Fall Party Foods Your Guests Are Sure to Love

The fall brings about many opportunities to have a party. Football games become a weekly occurrence and along with them some parties. At the end of October, you will also find some Halloween and harvest parties. As you gather your friends to celebrate the season, you will need to plan a menu of some party foods.

Snacks

A simple party snack for the fall is roasted pumpkin seeds. Save all of the seeds from the pumpkins you carve. Place them in a strainer and wash off any bits of pumpkin. Lay them single file in a baking sheet. Sprinkle them with salt or your favorite spice (garlic or onion powder perhaps). Bake them in the oven at 350 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Pour in a serving dish and allow your guests to dig in. They taste great warm, so there is no need to wait for them to cool.

Make a bowl of regular popcorn. Make sure it does not contain any salt or butter. Once the popcorn is popped, place it in a mixing bowl. Melt some caramel pieces over the stove and then pour them over the popcorn. Throw in some finely chopped peanuts and toss until all of the popcorn is coated. Cool and serve.

Drinks

Make some pumpkin punch. Empty out a pumpkin and clean the inside of it. Fill three-quarters of the way full with ginger ale or lemon-lime soda. Fill the other quarter with a fruit punch. Top the pumpkin with spoonfuls of sherbert--any flavor, even rainbow sherbert. Place a ladle near the pumpkin so guests can retrieve drinks.

Make a batch of smoothies. Place six cubes of ice in a blender with one banana, two containers of strawberry yogurt, 15 frozen cranberries, and a quarter-cup of pineapple juice. You may also add two tablespoons of honey. Blend completely and pour into glasses. Top with one of those drink umbrellas.

Main Dishes

Make a Mexican-style dip that can be enjoyed as a meal. Brown a pound of ground beef and add a taco seasoning packet and three-quarters cup of water. Cook on low for five minutes. Spread two 8-ounce packages of cream cheese in a baking dish. You may need to soften it first by leaving it out on the counter or using a microwave. Pour your taco meat over the cream cheese. Top with 8 ounces of shredded cheddar and 8 ounces of shredded pepper jack. Throw on a few chopped olives and jalapeno peppers. Bake at 350 degrees F for one hour and serve with scoopable nachos.

Make some cheddar-bacon hot dogs. Roll out some Pillsbury dough and cut it in to triangles. Place a hot dog in the middle of each triangle and then spread some spreadable cheddar cheese on top. Sprinkle with bacon bits or crumbled freshly cooked bacon. Enclose the hot dog by folding the sides over each other. Place on a baking sheet and cook at 375 degrees F. for 12 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.

Desserts

Caramel apples are a popular fall dessert. Crush a bunch of peanuts and lay them on a paper plate. Place lots of caramel in a pot and melt it over the stove. Shove a stick into the top, middle of a washed apple. You can use green or red apples. Stick the apple in the caramel and then roll it in the peanuts. Set it on some waxed paper. When you have finished all of the apples, place them in the refrigerator so the caramel hardens.

Consider making a Jell-O delight. To do this you need several glasses. Make some Jell-O cubes and wait for them to harden in the fridge. Whichever you flavor Jell-O you prefer is fine, and you may use another brand of gelatin dessert. Place a few Jell-O cubes in the bottom of each glass. Add some whipped cream to each one and then sprinkle with crushed pineapples. Do another layer of gelatin, whipped cream and crushed pineapple. Top with crushed graham crackers or granola bits and a cherry. Serve cold.