Meatloaf Mayhem

Where are my Meatloaf lovers out there?! This one is for you. This is one of my favorite go-to's for a dreadful dinner on Halloween. If you want to set the atmosphere for a gruesome entree, this main dish is it! This is an old recipe that been handed down in my family for ages.... of course with just a little twist 👻.

Get ready to serve your guests something that looks as scary as it is tasty. (hint: ITS VERY TASTY) We try to keep things creative when it comes to food. Nothing is worse than making the same thing day after day after day. Since this is an old recipe, we had to find some way to twist it up and make it interesting. Today, we'll be making a Meatloaf Skull!

As you can see, it's pretty brutal looking. This is good because it's halloween time and we want SCARY. Its super easy to make and doesn't require too many ingredients. See below for the complete list and good luck!

Ingredients

1 pound of ground hamburger - 95/5 lean	2 pepperoni slices (for effect)
1pound of meatball mix (you can find this at most grocery stores pre-made)	3 tbsp brown sugar
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs	1/4cup ketchup
1 cup milk	1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup sweet onion	​1 tsp dry mustard
3 eggs	​1/4 tsp of Dijon Mustard
1 Green pepper	8-10 strips of bacon (for effect)
1 tsp salt	​1/8 tsp pepper

Let's do this!

Ok, first bring a frying pan up to about medium heat and place your bacon in. We don't want to cook it all the way so start with 5-7 min, flipping occasionally. Then, place on paper towel to drain fat off. **Make sure you lay them as flat as you can. They should be very flexible(not burned)** Then, set aside.

Next, let's preheat our oven to 350℉. Lightly grease pan a large enough pan and set that aside. Place your meat in a large bowl and make a well in the center of the meat. Place your bread crumbs in the well and then add your milk. Let it set for two minutes. Then add you're eggs then green peppers, onions, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until all incorporated. Now here is the fun part! Time to mold your skeleton! On that lightly greased pan, shape the meat into a skull or any monstrous looking pattern you wish, but make sure you leave divots for the eyes, a nose and a mouth. I cheated and found a Skeleton shaped pan to save some time, but we're making monsters here! It doesn't have to be pretty! The opposite is preferred!

If you crafted your shape by hand you can ignore this step! Once you have your meat shaped, take your baking pan with a small lip, place on top of the skeleton pan then hold firmly and flip upside down. Shake slowly to remove the skeleton pan and now you have the perfect shape.

Take your limp bacon strips and place on the face like a mummy. Take the two pepperoni rounds and place one in each eye.

Time for the glaze! Mix the Ketchup, Brown Sugar, Mustards and Nutmeg in a bowl until you reach glaze consistency. Take a brush or a spoon and coat your entire shape in the glaze.

Place that monstrosity in the oven and cook for 1hr 15 min! The internal temp should be 155℉ Oven size and power may very so you may need to cook a bit longer. So, if it still needs more time keep checking every 5min until the internal temp reaches 155℉. Now, the eyes, nose and mouth will have juices from the meat in it. You can just scoop that out with a spoon or use a turkey baster to remove it.

Now last, but most definitely not least, cut your onion into quarters. You'll want to slice them length-wise so they are long and pointy. Take some of those pieces and stick them in the mouth for the teeth. Turn on your broiler and set it to high. Put your monster under the broiler for 1-3 min to just crisp the top a little. (Adds creepy factor! Make it look a little decrepit!)

Take it out once you're satisfied with its beauty, and let is rest for 10 min then serve! Serves 6-8 people!