Best Halloween Jack O Lantern Meatloaf Recipes

GREAT PUMPKIN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Cut top from pumpkin in a zig zag design.
• Remove seeds and stringy insides.
• Place pumpkin in a baking pan; add about 1 inch of hot water.
• Cover pumpkin and pan with foil.
• Bake at 400 degrees F. for 45 minutes. (Or microwave for about 14 minutes.).
• Season inside of pumpkin with salt and pepper; brush with honey mustard (or yellow mustard and sprinkle with brown sugar).
• Combine egg, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, ground beef and bread crumbs; mix well.
• Spoon into pumpkin shell, packing down lightly.
• Return to oven and bake, uncovered, 45 to 60 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender and the meatloaf is cooked. (The internal temperature should reach 160 degrees F.).
• You may cook the "lid" of the pumpkin along with the meatloaf, however, watch it and remove when it is cooked and still looks attractive.
• Remove and let rest for 5 -10 minutes.
• Be creative with garnishes.
• Cut into 6 wedges to serve.

RATLOAF (HALLOWEEN MEATLOAF)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Mix ground beef, eggs, onion, milk, bread crumbs, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until completely combined to make the rat body mixture.
• Mix Cheddar cheese, 3/4 bottle of barbeque sauce, and 1 cup French-fried onions together gently in a separate bowl to make the rat guts.
• Put about half the rat body mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper and form it into the shape of a rat body. Spread a thick layer of the cheese mixture on top of the body leaving 1/2 inch of space along the outer edge.
• Put remaining rat body mixture on top, forming the body and creating a solid seal around the edges so the guts don't ooze out while baking.
• Place the top part of a broiler pan on the rat and carefully flip it over. Reshape rat body as needed. Place olives onto the rat body for the eyes and nose, potato slices for the ears, and spaghetti for the whiskers. Spread 1/4 bottle barbeque sauce over the body of the rat and sprinkle with crushed French-fried onions. Set the broiler rack atop the broiler pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is melted, about 1 hour. Allow ratloaf to cool 5 minutes before slicing to serve.

HALLOWEEN ZOMBIE MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease the foil.
• Mix ground beef, onion, crackers, milk, Cheddar cheese, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoned salt together in a bowl. Transfer beef mixture to the prepared baking sheet and form into a skull-shape, leaving holes for "eye sockets" and a "mouth". Place hard boiled egg halves into the "eye sockets", shaping the beef mixture around them to hold in place.
• Mix ketchup, brown sugar, and barbeque sauce together in a bowl until sauce is smooth. Spread 1/2 of the sauce onto the entire beef mixture, including the "eyes" and "mouth".
• Bake in preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 to 60. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
• Arrange the garlic pieces in the mouth for the "teeth". Brush the remaining sauce over the meatloaf or serve on the side.

JACK-O'-LANTERN STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Oil a baking dish with olive oil.
• Use a small knife to cut eyes, nose, and mouth into the flattest side of each pepper, just like a jack-o'-lantern. Cut around the seedpods and remove the tops, trimming and discarding any seeds from under the stems. Trim the white membrane from the inside of each pepper and shake out any seeds. Place in the prepared baking dish.
• Mix together ground beef, salt, pepper, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, green onions, melted butter, ketchup, Cheddar cheese, and rice in a bowl until well combined.
• Stuff mixture evenly into peppers and cover with the pepper tops. Wrap the baking dish loosely with foil and place on a sheet pan.
• Bake in the upper center of the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove the foil and continue baking until peppers are tender and ground beef is cooked through, 10 to 15 more minutes.
• Place stuffed peppers on a few tablespoons of warm tomato sauce. Serve immediately with more sauce on the side.

CHEF JOHN'S ZOMBIE MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute diced onion, celery, mushrooms, and 1 teaspoon salt until the mixture dries out and starts to turn golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, black pepper, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• Combine remaining 2 teaspoons salt, ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, buttermilk, 2 tablespoons ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Add cooled vegetable mixture. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
• Slice 2 round sides, about 1/2-inch-thick, off the second onion for the zombie eyes. Push 1 clove into the center of each slice. Cut a 1-inch-wide section off the remaining onion and dice into chunks to form zombie teeth.
• Transfer meatloaf mixture to the prepared baking sheet and use damp hands to shape into a zombie skull shape that is 3 to 4 inches tall. Form indents to represent the eyes, nose, and mouth. Drape bacon over the face, covering most of the meatloaf. Add onion eyes and teeth. Tuck in loose ends of bacon under the sides with a spatula. Cover the onion eyes with aluminum foil to prevent browning.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees F (68 degrees C), about 1 hour.
• Stir barbeque sauce, 1/4 cup ketchup, and hot sauce together in a bowl to make the blood sauce.