The Caterist Files ~ Supper Club Halloween

The Halloween Supper of the Lady of Wellington

Can you hear the pipe organs??? I can!!! I'm in the mood for a spook-tacular supper club event, and you're invited to check out what I'd be conjuring up!! We start with the bar...we always start with the bar!!! (you've got to imagiine all of this in my best Count Dracula lilt!) It's a Halloween Meet & Greet...whether or not you and your friends decide to dress up, it's going to be a blast! Let's decorate!!

We're going with the color black this year, and I'm really liking the way this barscape by Party City looks! For the drink assortment on our menu, though, we need to change the sign to read Werewolf Brew (beer), Red Rum Sangria and Witches Brew Cocktail! We need to leave room between the wall where the sign hangs and the bar table itself for a bartender, be it the host or a hired bartender...leave her/him room to work on the table itself, as The Witches Brew Cocktail is your specialty cocktail for the night! If you want to, set up a side table for the punch bowl for the Halloween Sangria...it'll prevent a traffic jam at the bar!

I adore this Autumn punch bowl by Pottery Barn, and this set up with the Red Rum Sangria would be striking!! Red Rum Sangria is a wonderful Autumn grown up punch, and it packs a kick!

To make the Red Rum Sangria, thinly slice one orange, one gala apple, and one lime. Drop them in the punch bowl. If you can locate a pomegranate, the seeds are awesome in this!

Add a 2 liter bottle of red wine, 2 cups of Bacardi light rum, 1/2 cup of Contreau (orange liqueur),1/2 cups of pomegranate juice, 1/4 cup of fine sugar and a quart of club soda. Add the club soda just before the guests arrive, to keep the fizz! Set some orange slices in a decorative goblet for garnish. Make sure than all of your ingredients are chilled...keep the rum and Contreau in the freezer!

For 'ice', freeze pomegranate juice in a round bowl, or scary mold...add oranges and pomegranate seeds for fun! Remove from mold, and float!

This, friends, is our signature cocktail for the night!! Isn't it beautiful!!! It's called The Witches Brew!

For each drink, it's 1 oz. Grey Goose Vodka, 1 oz. Triple Sec, 1 oz. Blue Curacao, and the juice of a lime. Put into an ice filled shaker, and shake like crazy! The glass is rimmed with the juice of a lime, then dipped in Halloween black sanding sugar, which you can find in the bakery craft section, or on line.

Add a supersize ice cube, pour in your cocktail and top it off with club soda for that effervescence...

If you wanted to, you could make up a pitcher of the cocktail, without the soda. Pour over ice and top with the soda just before serving.

And no self respecting Halloween party would be complete without the Cauldron of Beer...or, at least a big punch bowl! It keeps the werewolves happy!

The dining table set up is gorgeous and so very Halloween, with it's black focus!

For the most part, the meet & greet will last about an hour, so we'll want some light nibbles.

On the bar, set up a small tray of assorted cheese cubes...I always try to vary the flavors, like a mild cheddar, a smoked cheddar-Swiss and a pepper jack.

A small bowl of assorted olives from the deli are delicious plain, and they're even better marinated!

One more appetizer, or maybe two, will be fine for this event! We want easy to eat, 1 or 2 bites, no mess items for this, as we aren't putting them on plates. This has to be good walk-about food!

Meatballs on Snow Pea Picks fit this bill perfectly! They aren't saucy, so there's no mess to worry about! And, because we are not saucing them, it's crucial that they be moist!! We'll take a half pound, each, of 80/20 ground chuck and ground pork, break them up in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, tear up 3 slices of plain old soft white bread, cover it with milk. Let it sit for a few minutes to soak through. Add 2 eggs, beat well. Mix in a quarter cup of grated Parmesan, a teaspoon of Kosher salt, a half teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper, a half teaspoon of Italian seasoning and a good pinch of red pepper flakes. Mix it into the meat until it's well blended, careful not to overmix! Form into 1 inch balls...I use my small cookie scoop. Set on a lined cookie sheet and bake slowly, in a 325 oven for 20 to 30 minutes. We don't want a lot of caramelization on these.

To blanche the snow peas, bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Drop in the snow peas and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. Pull out the snow peas and shock them by dropping them into a bowl of ice water. This stops the cooking process and sets the vibrant green color.

Thread one snow pea onto each pick, followed by a meatball. Serve at room temperature.

Add a nice bowl of Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts to the bar, and you're pretty well set!! This one's a simple mix of butter, fresh rosemary, sugar, kosher salt and cayenne, tossed with the nuts until it's wonderfully fragrant! Serve at room temperature!

I like this menu done buffet ~~ or should I say boo-fet ~~ style, for presentation reasons! Line the buffet table with a long black cloth, drape over a spooky runner; add some spooky feather accents, skulls, bones and such, some candles in pewter candlesticks! Leave your dinner table settings with all but the dinner and the dessert plates. Set those plates up on the buffets where they go! Supper plates go at the beginning of the buffet line!

A mesclun greens salad always holds up well, and this one also features chopped tomatoes and slivered red onion. It's dressed with a simple vinaigrette just before serving. Having the salad pre-dressed helps to keep the line moving. If you wish, set a bowl of croutons and/or crackers next to the salad bowl, for your guests. At a Supper Club Buffet, all the food goes on one dinner plate. No need for separate salad plates. That would require two passes through the buffet line.

If you really want the salad to be on its own plate, the best solution is to plate these in the kitchen, then have one or more of your co-hostesses help to set these at each guest's place setting. Then, your guests only have the entree on the main buffet. Whichever way you prefer, as it's easiest for your guests. And you...if you don't have helpers, I'd, for sure, leave it on the buffet...unless it's just a small dinner party.

For the Main Event, we're doing Meatloaf Wellington! This is such a fun disguise dish!! And, it's simply perfect for Halloween!! You need to plan ahead on this, but it's well worth the effort! Your dinner guests will think you're a genius!! Mind blown...all over!!

It all starts with the classic Meatloaf recipe! Mine uses a pound of ground chuck and a pound of ground sirloin, with 2/3 cup of minced onion and 1/4 cup of red bell pepper than have been sauteed in butter until just tender, then cooled. Add 3 tablespoons of ketchup, a teaspoon of Dijon, 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup of fresh breadcrumbs mixed with 1/2 cup milk, 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt and a half teaspoon of black pepper...sprinkle in some garlic powder and onion powder, to taste. Mix gently but thoroughly. Put the mixture into a vented meatloaf pan, 5 x 9, or form it into a thinner, long loaf on a drip rack. Make a glaze of 1/2 cup ketchup, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard. Brush half over the meatloaf. Bake at 350 for 60 to 75 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Let cool all the way before proceeding. We've undercooked this meatloaf, because it's going to be cooked again...that's the Wellington!

Roll out thawed puff pastry dough on a floured surface.

This shows a long loaf; you can do a 5 x 9 loaf as well.

That's the finished product, shown above.

Slather some of the sauce over the puff pastry and set the cooled, par-cooked meatloaf on the dough. Tuck and roll.

To get the 'mummy' effect, slice strips from a piece of puff pastry and cross them over the tops, to resemble the woven mummy wrap. Brush with egg wash and bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is deliciously golden brown. Plate, as above, on a bed of spooky greens! Slice with serated carving knife just before serving. We want the guests to see this before it's carved! It's simply spook-tacular!

Any good meatloaf has got to have its gravy, whether it's Wellington or just Old Fashioned Meatloaf!! If you want to take a shortcut on this, use a good quality shortcut, like Pioneer Brown Gravy or Knorr Brown Gravy. Start by sauteeing chopped onion in a saute pan...add sliced mushrooms and a pinch of thyme, if you want! Saute until tender. Make the gravy in this pan as directed on the package. At the end, add a pat of butter, off the heat, and stir until it's blended.

Taste, and re-season if needed...you might want to add in some fresh cracked black pepper.

Escalloped Potatoes...or Scalloped Potatoes, are an etherial delight, next to the Meatloaf Wellington! My absolute favorite recipe comes from The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook! It's so flexible! You can feed from 4 to infinity with this recipe! My recipe is a twist on that one, as I always par cook my potatoes, to ensure their tenderness when it's all said and done! I'm listing the recipe for 12 guests. Grease a large casserole, say 9 x 12, and set aside. Peel and thinly slice 3 pounds of russet potatoes. Place in a large pot and cover with water, by an inch. Add a good tablespoon of salt to the water, and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. You want the potatoes to have a bite, as they need to bake in that deliciously sinfull cheese sauce! Meanwhile, let's do that sauce! In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons of butter. Add in 6 tablespoons of flour, and stir to blend. Cook out the raw flour flavor, whisking for a couple of minutes. Add in 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, 3/4 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper and a quarter teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg; stir to blend. Add in, slowly, whisking constantly, 3-3/4 cups of milk at room temperature. Cook and whisk until it's thickened.

This is what you're looking for, as far as the sauce thickness. When it coats the back of a spoon, and will hold a track when you run your finger through the coating. At this point, reduce the heat, add in 2 cups of sharp cheddar, American or Gruyere cheese, gradually, stirring until it's all melted.

Layer a third of the potatoes in the casserole pan, top with a third of the sauce, and repeat until it's all in there. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more, or till it's deliciously golden and crispy! Delicious!!

Every worthy dinner has a great vegetable presence!! And it needs to hold up to buffet service!

Our veggie contribution will be Green Beans & Creminis! Clean and cut 2 pounds of fresh green beans, blanche for 4 to 5 minutes in well salted water, and shock in ice water to stop the cooking. Drain , pat dry and set aside. Slice 8 oz. of cremini mushrooms and mince 2 nice sized shallots. Saute them in 2 tablespoons of butter in a deep edged stir fry pan or wok. Grate in a couple of cloves of garlic, if you're feeling it! Toss in the green beans, and stir fry to coat. Sprinkle over some Lawry's Seasoned Salt and fresh ground pepper. Plate and hold warm.

We've got to have a bread factor on any self respecting supper club buffet!!! Unless you are especially wanting to do this yourself, I'd suggest farming it out! I make an absolutely wonderful Garden House Yeast Roll that rivals the KHouse standard! Or pick up a couple packages of Sister Schubert's Parker House Rolls. Whichever you decide upon, re-heat just before serving and brush with a bit of melted butter.

And, on to the perfect dessert for the Halloween Supper Club! Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake!!

So perfect for the season!! I'm showing here, our gingerbread crust. A perfect ending to the perfect supper!! Let me know if you want one, or more, from our Garden Gate Bakery !!

Happy Halloween!!! Hope you enjoy this ghoulishly delightful Supper Club menu!!! Bwah-haha!

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