Frightening Fun Halloween Fare

I'm co-hosting a spook-tacular Halloween party this Friday with my husbands aunt. We got together last night to discuss all the details and go over any last minute things we needed to get done. I'll be making some of my dishes today, including gooey chocolate cookies, pumpkin bars and creamy chicken pot pie soup. I want Friday to be as stress free as possible. Plus, I want to be relaxed come Trick-O-Treat time, so I can take my little pirate out for candy. Rrrrrr.

Here's What We're Serving

3 Slimey Soups
Creamy Chicken Noodle
Vegetarian Chili
Minestrone

Eerie Edibles
Rolls (for soaking up the slime)
Clam Dip and Chips
Chili Cheese Dip and Salsa
Bowls of Nuts, Pretzels and Candy
Clam Roll-ups
Cheese and Cracker Platter
Avocado Pico De Gallo


Spell Binding Desserts
My signature Gooey Chocolate Cookies
Pumpkin Bars
Caramel Corn
Ghostly Chocolate Bark
Chocolate Fudge Cake (pictured above)


Poisonous Libations
Jell-O Shots (Those are for you mom)
We're doing BYOB, but we'll have plenty of bottled water on hand, beer and wine.

Here's are my recipes. I have made all of these countless times and they are freakishly good. Enjoy!

Chocolate Gooey Cookies (These are a must!) Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Bars
Ingredients
Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup 
(This soup is amazing, so flavorful and down-right awesome)
Ingredients
3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
2 cups diced red potatoes, blanched for 2 minutes
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 cup frozen corn

Cut cooked chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, corn and potatoes. Mix well.

Allow soup to cool. Refrigerate in airtight container until ready to cook.

Pour soup into crock pot. Turn onto desired setting .


Caramel Corn 
(Very addicting, it goes quick)
Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Over medium heat, combine first 4 ingredients and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. Stir well. Pour over 8 quarts popped corn(Use half this amount for more caramel coating). Stir to coat well. Bake in large roaster or pan for 1 hour(Bake for 1/2 an hour if you want chewy caramel), stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to dry.

Chili Cheese Dip 
(Always a favorite. So easy and so good)
2 cans Nalley’s Chili
2 Blocks Cream Cheese
2 Small Cans Diced Green Chilies (Be sure not to buy Jalapenos, as they come in the same can!)

Combined all ingredients and heat in a 2 quart pan until melted and smooth. Or heat all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl, covered , stirring every 2 minutes until combined.


Avocado Pico de Gallo

1 white onion, finely chopped
4 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2 or 3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1 avocado, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients (except avocado), cover, and refrigerate for an hour. Gently stir in avocado before serving.