Darcy’s Dishes: Halloween cooking heats up with frightfully fun recipes

SAN ANTONIO — Get ready to add some frightful fun to your kitchen this spooky season! 

KENS 5 found some Halloween-themed recipes, from ghoulish goodies to eerie entrees, so there’s something here to satisfy every little monster. 

So, whether you’re hosting a haunted house party or just want to treat yourself, these simple recipes are equal parts creepy and delicious. 

You can watch the episode of Darcy Dishes streaming now on KENS 5+, available to download for free on your TV.  

• Kosher salt 
• 4-6 medium or large bell peppers
• 8 oz elbow macaroni
• 1 1/4 cups of half-and-half
• 8 oz of cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups of mild cheddar (shredded)

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
• Fill a large bowl with ice water.
• Cut the tops off the peppers, removing the seeds and membranes.
• Put the peppers and the tops in the boiling water and cook until just tender for about 2 to 3 minutes. 
• After boiling then place the peppers into the ice bath. 
• Once cool, remove them and use a sharp knife to carve a jack-o-lantern face into one side of each pepper.
• Return the water to a boil, adding the elbow macaroni and cook until al dente (about 6 minutes).
•  Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain (don’t rinse the pasta). 
• Heat the half-and-half in a large saucepan over medium heat to a simmer until reduced to about 3/4 cup (about 10 minutes).
• Add the cream cheese to the saucepan and stir until melted then add the cheddar cheese and mix until sauce is smooth. 
• Turn off the heat, add the macaroni to the saucepan and stir to combine. Stir in some of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce if needed. 
• Let sit for 10 minutes, then put the mac and cheese inside the bell peppers.
• Serve and enjoy!

The Mac-O-Lantern and Cheese Bowls recipe was originally found here. 

• 4-6 slices of French bread or sourdough bread
• 1 cup of pizza sauce 
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 12 black olives or pimento-stuffed green olives (cut in half)
• 4-6 mozzarella cheese sticks (pulled into thin strips)

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place bread slices on baking sheet, toast in oven for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Spread pizza sauce evenly over the bread slices. 
• Sprinkle oregano and garlic powder on top of bread. 
• Place olives on bread, creating the eyes on the pizza.
• Place string cheese across toast, making the “mummy wrap.” 
• Bake the pizza in oven until the cheese is melted (about 3 to 5 minutes).

The Mummy Pizza recipe was originally found here. 

• Chocolate mousse or chocolate pudding
• Milano Cookies
• Edible ink marker
• Candied worms or pumpkins, eyeballs
• Oreo cookies

• Clear cups

• Make your chocolate mousse or pudding (KENS 5 used Jell-O Instant Pudding Mix). 
• Leave in fridge to set and cool. 
• Crush Oreos into crumbs to make the “dirt.” 
• Spoon the pudding into small clear cups.
• Pour the “dirt” on top of the pudding. 
• Decorate with candied worms, pumpkins or eyeballs. 
• Use your edible ink to write “RIP” on the Milano cookies
• Stick the Milano cookies in each pudding cup as the “tombstones” for the graveyard. 
• Eat your sweat treat!

The Graveyard Pudding Cup recipe was originally found here.