Halloween and Bonfire Night Recipes

The season of the Celtic New Year is here at last. These days, this season is celebrated with Halloween and Bonfire Night in the UK.

Halloween is October 31st and is the eve of All Hallows, where the veil between the world of man and the world of spirits and goblins is at it's thinnest and various ghouls and ghosties walk abroad.

Bonfire Night is November 5th and commemorates the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 5 November 1605, in which a number of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to destroy the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament, in London. Festivities are centred on the use of fireworks and the lighting of bonfires.

Below are some classic Halloween Recipes:


Shadowy Moon Marshmallow Treats


65g margarine
300g miniature marshmallows

50g miniature chocolate chips
250ml white frosting

Assorted colored gels (orange, yellow, red)

Yellow-coloured sugar

Assorted Halloween sweets (candies)

In large bowl, combine cereal and cookie crumbs then set aside.

Meanwhile in a large saucepan, over medium-low heat, heat together the margarine and marshmallows until melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Pour over the cereal mixture, tossing to coat well. Press the resultant mixture into greased 35cm diameter pizza pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, pressing gently into cereal mixture then set aside.

Frost the top of the prepared mixture with frosting to within 2cm of the edge. Decorate with assorted gels. Sprinkle with yellow colored sugar. Decorate with assorted candies.


Spooky Eyeball Tacos

450g minced (ground beef)

1 package TACO BELL HOME
 ORIGINALS Taco Dinner Kit

Shredded lettuce

Chopped tomatoes

Sour cream

Sliced, pitted, olives

Mix together the meat and seasoning mix. Shape into thirty-six balls and place these in a 33 x 22cm baking dish. Bake at 170—C for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Fill each of the 12 taco shells with 1 meatball, taco sauce, lettuce and tomato then top with 2 additional meatballs dipped in sour cream. Garnish with sliced pitted ripe olives to create "eyes."


Below is a classic Cottage Pie for Bonfire Night:

Bonfire Shepherd's Pie

450g lean minced (ground) beef
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
350gfrozen mixed vegetables
440g tinned, diced, tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained 

360g beef gravy 

420ml water

2 tbsp butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

120ml milk
450g mashed potatoes
60g grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten


Pre-heat your oven to 180°C.

Lightly grease a 30cm diameter frying pan and use to cook the beef and onion over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain.

Add the frozen vegetables, tomatoes and gravy to beef mixture. Heat to boiling then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for between 8 and 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, heat water, butter and garlic powder to boiling. Remove from heat and add the milk. Stir in the potatoes and cheese then add the egg and blend thoroughly.

Spoon the beef mixture into ungreased a 20cm square or oval glass baking dish. With large spoon, make 6 mounds of the potato mixture on top of beef mixture to resemble bonfire pyres. Transfer to the oven and bake for between 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are set and mixture is thoroughly heated.

For more Halloween and Bonfire Night recipes see the Hallowen recipes page and the Bonfire Night recipes page.