Ratloaf (Halloween Meatloaf)

This ratloaf (Halloween meatloaf) recipe is stuffed with cheese, BBQ sauce, and French-fried onions, and shaped like a rat with oozy, cheesy innards.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 948 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 onion, chopped
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups dry bread crumbs
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
• 3 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup French-fried onions
• 3 large black olives
• 3 spaghetti noodles, broken into halves
• 2 slices red potato
• 0.75 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

Mix ground beef, milk, bread crumbs, onion, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined to make rat body.

Step 3

Mix Cheddar cheese, 2/3 bottle of BBQ sauce, and 1 cup French-fried onions together gently in a separate bowl to make rat guts.

Step 4

Put about 1/2 of the rat body mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper and form into rat body shape. Spread a thick layer of cheese mixture on top, leaving 1/2 inch space around outer edge.

Step 5

Put remaining rat body mixture on top of cheese mixture. Continue forming body, sealing cheese mixture completely inside so guts don't ooze out while baking.

Step 6

Place a rimmed pan on rat body and carefully flip it over. Reshape rat body as needed. Use olives for the eyes and nose, spaghetti for the whiskers, and potato slices for the ears. Spread remaining 1/3 bottle BBQ sauce over body of rat. Crush remaining 2 cups French-fried onions and sprinkle on top of and around rat body.

Step 7

Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through and cheese melts, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Allow ratloaf to cool 5 minutes before slicing to serve.