Best 4 Halloween Mac O Lantern Recipes

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.

JACK-O'-LANTERN STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni to al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and hold until the meat mixture is ready.
• In a cast-iron pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sweat until translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 minute. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper and cook until starting to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream and cook until the mixture is reduced, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the cheese and stir until well incorporated. Stir in the cooked macaroni and season with salt and pepper.
• Cut each pepper around the stem and remove to create a lid. Remove the seeds and, if the peppers do not sit flat, trim the bottoms slightly; just be careful not to cut a hole in the bottom of the peppers. Using the tip of a small serrated knife, cut a face like a jack-o'-lantern into the side of each pepper.
• Fill the peppers with the beef mixture and put on a baking sheet with the lids on the side. Bake until the peppers are fork-tender, about 30 minutes.

HALLOWEEN MAC-O'-LANTERN

Steps:

• 1. 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.)
• 2. *This can also be made with your favorite spaghetti sauce, salsa, marinara, taco sauce or taco seasoning mix prepared to packet directions.

JACK-O'-LANTERN CANDY APPLES

Steps:

• Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Wash and dry apples; remove stem and blossom ends. Insert stick into stem end of each apple.
• In 3-quart heavy saucepan, mix granulated sugar, water, corn syrup and food color. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Boil uncovered 15 minutes, without stirring, to 300°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into cup of very cold water separates into hard, brittle threads. (Watch carefully so mixture does not burn.) Immediately remove from heat. Let stand until bubbling stops.
• Dip each apple into hot sugar mixture, turning to coat and letting excess drip off. Place on cookie sheet. Let stand until set.
• On surface lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar, roll fondant to 1/8-inch thickness. Using paring knife, cut out eyes, nose and mouth for each jack- o'-lantern. Attach leaf tip to icing tube; pipe leaves on each apple. Remove leaf tip from icing tube; attach small round tip. Pipe vines. Use icing to attach eyes, nose and mouth to each apple, pressing gently. Let stand until set.