Description
These fun and spooky Zombie Eyes Halloween Meatballs are perfect for bringing giggles and grins to your family dinner table this Halloween.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (8 ounce) package spaghetti
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 0.33 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 black olives, halved (for “eyes”)
- 1 (1 ounce) stick string cheese, cut into 16 slices
- 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until it’s tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, parsley, basil, and oregano. Fold in the ground beef, mixing with your hands until well combined. Form 16 equal-sized meatballs using a cookie scoop.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs for about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer the browned meatballs to a baking sheet using tongs.
- Bake the meatballs in the oven for 8 minutes.
- While the meatballs bake, use a plastic straw to poke a hole through each olive half to create a circular “pupil.” Use the same straw to poke a hole through the center of each slice of string cheese. Insert the olive piece into the string cheese slice to create “eyes.”
- Remove the meatballs from the oven and let them cool until they are easy to handle.
- Assemble the zombie eyes by twirling a few strands of cooked spaghetti around the tines of 16 forks. Spear a meatball onto each fork and arrange them on a serving platter. Spoon a dot of spaghetti sauce onto each meatball and place the olive-cheese “eye” on top. Finally, ladle more spaghetti sauce over the twirled spaghetti.
Notes
For a spooky yet delightful presentation, place the meatballs on forks, and encourage everyone to take a fork and enjoy these creepy treats. They can be paired nicely with garlic bread or a fresh salad.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 35mg