Bloody Feetloaf (aka Halloween Meatloaf)

With Halloween less than a week away, I thought it would be fun to ask the other Progressive Eats bloggers if they'd join me in putting together a Halloween-inspired menu today. Cute and spooky, orange and black, maybe even kinda gross (that's me!)—I love all of the spirited menu inspiration that surrounds All Hallows' Eve!

Every year I intend to create some fun and gross recipe ideas...and every year it's November 1st before I know it. But this year I did it with my feetloaf! It's not an original idea, I know. I see feetloaf and meat feet make their way around the internet about this time every year. But it's so fun and disgusting and I needed to share my version!

So really, you can use any meatloaf recipe you like. I tend to never make the same version of meatloaf twice (and yet, my kids tell me my meatloaf is the best), so this isn't one that I've shared with you before. The fun part lies in the forming of the foot and the toes. It's important to space the toes apart, giving them space so that they don't congeal together in the oven—you still want them to be defined once they're cooked (photo of the loaf before cooking can be found in the recipe below).

If you're looking to delight and playfully disgust your friends and family this Halloween, you must add some bloody feetloaf to your table!

yield: serves 6Author: Heather Schmitt-Gonzalezprint recipe

Bloody Feetloaf (Halloween Meatloaf)

prep time: 15 MINScook time: 40 MINStotal time: 55 mins

This creepy foot-shaped meatloaf is a horrifyingly delicious addition to any Halloween dinner menu!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 1 small onion, grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons salt (garlic salt or smoked sea salt are good here)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground beef (90/10)
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 very small onions, peeled

For the coagulated blood glaze:

• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Combine the first 9 ingredients (oats through pepper) in a large bowl and mix until combined. Add the beef and the pork and use your hands to squish and mix everything together until thoroughly combined.
3. Turn mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet and form it into the shape of a foot with an ankle. Make shallow indents on the toes where the nails should be and a deeper indent the width of your onion in the ankle spot.
4. Remove the very out layer of the onion and cut it into 5 craggly toe nails. I like to make then a little long so that I can push them into the "nail bed", which helps keep them in place. Add them to the toe indents.

5. Use your knife to "roughen" up one cut end of the whole onion, so that it sort of looks like a broken off bone. Nestle it into the ankle indent that you made, rough side up. Press the meatloaf up and around the edges a bit.
6. Slide into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Stir together all of the glaze ingredients until smooth.
7. Pour or brush 1/3 of the glaze over the foot and return to oven for 10 more minutes. Brush another 1/3 of the glaze onto the foot and return to oven until a thermometer inserted in the center registers 165° F, about 5-10 minutes longer (35-40 minutes or so total cooking time).
8. Heat the remaining glaze until it bubbles, then drizzle it around the edge of your serving plate. Carefully slide the foot onto the plate and serve.
9. When you're ready to slice, just slice off the individual toes, then slice the rest of the foot like a loaf.

Notes:

1. This can be formed into 1 regular free form loaf or put into a loaf pan. Cooking time may be slightly longer in a loaf pan, use a thermometer to check temperature for doneness.

http://www.allroadsleadtothe.kitchen/2016/10/bloody-feetloaf-meatloaf.html

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month we're sharing a Halloween Menu, and our event is hosted by ME! We have dishes that show off the colors associated with Halloween, as well as some cute and creepy ideas. No matter your level of Halloween spirit, you'll find something delicious to add to your repertoire this season!

Progressive Eats Halloween Menu

• Black Rice Risotto with Butternut Squash from Pastry Chef Online
• Bloody Feetloaf from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
• Chocolate Tombstone Parfaits from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Halloween Black & Orange Soup w/ Dukkah Pumpkin Seed from The Heritage Cook
• Halloween Pomegranate Negroni from Mother Would Know
• Mummy Halloween Cupcakes from Creative Culinary
• Mummy Truffles from The Redhead Baker

If you're unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.

We have a core group of 12 bloggers, but we will always need substitutes and if there is enough interest would consider additional groups. To see our upcoming themes and how you can participate, please check out the schedule at Creative Culinary or contact Barb for more information.