Family Movie Night: The Haunted Mansion
Grim Grinning Ghosts & Graveyard Cups
“Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize…” 🎶
Yes, we’re watching The Haunted Mansion this week! This is one of AG’s and my Halloween favorites (although, let’s be honest, that’s basically every Halloween movie). Since Erik hadn’t seen this one yet, we decided it was the perfect excuse for a movie night!
I kept this movie night setup relatively easy. We’re getting closer to Halloween, and with all the fall festivals and other festivities filling up our calendar, sometimes we just need a fun night that doesn’t require a ton of effort. Thanks to H-E-B, most of our movie night lineup was premade and ready to go. Sometimes, a little help from the grocery store is exactly what we need!
The Haunted Mansion has always been one of my favorite rides at Disney World, so I was excited for Alana to experience the ride at Disneyland Paris last summer, especially since she loves the movie so much. Let’s just say… she was NOT a fan of the ride. 😂 Thankfully, that hasn’t stopped her from loving the movie!
Tonight's Menu
999 Happy Haunts Tacos — Because every happy haunt needs something to eat!
Madame Leota’s Mystic Guacamole — H-E-B guacamole served with H-E-B tortilla chips for dipping.
Ramsley’s Your Queso Awaits — H-E-B Tex-Mex Brisket Queso, because no spooky movie night is complete without a little queso magic.
Master Gracey’s Graveyard Cups — Our homemade Grey Stuff, inspired by Beauty and the Beast, served up as Mr. Gracey’s Graveyard Cups.
Evers’ Eternal Elixir — A spooky sip to wash it all down.
Master Gracey’s Graveyard Cups
Today, I’m sharing Master Gracey’s Graveyard Cups! These spooky little desserts are made with the same recipe I use for The Grey Stuff inspired by Beauty and the Beast. It’s an easy, no-bake treat that you can serve chilled for a soft, pudding-like dessert or freeze for a scoopable, soft-serve-style treat.
The best part? You can throw the mixture together in the morning and let it chill in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to assemble your graveyards. Add some crushed Oreos for the dirt and Milano cookies for tombstones, and you have a spooky dessert that’s perfect for your next Halloween movie night!
Ingredients
1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
3 tablespoons instant chocolate pudding mix
1 ½ cups whole milk
2 cups crushed Oreo cookies
1 (16 oz) container Cool Whip, thawed
Additional Oreo cookie crumbs, for assembly
Milano cookies, for tombstones
Black decorating icing, for writing
Small cups, for assembly
Instructions
1. Make the Grey Stuff
In a large bowl, whisk together the vanilla pudding mix, chocolate pudding mix, and milk until smooth. Stir in the crushed Oreos.
Gently fold in the Cool Whip until everything is well combined and the mixture takes on a spooky gray color.
2. Chill or Freeze
For a chilled dessert: Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until ready to serve. The texture will be soft and pudding-like.
For a frozen dessert: Transfer the mixture to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for 8–10 hours, or until firm. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping, if needed.
3. Assemble the Graveyards
Fill each cup about three-quarters full with the Grey Stuff. Sprinkle a generous layer of Oreo cookie crumbs over the top to create the look of freshly turned graveyard dirt.
Using black decorating icing, write “RIP” or another spooky message on each Milano cookie. Gently press a cookie into the crumbs in each cup to create a tombstone.
And just like that, you have your very own Master Gracey’s Graveyard Cups! Serve them during your next Halloween movie night and let the grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize.
Happy haunting! 👻
