How to Cater a Halloween Party

It's time for ghosts, goblins and ghouls. Halloween parties are a great way to celebrate the spooky holiday for both children and adults. Catering your own food can be easy with a little pre-party planning. Here's how to cater your Halloween party with style.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Pick a theme. By giving your party and menu a focus, deciding on food will be easy. For instance, if you want to do healthy foods, you can make low-fat, low-sugar treats like sugar-free gelatin in fun Halloween shapes and finger sandwiches cut into shapes like bats and witch hats.

2. Get an idea of how many guests you can expect. This will help you in deciding the amount of groceries you will need. The best way to do this is to have guests RSVP by a date that gives you enough time finalize numbers.

3. Have a convenient buffet station set up with easy-to-serve food items such as soups staying warm in crock pots or warming plates (cut the bottom off of a plastic cauldron to dress up soup warmers), salad in served in a big orange bowl, individual desserts such as cookies and muffins.

4. Add another station for drinks. Set up your drink station near the door. This will make it easy for guests to get in and have a drink right away. This also allows the host or hostess to float around and have a good time. If you are having an open house style party, have wrapped desserts to go. Bite-sized candy bars work well.

5. Purchase your utensils, paper plates, napkins and other bulk items in Halloween colors. This will add a special touch to your party. Display them in attractive holders on the buffet and drink tables.

Tips & Warnings

• Make everything ahead of time so you don't have a lot of stress the day of the party. You can make soups and desserts up to three days before the party. Use convenience items such as pre-cut lettuce and vegetables to lessen your preparation time.
• Have adult and kids drinks. A cooler with bottled beer, a couple bottles of nice wine such as pinot grigio, and a large, spouted cooler with an orange-tinted concoction takes away the need for a bartender.
• Put cauldrons of dry ice around the room to give a spooky fog. Lower lighting and make fun name cards for your concoctions to add to the ambiance of the party.