It is Halloween Time, and with that comes spooks, skeletons, and Halloween parties. Originally I was going to show off my moms recipe for Meatloaf rats, but she never sent it to me. Being the night owl that I am, I figured I would spend some time and cook it myself. I had a beef shortage, and 11 at night is a bit late to go shopping, so I made them small and meatballs for spaghetti instead from scratch.

Ingredients

• Oregano
• Parmesan cheese spread
• Basil
• Two pieces of bread
• Two eggs
• Milk
• Johnny’s Garlic Spread
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil
• Onions
• Uncooked ground beef
• Marinara tomato sauce
• Spaghetti noodles
• Water
• Pre-cut almonds
• Peppercorn

Tools

• Stirring spoon
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Cooking sheet
• Tin Foil
• Non-stick Cooking Spray
• Two pots
• Mixing Bowl
• Two ladles
• Colander
• Sink
• Hot Pads
• Bowl

Meatball Rats

1. Wash your hands.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Take two pieces of bread, and rip it up into little pieces. Place it in the mixing bowl. Add a thimble of milk, just enough to get the bread wet. Add the two eggs and mix with a fork.
4. Using a knife and cutting down on the board away from your fingers, finely chop the onions. Chop the olives into small triangles at this time, but only add the onions to the bowl.
5. Mix in the raw ground beef with the bread crumbs and onions, as well as ½ a teaspoon of salt, pepper, and Johnny’s garlic Spread. Be careful not to mix it too much. You have mixed it too much when the hamburger starts to get dense.
6. Place the tinfoil onto the cooking sheet, and spray the non-stick cooking spray on it.
7. Use your hands and take a small fistful of the beef mixture and shape it into a pear shape. It should be pointed at one end and widely rounded at the other, and place it on the pan. Repeat as necessary, placing about an inch of space between meatballs.
8. Two almond slices are now placed on as the ears, an olive triangle as a nose, and two little peppercorn balls as the eyes. Once all set, place the sheet in the oven, cooking for 25 minutes.
9. Once done, use hot pads to take the sheet out of the oven. Remember to turn off the oven.
10. Take a dry strand of spaghetti, and break it into small lines. Stab two into each side of the “face” for whiskers.

The Spaghetti

1. Take your thumb and index finger, and have them touch tips. That is roughly how much spaghetti you want per servings you are making. Three “ring full” were used in this example.
2. Put a pot of just water onto the stove top, and set it to high.  There should be enough water to completely cover the spaghetti. Add a large pinch of salt to the water, and stir softly. Bring the water to a boil.
3. Once the water starts to boil, add the spaghetti noodles and boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Put the colander into the sink, and turn off the stove top.
5. Once the noodles are cooked to satisfaction, use hot pads to take the pot and dump it into the colander. Once completely drained, place it back into the original pot.

The Sauce

1. Place the marinara sauce into a pot on the stove top, setting it to medium.
2. Add one teaspoon of oregano and basil, half a teaspoon of salt, and a tablespoon of olive oil. Stir the seasons in thoroughly, then let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The Serving

1. Mix the sauce with the spaghetti and place it into a bowl.
2. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese onto the spaghetti
3. Take a meatball rat and place it on top of the spaghetti.