Healthy Halloween Recipes

Delicious holiday season food doesn’t have to be fattening.

With Halloween approaching, it’s a great time to get a head start with these tasty, healthy Halloween recipes, which will please the family without ruining your weight loss goals!

Cider Roasted Chicken

Bringing overnight in a salt-and-cider mixture makes this chicken recipe incredibly flavorful and moist. Basting with reduced apple cider adds a hint of sweetness to the finished roasted chicken.

Nutrition per serving   

	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Saturates	Fiber	Sodium
	224	26.9g	11.3g	7.1g	2g	0.4g	452mg

Ingredients

• 3 quarts water
• 1 quart apple cider
• ¼ cup kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (6-pound) roasting chicken
• 2 cups apple cider
• 1 large onion, peeled and halved
• 4 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled

Method

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Remove from heat; cool completely. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Pour brine into a 2-gallon zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 400°
3. Bring 2 cups cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until cider has thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup (about 15 minutes). Set aside.
4. Remove chicken from bag; discard brine. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place the onion halves, parsley, and garlic into cavity. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Tie legs. Place chicken on rack of a broiler pan. Bake at 400° for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until thermometer registers 175°. Remove from oven (do not turn oven off). Carefully remove and discard skin. Baste chicken with half of reduced cider; return to 400° oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; baste with remaining cider reduction. Transfer chicken to a platter.
5. Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a small bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Serve jus over chicken.

Butternut Squash and Parmesan Bread Pudding

A side of sautéed kale or mustard greens would provide a nice counterpoint to the sweet butternut squash.

Nutrition per serving   

	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Saturates	Fiber	Sodium
	304	18.1g	35.3g	10.3g	4.8g	4g	823mg

Ingredients

• 3 cups (½inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
• Low fat cooking spray
• ½ teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 8 ounces (1-inch) cubed day-old French bread (about 9 cups)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Arrange squash in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 350°.
3. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
4. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, milk, half the cup of cheese, pepper, nutmeg, eggs, and egg whites in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in squash and onion mixture.
5. Add bread, and stir gently to combine. Let stand 10 minutes.
6. Spoon into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining half cup of cheese. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until pudding is set and lightly browned.

Candied Apples

These apples make great Halloween treats for everyone. Green Granny Smiths really go well with the sweet white and bittersweet chocolates, but you can use any apples you like.

Nutrition per serving    

	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Saturates	Fiber	Sodium
	260	1.9g	48.4g	8.7g	5g	7.8g	11mg

Ingredients

• 6 Granny Smith apples
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 2½ ounces premium white baking chocolate

Method

1. Wash and dry apples; remove stems. Insert a wooden stick into the stem end of each apple. Coarsely chop the chocolate
2. Place bittersweet chocolate in a glass bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until melted, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth.
3. Place white chocolate in a glass bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until melted, stirring every 15 seconds until smooth.
4. Working with 1 apple at a time, hold apple over bowl. Using a spoon, drizzle apple with about 1 1/2 teaspoons white chocolate.
5. Place apple, stick side up, on baking sheet covered with wax paper. Repeat procedure with remaining apples.
6. Chill apples until ready to serve.

Quick Fall Minestrone

Make the most of fall produce, like butternut squash and kale, in this hearty vegetarian soup. Pasta and beans make it especially filling.

Nutrition per serving

	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Saturates	Fiber	Sodium
	212	9.6g	36g	5g	1.6g	3.9g	961mg

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 ½ cups cubed peeled butternut squash
• 2 ½ cups cubed peeled baking potato
• 1 cup (1-inch) cut green beans
• ½ cup diced carrot
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups chopped kale
• ½ cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 1/2 minutes or until tender. Add broth and the next 7 ingredients (broth through salt); bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Add kale, orzo and beans; cook 5 minutes or until orzo is done and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

With these great recipe ideas, making delicious food for a Halloween gathering which is also healthy should be a much less scary prospect now.

Do you have any great Halloween recipe ideas? If so please share them with us by commenting below!