Start your Halloween party with a healthy salad of roasted dumpling squash, chopped apple, kale, and pepitas. Get crafty (and fun!) by using a microwave to melt mozzarella cheese in microwave-safe, skull-shaped candy molds. Pop these winningly grinning creations on top of the salad and dress it with a homemade fig and honey vinaigrette.
The squash roasts until its edges are golden and crisp, the Granny Smith apple adds a tart crunch, and the salted pepitas bring a nutty, salty snap. It’s a bright, fresh counterpoint to all the candy and heavier party food, and the skulls guarantee it won’t be a sad salad that everyone ignores.
TABLE developed this Halloween recipe collection so our readers would have the most amazing, amusing, and gorgeous food and drink for their Halloween parties this year. Every recipe was developed and styled by Anna Franklin and photographed by Dave Bryce, and every one works as well at the office as it does at home.
Why This Halloween Salad Belongs at Your Party
It’s healthy. Squash, apple, kale, and pepitas give your guests something fresh among the treats. It’s a conversation piece. Nobody expects a salad full of skulls. It’s make-ahead friendly. The vinaigrette keeps for two weeks, and the squash and skulls can be made hours ahead. And it tastes of fall. Caramelized squash, tart apple, and sweet fig and honey are autumn in a bowl.
What Is Dumpling Squash?
Sweet dumpling squash is a small winter squash with cream-colored skin striped in green or orange. Its flesh is sweet and tender, often compared to sweet potato, and its thin skin is edible once roasted, so there’s no peeling. Look for it at farmers markets and grocery stores in fall. If you can’t find it, delicata, acorn, or a small pie pumpkin will work, though acorn squash and pumpkin have tougher skins you may want to peel.
How to Make Mozzarella Skulls
This is the fun part, and it takes only a few minutes. You’ll need a few silicone skull-shaped candy molds that are labeled microwave-safe, and ciliegine, the cherry-size fresh mozzarella balls sold in tubs of water at the grocery store.
Drain the mozzarella and pat it dry, then place one ball in each skull cavity. Microwave in 10-second bursts, checking each time, until the cheese has completely melted into the shape of the mold. Refrigerate the mold until the cheese is completely set, then gently pop out the skulls. Each ball keeps the shape of the skull, grin and all.
Microwaves vary, so watch closely: cheese that overheats turns rubbery and can bubble over. Check that one ball fits each cavity of your mold before you start.
Fig and Honey Vinaigrette
The dressing is a simple shake-in-a-jar vinaigrette. Fig and honey conserve gives it body and sweetness, Dijon mustard holds it together, and sherry vinegar brings a nutty, mellow acidity that suits the roasted squash. A couple of tablespoons also go on the squash before roasting, where the conserve helps the edges caramelize.
If you can’t find fig and honey conserve, fig jam and a drizzle of honey make a good substitute.
Tips for Making Roasted Squash Salad with Mozzarella Skulls
Slice the squash evenly. Slices about 1/4-inch-thick roast evenly and crisp at the edges.
Watch the squash. The honey and fig in the vinaigrette can scorch at high heat, so check the slices after about 15 minutes.
Chill the skulls while the squash roasts. Both will be ready at about the same time.
Soften the Tuscan kale. Massage the chopped Tuscan kale with a spoonful of vinaigrette for a minute to soften it.
Dress at the last minute. Add the vinaigrette just before serving so the kale and pepitas stay crisp.
Bring the dressing to room temperature. Olive oil firms up in the fridge. Let the jar sit on the kitchen counter for 15 minutes, then shake.
Print
Roasted Squash Salad with Mozzarella Skulls Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Roasted dumpling squash, Granny Smith apple, baby and Tuscan kale, and pepitas, topped with mozzarella skulls shaped in a candy mold and dressed with fig and honey vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
- 1 sweet dumpling squash (or other seasonal squash), halved, seeded, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 4 cups baby kale
- 1 cup Tuscan kale, chopped
- 1/2 cup roasted and salted pepitas
- 1 (8-oz) container ciliegine (cherry-size fresh mozzarella balls), drained and patted dry
For the vinaigrette:
- 3 tbsp fig and honey conserve (or fig jam)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Equipment: Microwave-safe silicone skull candy mold, baking sheet, parchment paper, and a mason jar
Instructions
For the vinaigrette:
- Add all the ingredients to a mason jar and shake well until combined.
- Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes and shake again just before serving.
For the salad:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the squash slices with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and spread them on the baking sheet. Roast until the edges are golden brown and crispy, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside.
- While the squash roasts, place one mozzarella ball in each cavity of a microwave-safe silicone skull candy mold.
- Microwave in 10-second increments until the mozzarella is completely melted. Refrigerate the mold until the cheese is completely set, about 30 minutes, then pop out the skulls.
- Arrange the kale, squash, apple, and pepitas on a platter. Top with the mozzarella skulls and drizzle with vinaigrette just before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Salad, side dish, party food
- Method: Roasted and microwaved
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 250
More Halloween Party Recipes from TABLE
These are one of eight Halloween party recipes from Anna Franklin. Pair them with our Poison Apple Punch, a color-changing big-batch Halloween punch. For more ideas, try our Halloween cocktails and Halloween treats to make with kids.
About the Recipe Author
Anna Franklin is TABLE Magazine’s food stylist and recipe developer. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts, she spent many years cooking in restaurant kitchens and photo studios before moving into food styling. Anna tests, plates, and styles the recipes and restaurant features in TABLE’s print and digital editions, working alongside photographers Dave Bryce and Laura Petrilla. Read more of her work at TABLE.
About the Photographer
Dave Bryce is TABLE Magazine’s contributing architecture, interiors, and food photographer, based in Pittsburgh. He photographed Fallingwater: Living With and In Art (Rizzoli, 2025) and regularly shoots for Pittsburgh Magazine and American Farmhouse Style, working with architects, interior designers, and hospitality brands. See more at davebrycephotography.com
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