Best 5 Halloween Mac O Lantern Recipes

MAC-O-LANTERN AND CHEESE BOWLS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
• Cut the tops off the peppers and reserve. Remove the seeds and membranes. Put the peppers and the tops in the boiling water and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Plunge the peppers into the ice bath. Once cool, remove them and use a sharp knife to carve a jack-o-lantern face into one side of each pepper.
• Return the water to a boil, add the macaroni and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain (don't rinse the pasta).
• Heat the half-and-half in a large saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer. Continue simmering until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in the Cheddar until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Off the heat, add the macaroni to the saucepan and stir to combine. Stir in some of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce if needed. Season with salt if needed. Let sit for 10 minutes, then divide the mac and cheese among the peppers and cap each with a pepper top.

HALLOWEEN JACK-O'-LANTERN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine beef, bread crumbs, eggs, onion, spaghetti sauce, Parmesan cheese, and garlic salt in a large bowl. Push mixture down into the bottom of the bowl and smooth the top. Flip bowl over into a large cake pan with sides to hold drippings. Use fingers to mold a stem shape at the top and make a happy or scary pumpkin face in the meat.
• Combine spaghetti sauce and orange food coloring in a small bowl. Paint the meat loaf surface with the sauce mixture and sprinkle Italian seasoning on the stem.
• Bake in the preheated oven until inside is no longer pink, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Drain grease from cake pan or transfer loaf to a serving plate.

MAC-O'-LANTERN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cook macaroni according to package directions.
• Remove and set aside 1/4 cup pizza sauce.
• Combine prepared macaroni, half the ground beef, remaining pizza sauce, garlic powder, egg, and basil.
• Spoon evenly into a 9 inch pie plate.
• Sprinkle with cheese.
• Combine remaining meat with the reserved pizza sauce.
• Use to create a jack-o'-lantern face on top of the casserole.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• Let stand 5 miutes before serving.
• Serve with salad.

STUFFED JACK-O-LANTERN BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
• Lightly mix together the ground beef, egg, bread cubes, onion, tomato, garlic, chili sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
• Wash the peppers, and cut jack-o'-lantern faces into the peppers with a sharp paring knife, making triangle eyes and noses, and pointy-teeth smiles. Slice off the tops of the peppers, and scoop out the seeds and cores. Stuff the peppers lightly with the beef stuffing, and place them into the prepared baking dish so they lean against each other.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the peppers are tender and the stuffing is cooked through and juicy, about 1 hour.

HALLOWEEN MAC-O'-LANTERN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook and drain ground beef. Cook and prepare mac 'n cheese according to package directions. Remove and set aside 1/4 cup pizza sauce. Into the prepared macaroni, stir in 1/2 the cooked beef, and the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the cheese. Spoon evenly into a 9" pie dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine rest of meat with reserved pizza sauce and use to create a jack-o-lantern face on top of the casserole. Decorate further to your heart's desire. (Whole long chives can be placed on first to create the pumpkin divisions/lines.)
• *This can also be made with your favorite spaghetti sauce, salsa, marinara, taco sauce or taco seasoning mix prepared to packet directions.