If you are looking for a fun and tasty way to celebrate Halloween, you might want to try Donal Skehan’s bloody meatloaf burgers with charcoal buns. These are not your ordinary burgers, but rather a creative twist on the classic meatloaf, shaped into patties and served with black buns and spooky decorations. They are sure to impress your family and friends with their appearance and flavour.
Donal Skehan is a well-known Irish chef, author and television presenter, who has published several cookbooks and hosted various cooking shows. He is also a fan of Halloween and loves to create festive recipes for the occasion. He shared his recipe for bloody meatloaf burgers with charcoal buns on his website and on the Independent.ie, where he writes a weekly column.
How to make the burger buns?
The burger buns are made with potatoes, milk, black food colouring paste, bread flour, sugar, yeast, salt, butter, egg and sesame seeds. The potatoes are boiled, mashed and mixed with the milk, food colouring and some of the reserved cooking liquid. The potato mixture is then added to the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and melted butter, and kneaded into a smooth dough. The dough is left to rise for an hour, then divided into 12 pieces and shaped into balls. The balls are flattened into disks and placed on greased baking trays. They are covered with a damp tea towel and left to prove for another 30 minutes. They are then brushed with egg, sprinkled with sesame seeds, sugar and salt, and baked in the oven for 15 minutes until golden and cooked through.
How to make the meatloaf burgers?
The meatloaf burgers are made with beef mince, streaky bacon, mushrooms, cream of tomato soup, breadcrumbs, dried oregano, olive oil, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise and Tabasco sauce. The mince is mixed with the bacon, mushrooms, half of the soup, the breadcrumbs and half of the oregano. The mixture is shaped into four large patties and placed on a baking tray. The remaining soup is mixed with the olive oil, honey and Worcestershire sauce, and brushed over the patties. The patties are baked in the oven for 25 minutes until cooked through.
To serve, the mayonnaise is mixed with some Tabasco sauce to taste. The cherry tomatoes are cut in half and decorated with edible eyes or icing pens to make them look like eyeballs. The cocktail sticks are inserted into the eyeballs to hold them together. The cheese slices are cut into triangles to make them look like teeth. The burger buns are sliced in half and toasted lightly. The bottom halves are spread with some of the spicy mayonnaise. The lettuce is shredded finely and placed on top of the mayonnaise. The meatloaf patties are placed on top of the lettuce. The cheese teeth are arranged around the edges of the patties. The top halves of the buns are placed over the cheese teeth. The eyeballs are stuck into the top buns using some of the spicy mayonnaise as glue.
Why try this recipe?
This recipe is not only fun to make and serve, but also delicious to eat. The meatloaf burgers are juicy and flavourful, thanks to the bacon, mushrooms and soup glaze. The charcoal buns are soft and fluffy, with a hint of potato and a striking black colour. The spicy mayonnaise adds some heat and creaminess to the burgers. The cherry tomato eyeballs and cheese teeth add some crunch and colour to the dish. They also make the burgers look spooky and festive for Halloween.
This recipe is also easy to follow and does not require any special equipment or ingredients. You can find most of the ingredients in your local supermarket or online. You can also adjust the recipe according to your preferences or dietary needs. For example, you can use gluten-free flour for the buns or vegan cheese for the teeth. You can also use different types of meat or vegetables for the patties or different sauces for the glaze or spread.
This recipe is perfect for a Halloween party or a family dinner. You can make it ahead of time and reheat it before serving. You can also serve it with some fries or salad on the side. You can enjoy it as a main course or as a snack.
Donal Skehan’s bloody meatloaf burgers with charcoal buns are a spooky and delicious treat that will make your Halloween more fun and memorable.
