Halloween Themed Meals

Last week we made you a promise: real food ideas for dinner, but with enough of a Halloween twist to distract the kids from the impending sugar rush (at least momentarily).

This post brings you three entrees full of creepy, spooky, tasty Halloween goodness.

We do use shaped molds in one recipe. If you opt to use that recipe, be sure to get metal or heat-resistant silicon molds so you'll be able to put them in the oven. They're available at your local Target or Wal-Mart for between two and twelve dollars, as store brand or name brand. Wilton makes the best, in our opinion - the cutest for sure, but also the most expensive.

If you don't want to spend the extra time or money on shaped molds, we've provided a couple of "handy" alternatives at the end.

Fried Worms and Stranglevine Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 package hot dogs or Polish sausages

1 jar mild pickled pepper rings or slices

1 Tablespoon olive oil

8 slices wheat bread

Ketchup, mustard, relish, etc., to taste

Tools:

Frying pan, cutting board

Step One:

Cut your hot dogs or sausages into quarters. Sometimes we feel quarters are a bit too broad and cut them into eighths, which cook quicker anyway.

Step Two:

Drain the vinegar from your pepper rings and rinse them off so the pickled taste isn't quite so strong.

Step Three:

Put your bread into the toaster. Crispy slices hold up much better; you may wish to toast them a little longer than your usual setting.

Step Four:

Heat the olive oil in your frying pan and toss in the sausage and peppers to sear.

Step Five:

Scoop a generous helping of "worms and vines" onto your toast, and garnish with your favorite condiments before serving.

Brain Loaf

Ingredients

2 lbs fine ground turkey or ground beef ( it’s up to you)

1/2 cup chopped, steamed cauliflower (cooled)

2 eggs

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup minced onion

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

BBQ sauce or ketchup for decorating

Tools:

Two small aluminum mixing bowls (the rounder the better), large mixing bowl, baking sheet

Step One:

Preheat your oven to 375. While it's heating, mix your turkey - we like to use Honeysuckle White brand Italian seasoned turkey link sausage, but remove the casing - with your cauliflower, egg, breadcrumbs and spices in a large mixing bowl.

Step Two:

Grease your two small aluminum mixing bowls lightly with nonstick spray, butter or oil - whatever you have on hand. Fill them to about 3/4 full with your turkey mixture.

Step Three:

Place your two mixing bowls onto a baking sheet and slide it into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Test with a meat thermometer if you're not sure whether or not they're cooked through.

Step Four:

Loosen around the edges with a butter knife and turn the bowls upside down onto the dish you'll be serving from.

Step Five:

Use your ketchup or BBQ sauce to draw squiggles on your "brain" before cutting to serve.

Pirate Bones in Seaweed

This is the recipe where those shaped molds come into play! Skulls and crossbones are ideal for what we've called it here, but feel free to make up your own fun name to go with jack o'lantern, brain, bat or ghost shaped molds, or whatever else you can find. Get creative! And don't forget to poll the kids if you have them around - they often have brilliant ideas.

Ingredients:

Pirate Bones:

[Use the same recipe from "Brain Loaf" to make your skull and crossbones meatballs]

Seaweed:

2 yellow squash

2 zucchini

2 carrots

2 Tablespoons butter

Tools:

Shaped silicon mold(s), vegetable peeler or spiralizer, baking sheet, large skillet or pan

Step One:

Preheat your oven to 375. Load your silicon mold(s) full of the meatloaf mixture from the previous recipe. Fill the hollows to the top, and make sure to squish the mixture down into the little details. Having two or more molds is optional, but having more streamlines the process (and you'll only have to get your hands dirty once like that).

Step Two:

Place your silicon mold(s) onto the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the visible edges of the meat mixture have browned.

Step Three:

Heat the butter in your skillet or pan on low.

Step Four:

While your meatballs are baking, use a spiralizer or a vegetable peeler to either spiral cut or shave thin slices of your vegetables into the melted butter.

Step Five:

Once all the vegetables have been sliced into the pan, turn the heat up and saute them lightly. Season to taste (we like garlic or lemon-pepper seasoning) and arrange into a nest on each plate.

Step Six:

Pop your shaped meatballs out of the molds and divide them up between the dishes of vegetables. Sauce is optional.

Hand Steak and Veggies

Here's the alternate idea we promised you, in the event you weren't interested in the shaped meatballs from the last recipe.

Utilize the meatloaf recipe once more and arrange it into a large hand shape on a baking sheet or in the bottom of a large skillet, and either bake or pan fry until done.

For a slightly less messy option, you could step over to the grocery store and pick up a ham steak or two. Trim up the edges and then cut short lines in from one side to make wide "fingers," and then pan sear.

Serve with your favorite sides, and enjoy your simple, spooky meal!

Happy Halloween!

What did you think? Are you as eager to get into the kitchen as we were?  We hope you’ll let us know over on our Facebook page, we’d love to hear your thoughts on Halloween traditions and food. In the event that one of your appliances has given up the ghost, or is just being ghoulish, you can always call or visit our website to make an appointment.