Party the Harry Potter Way!

Fans young and old across the United States are buzzing about the premiere of J.K. Rowling’s final chapter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II.

The movie comes out on Friday, July 15.

If you plan on hosting your own Potter-inspired shindig, use these ideas to make it a success.

Set the mood for your party guests by selecting the DVD of one of your favorite Harry Potter movies.

Go for some party food staples and mix it up with recipes from the wizard world. In the first Harry Potter movie, the kids in the main dining hall feast on ribs, corn on the cob, chips (fries) and even roast chicken or turkey legs. You can pick most of these items up ready-made or you can have the guests help out and make it a potluck dinner.

Once you have your entrees planned out, it’s time to get creative.

For your signature party food that everyone will remember, fill your punch bowl with Pumpkin Juice or make a pitcher of Butter Beer for everyone to share. Not sure where to find the recipes? Don’t worry, we have you covered. Here’s some recipes to get you started:

Easy-As-Pie Pumpkin Juice Punch
5 Cups Spiced Apple Cider
2 Cups Libbey's Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix
2 Cups Apricot Nectar
Cinnamon and Cloves to Taste (Optional)
Directions:
Combine all wet ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for an hour or until well-chilled. Before serving, mix well, as ingredients may separate during refrigeration. Serve with ice.

Ice-Cold Pitcher-Perfect Butter Beer
5 Cups A&W Cream Soda (Chilled)
3 Tablespoons Imitation Butter Flavoring
1 Cup Butterscotch Syrup
1 (12 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
Directions:
In the bottom of a large pitcher, pour in the butterscotch syrup. Add the three tablespoons of butter flavoring and one cup of the A&W Cream Soda and mix well. Set aside in the refrigerator to keep cold.

In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of the whipped topping with 1 tablespoon of the Butterscotch Syrup. Mix well. Mixture will be too thick to pour at this time. Add in enough of the A&W Cream Soda to thin it out, without making it too soupy.

Pour the remaining A&W Cream Soda into the pitcher. Let the soda settle. Serve in individual glasses and gently top each glass with a dollop of the whipped cream mixture to form the foam.
Serve immediately. Do not store.
 
No-Bake Golden Snitch (Snickers) Cheesecake
1 Ready-Made Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust
8 Ounces Cream Cheese, Softened
1 Jar Caramel Ice Cream Topping, Divided
1 (12 ounce) Container Cool Whip, Thawed
1 King-Size Snickers Candy Bar, coarsely chopped

Prepare the graham cracker crust as per manufacturer’s instructions. Let cool. Spread a layer of the caramel topping over the bottom of the pie crust. Set aside.
In a medium size bowl, mix the cream cheese and remaining ice cream topping together until well blended.  Add in the Cool Whip. Fold in the Snickers candy pieces with a large spoon and spread over the crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Keep refrigerated.