I got a little tired of being the 4th person to show up to the Halloween potluck party with Dirt and Worms. And being that I'm Ukrainian, perogies are pure comfort food (I love anything that even vaguely resembles a pierogi), as do my kids. So this savory Halloween recipe seemed like the perfect combination. That was my inspiration for these Phantom Halloween Pizza Pierogies.
A savory blend of creamy mashed potatoes, Farmer's cheese, dill, bacon bits, pickles, and cheddar cheese, these Halloween Perogies are healthier than your typical Halloween finger food since they are baked and not fried. They are also quick because they use instant mashed potatoes and refrigerator pizza dough from the grocery store.
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I also wanted to create a fun, healthy, and quick Halloween party snack for kids; one that they could even help to make themselves. These pizza pierogies are sure to be a hit! And they are a great alternative to ghost pizza!
I always struggled with what to make for a Halloween potluck. I'd spend way too much time looking up cute recipes online, and they were either waaaay too involved or so popular you just knew that you wouldn't be the only one showing up with it. I wanted to do something original that wasn't another sweet recipe, so I created this savory Halloween snack recipe.
Looking for more unique Halloween potluck recipes? Try my Slow Cooker Halloween Buffalo Chicken Dip, Salted Toffee Caramel Apples, or this Halloween Blood Bag Drink!
🥘 Ingredient Notes
- Instant mashed potatoes. I prefer Idahoan or Honest Earth instant mashed potatoes. They taste closest to the real thing!
- Store-bought refrigerated pizza dough. I use Pillsbury pizza dough, but you could use another brand.
- Dry curd cottage cheese. This is the same as Farmer's cheese.
- Bacon bits. Real bacon bits are the best. You don't have to cook the bacon - you can buy 'real bacon bits'. I usually buy Hormel brand from Costco.
- Black olives. I buy the pre-sliced for convenience.
- Pizza sauce. Primo is the brand I use (traditional squeeze bottle). It's lower calorie than most and tastes great!
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
They are also easy to make if you are pressed for time because they can be made in advance. Best of all, they are unique, so you won't be the 4th person showing up with the same Halloween party snack. Served with a delicious easy dip made of your favorite pizza sauce and sour cream, they're sure to be a crowd pleaser.
📖 Variations
- Pizza Dough: If you prefer, use your own dough or another homemade dough, or try my Bread Machine Pizza Dough Recipe or this 15 minute pizza dough
- Weight Watchers Friendlier: make these even more WW friendlier by using my 2 ingredient Weight Watchers Pizza Dough
- Mashed Potatoes - this is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes
- Cheese - you could use mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar cheese
- Dip - they're great with ranch dressing, marinara, garlic dip, or even a spicy sriracha mayo if you want some heat.
- Add-ons - serve them with sauteed onions (caramelized onions), green onions, or sprinkle on parmesan cheese, if desired.
🔪How to Make Halloween Pierogies
PREP: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Spray the cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Prepare mashed potatoes, as per package directions. Cool.
- Step 1: Roll out store-bought dough into a large rectangle.
- Step 2: Cut into circles with a round cookie cutter or rim of a mug or cup (about 3 inches wide).
- Step 3: Add remaining filling ingredients to cooled mashed potatoes.
- Step 4: Drop about a teaspoon of mixture into middle of dough circle.
- Step 5: Pull one edge down over the other, as you would a perogy, and seal edges by pinching them together (you may need to use a little water if it won't seal).
- Step 6: Then simply shape it into a phantom/ghoulish figure, as in the photo below. They don't all have to look identical. In fact, it's better if they don't
- Step 7: Add 2 sliced black olives for eyes and 1 for mouth (I do some without the mouth to mix them up a bit.)
- Step 8: Bake in preheated oven (on middle rack) for 8- 10 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom.
- Step 9: Serve with dip.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Don't overfill the dough - A small teaspoon of filling is plenty. Too much filling will cause the pierogies to burst open during baking.
- Seal the edges well - Pinch the dough firmly or use a fork to crimp if needed. If the dough doesn't stick, dab the edges with a little water to help seal.
- Keep dough cool - If the pizza dough gets too warm while you're shaping the phantoms, it will stretch and tear. Pop it in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to firm up before working with it again.
- Use parchment paper - Baking on parchment makes cleanup easier and prevents sticking, especially if the filling leaks.
- Mix up the faces - For a fun effect, give each phantom a slightly different expression. Some can have eyes only, while others have a full face.
- Chill before baking - If you have time, chill the assembled pierogies for 10-15 minutes before baking. This helps them hold their shape and gives the dough a nicer rise.
- Double batch for potlucks - These disappear quickly at parties! Make at least a double batch if you're taking them to a Halloween potluck.
- Reheat like a pro - To keep them crisp, reheat in the oven or air fryer instead of the microwave.
- Make-ahead freezer tip - Freeze unbaked pierogies on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag once solid. Bake straight from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time.
- Get kids involved - Kids love shaping the ghosts and adding the olive faces. It's a fun and easy Halloween activity they can help with.
🍽 Equipment
You'll need a rolling pin, baking sheet and a 3' (approx) round cookie cutter (affiliate link). However, if you don't have a round cookie cutter that size, you could use a pierogi cutter or the rim of a glass or mug about that size.
👪 Serving size
This Halloween pizza pierogies recipe makes 24 servings. You can double or triple the recipe for a bigger group by clicking on the serving size in the recipe card. Select the number of servings you want, and the ingredient amounts will adjust accordingly.
🔢WW Points
These Pizza pierogi pockets are 4 ww points per serving. But you could reduce the points further (to 1 ww point) by using WW 2-ingredient pizza dough, fat-free cheddar, homemade mashed potatoes (without adding anything), and turkey bits instead of bacon bits. I use Primo Pizza Squeeze Traditional Pizza Sauce- it's only 1 ww pt for ¼ cup!
🌡️Storing
- Fridge: Store these cooked pierogies in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: You can also make these ahead and freeze them for up to 3 months.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can assemble them up to a day in advance, cover tightly, and store them in the fridge until ready to bake. You can also bake and reheat them, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Pizza dough works best for the soft, chewy texture, but you can also use crescent roll dough, biscuit dough, or even homemade perogy dough if you prefer a more traditional pierogi-style wrapper.
Pinch the edges firmly and avoid overfilling. If the dough is too warm or sticky, chill the assembled pierogies for 10-15 minutes before baking so they hold their shape better.
Yes! If you don't like olives, you can use small pieces of pepperoni, mini chocolate chips (for a fun sweet/savory twist), or just leave them plain ghost shapes.
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So, if you are looking for a Pillsbury Halloween recipe, easy Halloween finger food ideas or Halloween pizza ideas, then give this a try!
If you are making these and you also want to get dinner made at the same time, then make a double batch, add some sauerkraut, and you'll have these delicious Pierogi Zucchini Boats (shown below). That's what I did and my family loves both of these recipes!
And if you're a pierogi, pizza, and potato lover, be sure to check out my Spicy Pierogi Pizza (Boston Pizza Copycat)!
🎃More Halloween Recipes!
You can find more Halloween Potluck Food Ideas HERE!
Comments & Reviews
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👻Phantom Halloween Pierogies Recipe
Ingredients
Filling:
- ½ -180 g pkg of instant mashed potatoes
- 1 cup dry curd cottage cheese
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup real bacon bits
- ¼ cup finely chopped dill pickles
- ⅓ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon dill
- 2 -391 g pkgs of store-bought refrigerated pizza dough * I use Pillsbury
Garnish:
- 1 -4 oz can of sliced black olives
Dip:
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ½ cup pizza sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/205 degrees C. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
- Prepare mashed potatoes, as per package directions. Cool.
- Add remaining filling ingredients.
- Roll out store-bought dough into a large rectangle.
- Cut into circles with a round cookie cutter or rim of a mug or cup (about 3 inches wide)
- Drop about a teaspoon of mixture into middle of dough circle.
- Pull one edge down over the other, as you would a perogy and seal edges (you may need to use a little water if it won't seal)
- Then simply shape it into a phantom/ghoulish figure, as in the photo above. They don't all have to look identical. In fact, it's better if they don't.
- Add 2 sliced black olives for eyes and 1 for mouth (I do some without the mouth to mix them up a bit.)
- Bake in preheat oven for 8- 10 minutes (or until lightly browned on bottom).
- Dip: Mix your favourite pizza sauce and sour cream together and serve.
Notes
- Don't overfill the dough - A small teaspoon of filling is plenty. Too much filling will cause the pierogies to burst open during baking.
- Seal the edges well - Pinch the dough firmly or use a fork to crimp if needed. If the dough doesn't stick, dab the edges with a little water to help seal.
- Keep dough cool - If the pizza dough gets too warm while you're shaping the phantoms, it will stretch and tear. Pop it in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to firm up before working with it again.
- Use parchment paper - Baking on parchment makes cleanup easier and prevents sticking, especially if the filling leaks.
- Mix up the faces - For a fun effect, give each phantom a slightly different expression. Some can have eyes only, while others have a full face.
- Chill before baking - If you have time, chill the assembled pierogies for 10-15 minutes before baking. This helps them hold their shape and gives the dough a nicer rise.
- Double batch for potlucks - These disappear quickly at parties! Make at least a double batch if you're taking them to a Halloween potluck.
- Reheat like a pro - To keep them crisp, reheat in the oven or air fryer instead of the microwave.
- Make-ahead freezer tip - Freeze unbaked pierogies on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag once solid. Bake straight from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time.
- Get kids involved - Kids love shaping the ghosts and adding the olive faces. It's a fun and easy Halloween activity they can help with.
Sue Slaght
I laughed at the fourth person to show up with worms and dirt. A well balanced diet. Good for you to find such a creative a fun alternative. Happy Halloween!
Food Meanderings
Thanks Sue- back 'atcha! No joke - dirt & worms was very popular that year! 🙂
Lacey
These are cute 🙂
Food Meanderings
Thanks!
foodinbooks
Too cute, and perfect for Halloween. I'm not a sweets lover, so I always prefer the savory or salty treats over all that sugar. A perfect offset to all the candy. Yum!
Food Meanderings
Thank you! Yes, I agree - don't always want to do sweet treats all the time!
lorichoma
You are bestowed with a creativity beyond my comprehension. This is fantastic. It's the best of the pizza and perogy world!
Food Meanderings
Thank you for the kind words, Lori! Yes, the pizza and perogy world were destined to come together 🙂