Halloween or Party Inspired Meatloaf Entree

If you are looking for crowd pleasing Halloween or party entrees then you have come to the right place. The following entrees and food art were made from my own recipes and are my own creations.

I promise you won't be disappointed. Let's get started.

Step 1: Ingredients for All the Shapes

This is what you will need:

1 1/2 Pounds lean hamburger or ground turkey

1 Cup un-seasoned bread crumbs

1 Cup milk

1 Beaten egg

4 Tablespoons brown sugar (omit sugar if using Teriyaki sauce)

2 Tablespoons French's classic yellow mustard (omit mustard if using Teriyaki sauce)

1/2 Cup ketchup ( or Teriyaki sauce)

Few sprigs bean sprouts

Diced Red, yellow and orange, bell peppers

1 Cup Diced celery

1/4 -1/2 Cup diced parsley

2-3 sprigs green onion for garnish on top of the meat or add more if you want it in the meat loaf (not shown)

Roasted pumpkin seeds (for feet, I made my own)

Mini Cinderella pie pumpkin (OPTIONAL)

Black and green olives garnish (see pictures)

Salt and pepper

Depending on what shape and flavor you want, you will need:

cookie sheet, muffin pan and liners, pumpkin, 1 plastic straw for making holes, tooth pick, knife, bowls, spoon, and cutting board.

Step 2: Prep Work for All Shapes and Sauces

I used the same basic meatloaf recipe for all three different entrees. I will repeat the ingredients for each shape as we make them but will be changing some of the ingredients.This same method can be used for a vegetarian meatloaf. My favorite is here: Vegetarian

Ingredients and measurements for:

Caterpillar:

wash all vegetables

1 1/2 Pounds lean hamburger or ground turkey

1 Cup un-seasoned bread crumbs

1 Cup milk

1 Beaten egg

1 Cup diced green onion, reserve 1/4 cup for fresh garnish

1 Cup washed diced celery, reserve 1/4 cup for garnish

1 Cup diced yellow, red, and orange bell peppers, reserve 1/4 cup for garnish

1 Cup Diced Parsley saving a few whole leafs for garnish

Raw pumpkin seeds for the caterpillar's. You may use roasted adding them after the meat is cooked ( I made my own and will show how in the pumpkin step.) It is easier to add them before cooking the meat though.

Several black olives (Cut 4 black olive circles;for each caterpillar; using the straw)

Small tomatoes for garnish if desired

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauces:

Homemade brown sugar sauce (4 Tablespoons brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons French's classic yellow mustard, 1/2 Cup ketchup. Mix together and layer over the top of the meatloaf.) The Teriyaki sauce I layered over the top of the meatloaf was store bought.

Eyeballs:

The recipe above omitting the pumpkin seeds, choosing one of the sauces, and adding all of the diced vegetables. You will also need green olives and white cheese for the center of the eyeballs and the bean sprouts for worms and a muffin pan with liners.

Roasted pumpkin:

The pumpkin was washed, top cut off, seeds removed, and stuffed with meatloaf and covered with choice of sauce.

Step 3: Meatloaf

Method:

Place hamburger, bread crumbs, milk, egg, peppers, parsley, onions, celery, salt, and pepper, into a mixing bowl and thoroughly mix together.Please remember to reserve some fresh vegetables for garnishing the Caterpillar and if you would like some for the eyeball and pumpkin.

Step 4: Shaping the Caterpillar

I used different garnishes because it was an experiment but the directions are listed for the ones I liked the best. Pre-heat oven 350 Degrees F.

Caterpillar:

Bring 1 cup of water and 1-1/12 tablespoons of salt to a boil and add pumpkin seeds.

Simmer for 10 minutes and drain, dry the seeds with a paper towel. Set aside.

Make a small long worm shape from the meatloaf; the size you need for the Caterpillar.

Cut 4 black olive circles using the straw for each caterpillar, set aside.

Cut the stems of a parsley leaf to make antennas, and use the straw to cut the black olives for the tip of the antennas, if you haven't already.

Cut a small mouth from the red bell pepper.

Combine the sugar, mustard, and ketchup to make the sauce or cover with your favorite teriyaki sauce.

If you have a steady hand; I would add the face, antennas, and feet before adding the sauce; it will be less messy. Carefully stick the feet into the caterpillar as close to the plate as possible but make sure to leave enough room for the meat to secure the feet. Cover the top of the caterpillar's back with sauce and top with the garnish. Place the caterpillar on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F until fully cooked or about 20 minutes (check half way through the baking process to check for done-ness.)

Serve with garnish if desired. The caterpillars could be served in small specimen jars for a creepier look.

Step 5: Pumpkin

I thought the pumpkin was cute. I do not recommend using a large pumpkin because it will take over an hour to bake and I don't know if the shape of the pumpkin will hold up to the weight of the meat.

Method:

Carve the pumpkin as shown and re-move the unwanted strings and seeds if you haven't already done so.

Follow method for cooking the seeds if you would like to use the seeds for snacks. You can roast the seeds in the oven after cooking on the stove as I mentioned before. It only takes 7-10 minutes to bake them but watch them closely because browning will give them a burnt taste.

Fill the pumpkin with the meatloaf and cover the top with which ever sauce you want and add diced vegetables to the top for color if desired.

Bake in the oven 350 degrees F with the pumpkin lid for 10- 15 minutes.

Remove the pumpkin lid and place it on the cookie sheet and continue baking until the meatloaf is fully cooked. This will allow the top of the meat to brown.

Remove the pumpkin from the oven to rest.

Sever warm and garnish if desired.

Step 6: Eye Ball

Method:

Shape the meatloaf into an eye ball.

I made a small hole in the center of the eyeball large enough to place the cheese circle and olive in the center for the pupil.

I cut a small piece of cheese slightly larger than the olive and sliced a green olive for the pupils.

I placed the cheese and sliced olive in the center of the eyeball.

I used the straw to make a hole in the meat ball and added the bean sprout for a worm.

I baked it in the oven at 350 degrees on a cookie sheet or lined muffin pan for about 20 minutes or until the meat was fully cooked.

I spread sauce over the plate as shown and laid the eyeball into the sauce.You can use store bought sauce if you like.

Step 7: Sunshiine's Final Thoughts

My husband and I thought these meatballs were delicious and cute for a Halloween or party dinner.The small pumpkins turned out very nice. I was concerned that fat from the hamburger might be a problem but I did not have to drain off any oil because I used lean hamburger.I hope you will give this recipe a try.

Have a Happy and safe Halloween. Thanks for stopping by.

Sunshiine~