Recipes for Halloween and The Nightmare Before Dinner Cookbook Competition *

The Nightmare Before Dinner Cookbook Competition

[Ad-gifted] Do you love Halloween but often find it difficult to look up recipes to impress your guests? Well, look no further as Zach Neil has come up with a book titled The Nightmare Before Dinner where he has shared over 60 recipes from the Halloween-inspired restaurant Beetle House Restaurant.

There are 7 Chapters in the book from Sauces & Dips to Main Courses, Snacks, Soups, Desserts as well as Cocktails all presented with stunning photographs, great captions and interesting stories about each recipe. Read on as we have shared some of Zach’s recipes in our post which includes to die for recipes such as Beetle Jam, a scary but scrumptious Butcher’s Stew, an inspiringly juicy Edward Burger Hands and a spooky craft Cocktail titled This is Halloween.

The best part about the book is its perfect even if you are vegan or vegetarian as Zach offers a vegan alternative or ingredient swap for each and every recipe in the book.  If this is all you, then read on to find out how you can win yourself a copy of this book. Competition is open worldwide, read the full terms and conditions below.

The Nightmare Before Dinner is definitely a book for any book collector! Chefs and home cooks will also be thrilled to learn how they can create recipes to die for in their home for their goth-themed party which will be the talk of the town!  The author, Zach also provides a bonus section at the back of the book with inspiration for table settings, decorations, and foods to serve at your holiday or screening party.  Reading through the book, you will quickly discover that many of the recipes were inspired by movies such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, and The Evil Dead.   This is the perfect cookbook for the Tim Burton movie buff, Halloween enthusiast, or goth in your life. Here are some of the recipes for you to try at home.

Beetle Jam

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Yield: 1 cup (320 g)

This sweet and spicy jelly recipe comes from Zach’s my mom, who is one of the best cooks in the world. It’s a jalepeño pepper jelly, and it’s great on simple snacks like crackers with cream cheese or slathered on cornbread.

Deadly Ingredients

2 green bell peppers, minced
1 red bell pepper, minced
8 ounces (227 g) canned diced  jalapeño peppers, drained
1 1⁄2 cups distilled white vinegar
6 1⁄2  cups (1.3 kg) white sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 container (6 ounces, or 175 ml)  liquid pectin

To Make It

1. In a large stainless-steel saucepan, combine the bell peppers, jalapeños, vinegar, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the mixture begins to boil.
2. Stir in the pectin and boil 5 more minutes, stirring constantly. Skim off any foam, then remove from the heat.
3. Ladle into sterilized mason jars. Seal and process in a boiling-water canner for 5 minutes.

The Butcher’s Stew

(Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook time: 4 hours | Yield: 12-16 servings)

Deadly Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 large red onions, diced
2 to 4 pounds (907 g to 1.8 kg) ground beef (see headnote)
1 teaspoon crushed garlic or garlic paste
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 1⁄2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons sugar
2 large cans (23 ounces, or 660 g each) tomato soup
4 cans (14.5 ounces, or 411 g, each) stewed tomatoes
15 ounces (13⁄4 cups, or 425 g) canned crushed tomatoes
2 cans (15.25 ounces, or 432 g, each) whole-kernel corn, drained
2 cans (15 ounces, or 425 g, each) kidney beans
2 cans (15 ounces, or 425 g, each) black beans, drained
Chopped scallion greens, for serving
Shredded cheddar or vegan cheddar-style cheese, for serving

To Make It

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium for about 3 minutes. Then add the chopped bell peppers and onions. Sauté for 3 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and sriracha. Continue to cook until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, and sugar. Stir to combine thoroughly.
4. After the meat and veggies are cooked, add the tomato soup and stewed tomatoes. (Use a large spoon or potato smasher and try to smash up the stewed tomatoes.) Then add the crushed tomatoes, corn, and beans. Cook on low heat for at least 2 hours (or up to 3 hours for maximum flavor).
5. To serve, divide the stew among bowls. Drizzle with a swirl of Sweet Lime Cream Sauce (page 18), and sprinkle with fresh chopped scallions and a little shredded cheese. Serve with a piece of Hallowpeño Honey Cheddar Cornbread (page 41).

GO VEGAN! Use tempeh or meatless crumbles in lieu of ground beef.

Edward Burger Hands

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 15 Minutes | Yield: 1 serving

­Deadly Ingredients

• Egg, Sunny-Side Up
• 1⁄2 tablespoon butter
• 1 egg
• Burger
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• Pinch of garlic powder
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 burger patty (8 ounces, or 227 g)
• 1 slice Pepper Jack cheese
• 1 burger bun
• 2 strips bacon, fried
• 1 piece romaine lettuce
• 1 slice tomato
• 2 slices avocado
• 2 large pieces roasted red peppers
• Veruca Sauce – See page 20, to taste

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Edward Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients for Edward Sauce

• 2 cups (460g) sour cream
• 2 cups (450g) mayonaise
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lime juise
• 1/4 cup (60ml) sriracha sauce
• 1 tablespoon chipotle-cinnamon spice rub, such as Lawry’s

To Make the Edward Sauce

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk the shit out of them. Your finished sauce should have the consistency of mayonnaise

GO VEGAN! Use vegan sour cream instead of sour cream, and vegan mayo instead of mayonnaise.

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To Make It

1. To make the egg, sunny-side up: In a small frying pan, dissolve the butter on medium heat. Then crack open an egg and add it to the pan, cooking until the whites are set and the yolks are cooked to desired doneness, about 4 to 5 minutes.
2. To make the burger: In a small bowl, mix together equal parts salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cinnamon. In a large bowl, add the burger patty and the seasoning mixture, pressing the mixture into the patty until it is seasoned. Don’t overdo it here, just make sure the patty is coated.
3. For a rare patty, cook in a small frying pan over medium heat for 2½ minutes per side. For a well-done patty, cook for 5 minutes on each side. Then add the cheese and cook until it is melted. Remove from the heat.
4. Brush the inside of both the top and bottom bun with a hearty amount of Veruca Sauce, then toast the bun in the pan or in a toaster oven for about 3 to 5 minutes, or cook until it is golden brown.
5. Spread the Edward Sauce on the inside of the bottom bun, and the place the patty on top. On top of the burger, place the egg, and then the bacon. Using a squirt bottle, decorate the top with Edward Sauce.
6. On the top bun, add the lettuce, tomato, avocado, and roasted red peppers. Serve with sides of your choosing.

This Is Halloween Cocktail

Yield: 1 serving

With autumnal flavors like cinnamon, apple, pumpkin, and ginger, this drink is like fall in your mouth! A terrific cocktail for Halloween parties, Thanksgiving celebrations, or a Friday night treat for all of your pumpkin-obsessed friends who eagerly devour pumpkin spice everything!

Deadly Ingredients

11⁄2 ounces (45 ml) Fireball
Cinnamon Whiskey
1⁄2 ounce (15 ml) DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker
1⁄2 ounce (15 ml) pumpkin liqueur
1 ounce (30 ml) apple cider
Ginger beer
Serving Vessel
Rocks glass

Garnish

1 lime wheel

To Make It

1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Then add the whiskey, Sour Apple Pucker, pumpkin liqueur, and apple cider.
2. Shake the ingredients for about 5 seconds.
3. Dump the drink into a rocks glass and top with ginger beer.
4. Garnish with the lime wheel.

How to win yourself a copy of this book?

How much is The Nightmare Before Dinner Cookbook and where can I purchase a copy?

The paperback book retails on Amazon for £11.08 and you can get yourself a copy here.

About Zach Neil

Zach Neil is an American entrepreneur, artist, and chef. He has been featured multiple times on the Food Network and has gained additional notoriety through his popular chains of themed restaurants, which have been featured on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Good Day New York, MSNBC, and ABC World News Tonight, among others. Zach combined his artistic pursuits with his culinary skills to create the eclectic, Halloween-themed Beetle House restaurants, which have broken media records in the restaurant space. The celebrated menu caught the attention of Quarto Publishing Group, who collaborated with Neil on his first cookbook The Nightmare Before Dinner: Recipes to Die For, which features all of the Beetle House recipes, plus a selection of brand new, never-before-seen dishes with seasonally-inspired flavours and a dash of Gothic insanity. In addition to his restaurant franchises, Neil is considered an authority on pop-up bars and restaurants with his own television programming and lifestyle brands in the works.

About the book

Title: Zach Neil’s The Nightmare Before Dinner
ISBN Number : 978-1-63106-578-1
Size: 22.2 x 1.9 x 25.1 cm
Number of Pages:  160 pages
Retail Price: £11.08

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* We were given a copy of the cookbook for free in return for a feature. All opinions are our own. Photos courtesy of Zach Neil.