October 31: Bloody Rat Meatloaves

Happy Halloween!! It's finally here. The big day. (And it's rainy here where we are so that's throwing things into a tailspin. Oy.)

It's been a long, delicious month, and I hope you've had fun counting down with me.

I'd like to close out this month of tricks and treats with a meatloaf meal specially requested by my younger daughter. 

The week after school started, my younger daughter started asking me when I was making Feet Loaf. But, see, I already did feet loaf. (Also heads.)

I wanted to do something new. So, like Pooh, I had to think think think. 

I thought I was going to use my bat-shaped dish to keep things easy (plus, three years ago I *had* to have that bat-shaped dish and have only used it… once. Oopsies.) But when I browsed online to see if I could find any quick and easy meatloaf recipes, I came upon these Mini Cheddar Meatloaves from Butter with a Side of Bread. (I was fascinated by the idea of putting cheese in the meatloaf because, tbh, I didn't really even want meatloaf; I was jonesing for a cheeseburger.) When I looked at them, though, the shape reminded me of something...

Rats.

And just like that—sorry bat-shaped dish. Your services will no longer be needed. Again.

Bloody Rat Meatloaves

Adapted from Butter with a Side of Bread

Ingredients:

For the “rats”

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup diced onion

1 teaspoon salt

1 lb. ground beef

For the “blood” (I cut back the amounts slightly from the original recipe) 

1/2 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon dried mustard

1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Beat together egg and milk. Stir in cheese. 

Add chopped onion and salt.

Combine with ground beef. 

Shape into 6 small loaves in a sort of oval-ish shape. (The original recipe calls for making 8, but somehow I missed that until after I’d already formed them and I didn’t feel like touching the raw beef again so I decided 6 was fine.) 

Arrange loaves in a 9x13 baking dish. 

Whisk together ketchup, ground mustard, and brown sugar. Pour over the raw loaves.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the meat is cooked through (internal temp of 165 degrees. Generally, pull it out at 155 degrees and let it rest 5-10 minutes. It’ll keep cooking and it’s safe to eat at 165.) 

I served my rat loaves with mashed potatoes and peas. 

For serving: arrange the “rat” in the center of the plate. Place 2 peas on the front of the loaf to look like eyes. Slice a green onion into long, thin strips. Arrange one strip at the back of the loaf and angled forward to serve as a tail. Arrange side dishes around the “rat.” 

Everyone in my house got a kick out of these, and they tasted good, too! With bloody rats, who needs feet loaf?

Now, enough with the recipes. It's time to TRICK OR TREAT! (Weather permitting...)

Happy Halloween, friends!