Make Halloween a Scream

Whip up a few disturbing, but delicious, creations this holiday

Mini Meatloaf Ghosts Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef

• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

• 2 tablespoons minced green onions

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or to taste

• ⅓ cup plain dry bread crumbs

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 10 slices provolone cheese

For the blood sauce:

• ½ cup ketchup

• ¼ cup barbeque sauce

• 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce

Directions

1. Combine ground beef, salt, pepper, cayenne, green onions, parsley, bread crumbs, egg, and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Mix with a fork until just combined; do not overmix. Wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a sheet pan with a silicone liner (such as Silpat®).

3. Remove meat from the refrigerator and divide into 8 equal portions. Dampen your fingers with cold water and roll meat into smooth balls. Form each ball into a ghost (or pear) shape and place on the prepared sheet pan; try to center the heads over the bodies.

4. Bake in the center of the preheated oven until cooked through, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 150 degrees F (66 degrees C).

5. Remove from the oven and immediately place a slice of provolone cheese on the top of each ghost, centering it the best you can. Cut the remaining 2 slices of provolone into quarters and place those over the center to provide more cheese for the head. The residual heat from the meat will start to melt the cheese and it will droop down.

6. Return to the oven until the cheese melts, 30 to 60 seconds.

7. Remove from the oven and take some of the melted cheese around the bottoms and wrap and drape it back up over the heads. Use the tip of a knife to form eyes and mouths, then neaten up the bottom of the cheese “sheets.”

8. Combine ketchup, barbecue sauce, and Sriracha for blood sauce; ladle onto plates and serve meatloaf ghosts on top.

Jack-o’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 4 large orange bell peppers

• 1 pound ground beef

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 3 pinches cayenne pepper, or to taste

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onions

• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

• 2 tablespoons ketchup

• 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

• 1 cup cooked rice

• 2 cups seasoned tomato sauce, warmed

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), and oil a baking dish with olive oil.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Stuff mixture evenly into peppers and cover with the pepper tops.

5. Wrap the baking dish loosely with foil and place on a sheet pan, and bake in the upper center of the preheated oven for 1 hour.

6. Remove the foil and continue baking until peppers are tender and ground beef is cooked through, 10 to 15 more minutes.

7. Place stuffed peppers on a few tablespoons of warm tomato sauce. Serve immediately with more sauce on the side.

8. Serve and enjoy!

Mummified Meatballs in Crispy Potato Skin Coffins Ingredients

• 2 medium russet potatoes

• 4 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

• 4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

• 12 homemade meatballs or frozen cooked meatballs, thawed

• 4 (1 ounce) sticks string cheese sticks, pulled into thin strips

• 8 candy eyeballs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Pierce potatoes with a fork and microwave for 10 minutes. Let cool until safe to handle. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving 1/2 inch around the shell. Discard flesh or save for another use.

3. Place potato halves cut-side down on a baking sheet. Rub each half with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Flip potatoes over. Sprinkle each with 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until shells are crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, place meatballs on microwave-safe plates. Cover with paper towels. Microwave until hot, 70 to 75 seconds per batch. Let rest until cool enough to not melt the cheese.

6. Wrap 1/4 of the cheese strings around 3 meatballs to create a mummy effect. Repeat with remaining cheese and meatballs.

7. Remove potato skin coffins from the oven and place a mummy in each coffin. Apply candy eyeballs.