Share
To balance out the sugar rush from sweet treats at a Halloween party, savoury snacks are key to include—even as a way of adding variety and colour to the spread. Bringing flavour and flair isn’t impossible when using great ingredient pairings coupled with creative ideas—all while catering to the theme and being delicious simultaneously. Between planning, decorating, dressing up and laying the table, relying on Usha’s OTG can be a great way to ensure that food is prepared in batches, and is warm while serving. Moreover, if the party lasts several hours, it’s always a good idea to have food options that aren’t loaded with sugar or can only be eaten in limited quantities. What better way to celebrate seasonal produce and flavours than to include them in creations that leave plenty of scope for texture and taste to intermingle flawlessly!
Roasted Pumpkin Hummus
Image Credits: Pexels
The classic combination of chickpeas and pumpkin transforms into a very approachable and party-ready dip in the form of this bright orange hummus. Roast the pumpkin in a low oven until soft and yielding before combining it with cooked chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, tahini and lime juice in a food processor. Serve it with ghost-shaped pita chips and crudites. Drizzle some chilli oil on top to offset the pumpkin’s sweetness and add a layer of heat to the sharing bowl. Replace the chickpeas for other cooked legumes like black-eyed peas, butter beans and even kala chana, as a high protein alternative.
Pastry ‘Snakes’
A great way to use store-bought puff pastry is by brushing it with some butter and sprinkling grated cheese before rolling cut strips slightly to resemble animated snakes. Dot each strip with a couple of olive slices to resemble the eyes and bake them until they are crisp and flaky. Experiment with different flavours like pesto, chimichurri, lemon-butter, garlic-chilli to add variety and serve an assortment of these finger food with drinks. What’s more? These ‘snakes’ are also great dippers for the roasted pumpkin hummus as well as to enjoy with a bowl of soup on the side.
If you don’t have Usha’s OTG, Shop Now 
Loaded Nachos
Image Credits: Pexels
Bake a few layers of seasoned nachos with a generous amount of cheese before adding on the toppings. Get creative with the nacho layers by using egg roll wrappers or cut-out tortillas as well as a variety of cheeses, depending on the kind of flavours being sought. Load up the warm, cheesy chips with guacamole, salsa, beans, onions, tomatoes, shredded chicken and sour cream. Introduce spice in the form of a fiery tomato salsa or jalapeno relish, add more crunch to the nacho mountain in the form of seasoned peanuts, fried onions or chickpeas.
Grilled Sausage ‘Fingers’
A packet of sausages goes a long way during a Halloween party—if chosen to not blanket them in puff pastry, simply make shallow incisions on the surface of each one, to resemble fingers and grill them until their skins are torched slightly. Toss them in a honey-mustard glaze and serve them with toothpicks, for guests to pick between sips of cocktails, or have them served alongside hot dog buns for a heartier meal option. One could also serve the grilled sausages on a platter and have them near a condiment station, for guests to decide what they want to add on to their hot dog.
Mini Pizzas
Image Credits: Pexels
Whether catering to children or adults, everyone enjoys a handheld pizza with a variety of toppings—from a simple combination of tomato sauce and cheese, to mushrooms and olives, pepperoni, chicken and even prosciutto for the adults—the possibilities of creating bite-sized pies are a great way to customise food, for an extra special touch. Use a cookie cutter to slice cheese into the shape of ghosts and bats before placing it on top of the ingredients and baking it in the oven. Enjoy creating a DIY set-up to let kids engage and create their own little pizzas as a way to keep them engaged during the party.
