Halloween Do-Ahead Dinner: Don't Miss A Trick

Halloween is one of those holidays where dinner takes a back seat to trick-or-treating, answering the door and sampling a little of everything all night long. While it's tempting to do away with dinner in favor of candy, it's absolutely doable to make something home cooked and delicious.  

Since Halloween is still more than a week away, here's a recipe that you can make ahead of time if you choose.  Let's face it, macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food and what could be better than warm cheesy gooey goodness after a hard night of trick or treating.  Even the grandest meltdown or candy coma can be soothed with a bowl or mac and cheese. 

This mac and cheese, delicious on its own any time but this version is amped up Halloween-style with the addition of blood and guts.  Diced ham and cherry tomatoes dotted throughout make for a visual dish of delightful horror.  But the addition makes for a complete dinner.  It couldn't be easier too.  Ham steak is fully cooked and adds a subtle smokey flavor while the grape tomatoes require nothing more than a quick rinse. Prepare the dish in advance and pop it in the freezer or the fridge depending on you're timing. Dinnertime requires nothing more than preheating the oven and getting the gobblins to the table.

Macaroni and Cheese with Blood and Guts

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serves: 6-8

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons flour

4 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

5 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

7 ounce lean ham steak

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 pound macaroni

1 cup (about 10) crushed Ritz crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cook macaroni in salted boiling water until almost al dente.  Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter.  Add flour and cook 2 minutes stirring constantly until flour is absorbed.  Slowly whisk in milk until thickened, 2 minutes.

Turn off heat, add onion powder, mustard and 4 cups of cheese.  Stir until cheese is melted.  Stir in diced ham and whole grape tomatoes.  Season to taste with salt if necessary.

Toss cooked macaroni with cheese mixture and pour into a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

In a small bowl mix remaining 1 cup of cheese with crushed Ritz crackers. Sprinkle on top of pasta.  At this point, macaroni and cheese can be frozen (up to two weeks) or refrigerated (less than two days).  Bring to room temperature before baking.

Bake 40 minutes (30 minutes covered, 10 uncovered) until bubbly.