These beautiful haunted house plates inspired this Haunted House themed dinner party. In the creepy spirit of Hotel California by the Eagles, welcome to 1666 (the house number on the plates)! Please, sit down for a devilish and dark feast! I hope you stay awhile for a night of mischievous fun and merriment!
As I was creating my menu, fra diavolo, Italian for brother devil, quickly came to mind and everything else went dark – as in black and burnt foods! I’m not really serving black or burnt foods, but I did want recipes that played into my theme. I must admit, the meal was delicious and easy to execute.
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Shrimp Fra Diavolo – a delicious spicy Italian pasta dish, but don’t worry, you can make it as spicy as you like it.
Caprese Salad – so simple, I didn’t write a recipe. Combine bite-size mozzarella balls with grape tomatoes, basil, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil, balsamic glaze and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Garnish with basil.
Blackberry Sangria – pomegranate juice adds to the unique flavor and color. Sangrias are my family’s go to beverage of choice!
Burnt Basque Cheesecake with Blackberry Chambord Sauce and fresh blackberries – why not serve a delicious “burnt” dessert on Halloween and top it with a dark and rich blackberry sauce laced with Chambord and fresh blackberries? This sauce is to die for and the fresh fruit lightens the meal!
I served all my dishes in these beautiful black and silver sugar skill glass platters I bought at HomeGoods.
This Blackberry Sangria is seriously delicious and it is such a smooth drink! When I made my Basque Burnt Cheesecake, I added a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to the mix and baked it accord to the recipe. The results did not disappoint. I topped it with some Blackberry Chambord Sauce and fresh blackberries. I wanted guests to cut into it and serve up a bloody brilliant cheesecake, as the Brits would say. I achieved that. I always serve extra sauce on the side.
For truly ghoulish and freaky treats, I have some ideas and recipes under my Halloween category here and a number of hacks and shortcuts in my Hocus Pocus Halloween Party post. If you’re interested in this tablescape, I’ve linked all the details here in my Haunted House Tablescape post.
Well, no matter how you celebrate, I hope you find this dinner party inspirational as you plan yours. If you try any recipe, please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.
