Come, little children, the time’s come to play. Get to know the Sanderson sisters from the movie “Hocus Pocus” while you devour some tasty snacks. Have no fear, we will not harm thee. No stew made from the souls of innocent children here, just some delicious dishes and sweet treats.
Halloween is just around the corner and, before you know it, the TV will be playing nothing but spooky tales and all our favorite seasonal movies. “Hocus Pocus” may be 25 years old this year (yep, seriously), but even after all this time it never fails to charm. So grab the whole family together for a spooktacular dinner and movie night, “Hocus Pocus” style.
Dress the part
Well, this one’s easy, right? You could dress as a witch like Dani, slap on a cone-shaped bra and do your best Madonna-like Mrs. Dennison or just throw on a tie-dye shirt and call yourself Max. If you’re feeling feline, give yourself a cat-eye and some whiskers so you can channel Binx. For the truly committed, of course, only circa-1600s style corset dresses and capes will work. You were destined to be an honorary Sanderson sister.
MORE: 13 Spooky Halloween desserts that will be treats, not tricks
Get your “Hocus Pocus” on
Before you can fill your belly with the souls of small children — er, snacks! We mean snacks — you have to get the movie ready:
MOVIE: “Hocus Pocus” (Don’t have it? Get it at Amazon or see more options)
RUNNING TIME: 1 hour, 36 minutes
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1993
RATING: PG
STARRING: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy
Dinner and a movie: Your “Hocus Pocus” menu
And now, for our feature presentation…
APPETIZER: Graveyard taco cups
Poor, creepy Billy Butcherson, left to spend eternity with his mouth sewed closed after being poisoned by Winifred. In honor of his final resting place in the Salem graveyard, serve these many-layered graveyard taco cups from Fork and Beans.
No need to conjure Billy up with a fancy spell — dig him up beneath layers of black beans, black olives, avocado and green onion using tortilla gravestones. Go crazy and see what other spooky shapes you can cut from your tortillas. Think you could replicate the Sanderson sisters’ house?
ENTRÉE: California flatbread pizza
One of the first things we learn about Max and Dani is that they’ve just moved to Salem from Los Angeles. Give a special shout-out to their roots (and sneak in something nutritious before all the sugary treats to come) with this yummy California flatbread pizza from Baking with Blondie.
This West coast twist on a pizza is covered in healthy greens like cilantro and avocado and is topped with juicy rotisserie chicken. The whole family will devour this one faster than the Sanderson sisters could inhale a child’s soul.
DESSERT: Chocolate witch’s cauldron cupcakes
You can’t steal the souls of children without a cauldron for your brew! So, bake up a batch of these chocolate witch’s cauldron cupcakes from Yummy Crumble. The sweet, gooey insides of the “cauldron” are sure to work magic on your little witches and warlocks. Disclaimer: No tiny humans were harmed in the making of these treats.
MORE: 10 Scary-healthy Halloween recipes
DESSERT: “Book” Rice Krispies treats
Want to really impress your “Hocus Pocus”-loving crew? Summon “Book” (or should we say, “Boooooooooook!”) to help you whip up these chocolate-coated Rice Krispies treats from a Pumpkin and a Princess.
BEVERAGE: Hot raspberry cider
It’s love at first sip when Allison comes down the stairs in her ball gown and serves Max a plastic cup full of cider. Bubble a potion with a tarty twist when you make a batch of hot raspberry cider. Serve it just as Dani, Max and Allison are making their daring getaway and watch as the warm elixir slowly lures your kiddos into a deep sleep.
BEVERAGE: Caramel apple sangria
No need to sing like Bette Midler to put a spell on your spouse — you can just pour them a chilling Halloween cocktail instead. Because now that the kids are asleep, Mommy and Daddy can enjoy an adult libation. So, what’s your poison? We’re partial to 3 Yummy Tummies’ caramel apple sangria, which transforms a favorite childhood treat into a decidedly grown-up drink. TBH, it’s basically liquid candy (and we are here for it).
MORE: 13 Boo-tiful kid-friendly Halloween drinks
BONUS! Spooky decor
Have your family night do double duty by getting the kids involved in some pre-“Hocus Pocus” crafting. These easy decoration ideas will give your movie night an extra spooky effect, plus you can leave them up until the big night to attract trick-or-treaters (to add to your youth potion, of course).
This easy black cat wreath is almost as cute as Binx, or you could create your own black flame candle (let’s just hope it won’t set off some weird time-traveling spell).
