This Halloween Meatloaf is fun food for kids big and small! Tender meatloaf wrapped in crispy bacon and slathered with sauce. With garlic cloves for teeth, onion rings, and baby tomatoes for the eyes, it's a quirky main dish that's perfect for Halloween dinner!
Jump to:
- What makes this dish a spooktacular treat
- Hauntingly good ingredients
- Watch and learn: monster meatloaf video
- Halloween Meatloaf
- Mummy-fy your meatloaf: creative variations
- Spooky queries: frequently asked questions
- Deb's Secrets for a Ghoulishly Great Dish
- More bewitching recipes to try
- Recipe backstory
- Wrapping it up
What makes this dish a spooktacular treat
This dish is not only a feast for the taste buds but also a playful addition to your Halloween festivities. Perfect for both kids and adults, served with a side of Shrunken Head Halloween Potatoes and boo! This ghoulishly good recipe will have everyone excited to dig into their dinner!
Hauntingly good ingredients
For the exact measurements for the Halloween Meatloaf, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Watch and learn: monster meatloaf video
Click on the image to watch this fun video and see me make this recipe from start to finish with extra tips! (Video opens in a new tab).
Halloween Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of ground beef
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup bread crumbs or crushed crackers (saltines, Ritz, etc.
- 1 ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup tomato juice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup mustard
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 6-8 slices bacon
- decorations - thinly sliced bacon, garlic cloves, black olives, cherry tomatoes for eye sockets, and onion rings
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- In a large mixing bowl add all of the meatloaf ingredients; ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and minced onions. Mix to combine, but do not over-mix.
- Place parchment paper or aluminum foil on a rack above a baking sheet or shallow baking dish. Poke holes in the parchment paper to allow the fat to drain. Shape the meatloaf mixture into an oval or skull shape.
- Add slices of bacon to "wrap" the mummy as pictured. Use onion rings, olives, sliced garlic and cherry tomatoes to make eyes and mouth.
- Mix together sauce ingredients; brown sugar, ketchup and mustard and slather over the mummy, have fun with it!
- Bake for approximately 1 hr. 15 minutes until it's golden brown and your meat thermometer reaches 155 degrees.
- Allow to rest for 15 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
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Nutrition
Mummy-fy your meatloaf: creative variations
Don't want one big meatloaf? Make mini monster meatloaves or Halloween mummy meatloaves instead. Make small oval skull shapes and decorate accordingly.
The small loaves would not take as long to bake. Test with an instant read meat thermometer. When the center of the meatloaf tests 160 degrees, it is done.
Individual servings would be super fun and everyone can have their own!
Spooky queries: frequently asked questions
Yes, you can - just be sure to use an instant read thermometer to be sure the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 160 degrees. You may need to cover it so the dough doesn't get too brown.
That's because you didn't allow it to rest. Resting and a slight amount of cooling will ensure the meatloaf sticks together when you slice it.
Binders keep the meatloaf from falling apart. The binders in this recipe are eggs and breadcrumbs.
Absolutely! Decorate your handsome Halloween Meatloaf to suit your family! It doesn't have to be scary, it should only be fun!
Cover the meatloaf if he is (mine is always a he 🤣) is getting too dark. Just cover loosely with foil for the last 15-30 minutes of cooking time.
Deb's Secrets for a Ghoulishly Great Dish
Go big and go bold with your monster face! Those onion rings, garlic and tomatoes tend to to shrink as they bake, so exaggerate the features before popping it in the oven.
- Don't skip on the wet ingredients - not only will they give your meatloaf flavor, they will keep it juicy!
- Be generous with the ketchup mixture. In fact I usually serve more alongside. Everyone fights over it!
More bewitching recipes to try
Oh my goodness there is a TON of great Halloween Recipes on the blog so I hope you check these out!
- Start your party with Crockpot Hot Chocolate - it's so rich and delicious! Perfect for kids after tricking or treating to warm them up!
- You need a snack to start off the meal, right? Make these little Mummy Jalapeños Poppers and some mummy meatballs - yummy and fun!
- Love this Mummy Meatloaf? Then be sure to check out my recipe for Mummy Pot Pies for more delicious family fun!
- Or be sure and try Halloween Hot Dog Fingers! Gruesome and tasty!
- For dessert serve these super fun Halloween Rice Krispie Treats or these AMAZING Gourmet Caramel Apples - what a treat!
- For dessert, serve up Graveyard Dirt Cake - it's spooky fun and delicious!
For all of the BEST Halloween Recipes in one spot - Halloween Party Food Recipes for Kids - with over 40 recipes for super fun, tasty party food. You have to check this one out! And if you're looking for potions for the adults? You can find the best Halloween Cocktails here! 25+ drinks that are so good they're scary! 👻
Recipe backstory
Ok - let me tell you how this came to be....I've always said Corliss's have the most fun and no matter what it is, we can always find a fun way to have a good time!
My Uncle's Birthday was right around Halloween. We lost him to cancer a few years ago. It's become a tradition for the family to get together and celebrate his life with laughter and fun!
Aunt Shirley's is in charge of this shindig and she always puts on quite the feast. She makes a ton of sides, ike jello brains... eek, cutie tangerine pumpkins, and Ghost Bananas - oooh....so scary!
But the star of the show......is always the meatloaf!
She makes her favorite meatloaf, wrapped it strategically with some slices of bacon, made eyes and teeth with cloves of garlic and baked it in the oven. It was finished off with a little strategically placed ketchup!
Wrapping it up
And there you have it - a mummy-licious dinner that's equal parts creepy and comforting! This Mummy Meatloaf will wrap your table in smiles and fill every bite with Halloween fun. It's the kind of recipe that gets everyone talking - and maybe even a little howling!
If you make it, snap a photo before it disappears and tag me - I'd love to see your spooky creation! Then grab a cozy spot, because this mummy's ready to party. Hungry for more frightfully fun dinners? Check out my Halloween recipe collection next! 🎃
Jubilee Briscoe says
Making this tomorrow. The recipe (instructions) call for mustard and brown sugar but these are not listed. Do I just wing the amounts or is this a misprint?
Bowl Me Over says
My goodness, how have I never caught that! Thank you Jubilee for bring it to my attention. I use equal parts of each and just updated the recipe.
Jennifer Stewart says
This is the ultimate spread for Halloween with something for everyone!
Madi says
This is such an awesome idea for dinner on Halloween! I can't wait to try this!
michele says
Meatloaf is a family favorite and how cute is this going to be for our annual neighborhood party! SO so much fun!
Sandra Shaffer says
You are so lucky to have Aunt Shirley to share such fun recipes in memory of your uncle! I may have to make that meatloaf mummy for my kids...who cares that they are in their 20's, right haha! They'll love this dish.
Amy Nash says
Such a fun, creepy idea. This is such a great idea for a Halloween dinner because my kids will eat it well and it will give them something good before the sugar rush!
Bowl Me Over says
Exactly, right Amy? Happy Halloween to you & yours!
Julie says
What a wonderful way to celebrate your uncle's life! That meatloaf would be yummy anytime!
debi at Life Currents says
This whole meal is adorable. I love those Tangerine Pumpkins & the mummy hot dogs. All of it is super creative & super kid friendly.
Bowl Me Over says
So fun Debi, my Aunt does this every year! It's an event the whole family looks forward to!
Healing Tomato says
I am so so sorry to hear about your uncle. It sounds like he was a wonderful person. This mummy recipe is so creative and just perfect for Halloween. Have a happy Halloween.
Bowl Me Over says
Happy Halloween to you too! And thank you for the wishes, Uncle Chuck was great - it's good to remember the good times!
April J Harris says
I'm so sorry that you lost your Uncle, but how lovely to celebrate his life like that. All the recipes look like fun especially the Mummy Meatloaf! Thank you for sharing this post with us at Hearth and Soul.
Bowl Me Over says
You are very welcome April - I always enjoy your Link Party!!!
Nancy Hunter says
Ha, Ha -- too much fun. You Corliss's DO have fun. My fave are the tangerine pumpkins though.
Happy Halloween!!!!!!!
Bowl Me Over says
I love those little guys too, one of my favorite fruit Nancy!!