themselves.
Deviled Eggs
Snacky, yummy, and perfect for that awkward time before the carving begins and everyone just needs something to munch on.
Cowboy Sandwiches
A super filling recipe loaded with flavor. You’ll need a lot of toppings to make these the best they can be but the good news is the toppings overlap with chili toppings so for the non-chili people this is a great alternative.
Baked Chicken Wings
If you don’t have a smoker, this is the wing to make. Nobody wants to be deep frying while people are on the way. You can bake a big batch of these in the oven and they will be super crispy. If you want to, you can definitely toss them in sauce after but they have lots of flavor just as is.
Fall Sangria
The grown-ups can have a cocktail without you being the bartender. Whip out the batch of this Prosecco Sangria that has lots of fall flavor and let the adults help themselves too.
Pumpkin Cake
The easiest way to serve a cake like this is to pre-cut it into squares and then put it back into the 9×13. You don’t need to make this a crazily decorated Halloween cake. This one is good and simple and everyone will love it.
Halloween M&M Cookies
This is the best way to have something that feels like a real Halloween treat but doesn’t require you to do any complicated Halloween decorating.
Deep Dish Pizza
When I serve this to a crowd I actually prefer to bake it in a square pan and then slice it into little squares. It’s more grab-able and less messy.
Halloween Shortbread Cookies
For the slightly more ambitious among us, simple rectangles with Halloween sprinkles. This base recipe is very good by the way.
Ham and Cheese Sliders
Another great choice that you can assemble in the morning and then heat up right before people get there.
Antipasto Platter
Everyone loves a nice antipasto platter but building your own can be surprisingly intimidating. This will show you exactly how to create it and give you tips for making it happen.
Buffalo Chicken Dip Jack-O-Lantern
If a food is orange why not make it look like a jack-o’-lantern? Everyone loves buffalo chicken dip but they’ll love it even more served like this.
Meatball Sliders
Everyone loves sliders, and these are hot and filling.
Little Smokies
No one ever turns these down. The combination of bacon and brown sugar is delicious and you can make them in the morning then just warm them up before everyone arrives
Apple Cider Cookies
These cookies start with boiled apple cider for a molasses cookie-like experience with lots of cider flavor. Adults will probably like these more than the kids.
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