It’s spooky season! KATU Afternoon Live had me back again to share my entertaining tips for my favorite holiday, Halloween! Watch my segment to see simple tips on making a Halloween charcuterie board and spooky Halloween cocktail that is sure to catch your guests eye!

Tips for a Spooky Halloween Cocktail Party:

Whether you are hosting a quick get together for the adults while the kids are out trick or treating, or you are putting together a teen Halloween party with mocktails, these tips are sure to win over even the most frighteningly picky of party guests to have a howling good time. (I know… terrible, but Halloween is just made for puns!)

1. Grazing Boards: Charcuterie boards (for those who eat meat, cheese boards for cheese only crew, or snack boards for those who like to mix it up) are ALL the rage for a reason… people can make snacks to their tastes and liking!

They can also be catered to different dietary restrictions. Note: Do not put meat and cheese on a board with fruit and nuts and say that it is vegan friendly because it has vegan-friendly foods… that does not cut it. You CAN make a vegan snack board that is completely filled with items that your Vegan friends and family can graze on. I’d recommend putting it on the other end of the table than the meat items or on its own, just to be a bit more accomodating and avoid contamination if possible. Same goes for any allergens! 

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How to make your Halloween grazing board more spooky: 

• • • Use dark fruit and vegetables on the tray to pair with your meat and cheeses. Add in some dark chocolate for a fun sweet pairing to a tasty soft cheese like brie.
    • My favorite cheeses for a halloween cheese board or spooky charcuterie are Blue Cheese, a bright yellow Gouda, and white cheddar.  A good way to add to the creepy appeal, and tastiness!, is by adding goat cheese balls rolled in black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or fresh herbs. Oh, and don’t forget the famous cream cheese, cheese stick, and prosciutto meat hand with a clever trick!  (I bought my cleaver cheese board knife on Amazon*!)
    • Add a meathead! I did this YEARS ago for a halloween party and have been perfecting my meathead game for years. (haha!) The trick to making it look super creepy (and keeping things food safe) is first adding a layer of saran wrap over a plastic halloween skull and covering it with a bit of cream cheese. Add in some roasted bell peppers for an extra creepy layer! Finally, pull off strips of prosciutto and lay onto the skull, dipping into the crevices and making sure the eyes and teeth stay clear of the meat. After covered put the meathead in the middle of a dish with tasty charcuterie and olives. My son likes to say, “this guy has a bit of meat on his bones!”
    • Add olives and peppers. Seriously, do it.

2. Decorate with things that creep you out! I am not a big fan of gore or scares. But, things that give me the heebie jeebies… spiders, rats, bugs, snakes, skulls, ghosts, vampires, witches, that is my jam. I like to decorate with layers of textures and lights.

3. Make a cocktail extra eerie with eyeballs! Use a 1 inch sphere ice tray* and blueberries to make the coolest little eyeballs to FILL your glass with to pair with nearly any cocktail. I paired it with a Booberry Eyeball (blueberry highball) cocktail.

What are your Halloween go-tos!?