Description
Spine-chilling “zombie meatloaf” brings ghoulish flair to dinner tables with its gruesome appearance and surprisingly delicious flavor. Meaty layers ooze with eerie green cheese sauce, promising a wickedly entertaining Halloween centerpiece for brave culinary adventurers.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms) lean ground beef
- 1 pound (0.45 kilograms) bacon strips
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1.5 cups (360 milliliters) diced yellow onion
- 0.5 cup (120 milliliters) diced celery
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 onion
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 (8 ounce/226 grams) package brown mushrooms, finely chopped
Binding and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 0.75 cup (180 milliliters) plain dry bread crumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) ketchup
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) Worcestershire sauce
- 0.5 cup (120 milliliters) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme
- 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Blood Sauce:
- 0.25 cup (60 milliliters) barbeque sauce
- 0.25 cup (60 milliliters) ketchup
- 1 dash hot sauce, or to taste
Instructions
- Finely dice the yellow onion, celery, and mushrooms, creating a flavor-packed vegetable base for the zombie-inspired dish.
- In a large skillet, gently melt butter over medium heat, creating a golden cooking surface.
- Sauté the diced onions and celery until they become translucent and tender, releasing their aromatic essence.
- Introduce chopped mushrooms to the skillet, sprinkling kosher salt to help draw out their natural moisture. Cook until the liquid completely evaporates, concentrating their earthy flavors.
- Incorporate minced garlic, ground black pepper, dried thyme, and cayenne pepper. Toast the spices briefly to enhance their fragrance, then remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, combine ground beef with bread crumbs, creating a textural foundation for the meatloaf.
- Fold in the beaten egg, buttermilk, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce, gently mixing with the cooled vegetable medley until just incorporated.
- Preheat the oven to a precise 350°F, preparing for the zombie transformation.
- Transfer the meat mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, sculpting it into a distinctive loaf shape.
- Create ghoulish “eyes” by halving a whole onion and positioning the pieces at each end of the meatloaf.
- Insert whole cloves into the onion halves, crafting haunting pupils that will peer out from the meaty canvas.
- Strategically drape bacon strips across the meatloaf, tucking the ends underneath to create a wrapped, mummy-like appearance.
- Roast in the preheated oven for approximately one hour, monitoring until the internal temperature reaches a safe 160°F.
- Meanwhile, concoct a blood-red sauce by whisking together barbeque sauce, ketchup, and hot sauce in a small bowl.
- Once the meatloaf reaches the desired temperature, liberally brush the crimson sauce over its entire surface.
- Return to the oven for a final 10-15 minutes, allowing the sauce to caramelize and develop a sticky, menacing glaze.
Notes
- Ensure vegetables are finely chopped to distribute flavors evenly and prevent large chunks disrupting the meatloaf’s texture.
- Don’t overmix the meat mixture, as this can make the meatloaf dense and tough. Gently combine ingredients until just incorporated.
- Let the meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes after baking to help it retain moisture and make slicing easier.
- Swap ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based alternatives for a lighter or vegetarian version of the zombie-themed dish.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg