Halloween Feet Loaf
Bring a little macabre to the dinner table with a Halloween feet loaf. This spooky and delicious conversation piece is surprisingly easy to make and cleverly uses kitchen staples for an impactful presentation. Better yet, it’s a great excuse to use your pellet grill. This cook calls for hickory smoke because it gives the beef a savory, hearty flavor with a hint of bacon-like sweetness.
Equipment
- Z Grills Pellet Smoker
- Z Grills Hickory Wood Pellets
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 3 pounds 80% lean ground beef
- ½ green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs, unseasoned
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 medium onion, halved with 10 small slivers reserved
- ½ cup ketchup
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a large bowl with bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, mustard powder, eggs, breadcrumbs, milk, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, and soy sauce. Mix until well combined.
- Halve the mixture and place both portions onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Shape each half into a foot, then press the meatloaf mixture upwards at the top to form an ankle.
- Use a small knife to cut slits at the front of each meatloaf to create toes. Carefully round the ends with your hands.
- Add the slivers of onion at the end of each divot to act as toenails.
- Hollow out the top of the ankle-shaped portion of the loaf and place the halved onion cut side down. This will act as the severed stump.
- Place the meatloaves into the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat your Z-Grills (preferably with branded hickory pellets) or other wood pellet grill to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Transfer them to the grates once hot.
- Close the grill lid and smoke for 1 hour.
- Uncover, brush ketchup around the ankle-shaped portion of each loaf, and increase the grill’s temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Close the lid and smoke for 35-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the feet loaf from the grill and rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
- Serve alone or atop a mound of mashed potatoes.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
To slice, start at the toes and work your way up.