Mummy Meatloaf: Glazed Beef Meatloaf Wrapped in Puff Pastry Bandages for Halloween

Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground beef (85% lean)
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 small onion, finely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup ketchup plus 2 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, for the glaze
• 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water, for egg wash
• 2 small balls of fresh mozzarella and 2 black olive slices, for the eyes

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a small bowl, stir the panko into the milk and let it soak for 5 minutes until soft.
3. In a large bowl, combine the beef, soaked panko, eggs, grated onion, garlic, Worcestershire, mustard, salt and pepper. Mix gently with your hands just until combined; overworking makes the loaf dense.
4. Shape the mixture into a free-form loaf about 9 inches long and 4 inches wide on the baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, stir together the ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar for the glaze. Roll the puff pastry out slightly and cut it into long strips about 1/2 inch wide.
6. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and carefully pour off any fat from the pan. Brush the loaf all over with half the glaze.
7. Drape the pastry strips over the loaf at crisscrossing angles like bandages, leaving a small gap near one end for the eyes. Tuck the ends under the loaf. Brush the pastry with egg wash.
8. Return to the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and the center of the meatloaf reads 160°F (71°C) on a thermometer.
9. Press the two mozzarella balls into the gap for eyes and top each with an olive slice as a pupil. Brush the exposed meat with the remaining glaze.
10. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing thickly. Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans for a full Halloween-night dinner.
11. Meatloaf became an American weeknight institution during the Great Depression, when stretching a pound of ground beef with breadcrumbs and milk fed a whole family, and the sweet ketchup glaze arrived with mid-century convenience cooking. Wrapping it in puff pastry bandages is a modern Halloween twist that borrows from the British beef Wellington, turning the most comforting of family dinners into a centerpiece that makes the table laugh before the first slice.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 560 kcal
• Protein: 34g
• Fat: 34g
• Carbohydrates: 28g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 9g
• Sodium: 980mg