If I had really been thinking, I totally would have been this for Halloween . . .

But alas, I’ll have to settle for next year. Maybe then my husband can walk next to me and dress up as a bottle of Teriyaki sauce. Yum!

Have a great Halloween!

Photo courtesy of amazon.com.

One more day until Halloween! Are your li’l punkins ready?

Here’s another great meal idea for this fun holiday from the Texas Beef Council. Be sure to read the Suggestions section for cute sandwich topper ideas like a black olive spider, cheese curl devil horns and green onion broomsticks.

What fun!

SPOOKY SLOPPY JOES

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped orange bell pepper
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce with basil, garlic and oregano
1/2 cup chili sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 Kaiser rolls, split

Instructions

Brown ground beef with onion and bell pepper in large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8-10 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink, breaking up into 3/4-inch crumbles. Pour off drippings. Stir in tomato sauce, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Cook an additional 3 minutes or until heated through; stirring occasionally.

Spoon equal amounts of beef mixture on bottom half of each roll. Decorate beef mixture or roll tops with vegetable decorations, as desired (see below). Close with top half of each roll.

Suggestions

To make one spider: Cut pitted black olive in half lengthwise and place each half slightly overlapping in center of ground beef mixture or on center of roll top. Slice orange bell pepper into eight 1/4-inch thick strips. Place strips in spoke fashion around olive to make legs. Cut two small pepper pieces to make antennas. Place above olive slices.

To make jack-o-lantern face: Cut out pumpkin shape from Cheddar cheese slice with cookie cutter. Using small thin-bladed knife, cut out mouth, nose and eyes from pumpkin shape. Place cheese cutouts on top of ground meat mixture or on roll top.

To make cheese curl devil horns: Insert two cheese curl snacks vertically into roll top.

To make green onion broomsticks: Cut off the root end of green onion with small thin-bladed knife. Carefully cut thin slits 1/2-inch deep lengthwise into the white part of the onion. Soak sliced part of onion in cold water so ends curl up. Place on plate with Spooky Sloppy Joe.

Steak Bites With Bloody Mary Dipping Sauce

So . . . THIS FRIDAY is Halloween. Are you as ready as I am?

That’s a joke. I’m never ready.

But, at least my kids’ costumes are ready to go and I have purchased the obligatory candy to hand out.

What else do I need?

Well, some Halloween spirit for starters. So here’s something fun to try. It’s alternately creepy and tasty at the same time. Invite some friends over for this treat full of protein before you head out to scour the neighborhood for candy.

Enjoy!

STEAK BITES WITH BLOODY MARY DIPPING SAUCE

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 rounded tablespoon prepared horseradish
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/3 pounds beef sirloin cut into large bite-sized pieces, 1 by 2 inches
• Steak seasoning blend or coarse salt and black pepper
• 6 to 8 inch bamboo skewers

Directions

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and onions and saute 5 minutes. Add vodka and reduce by 1/2. Add Worcestershire, hot sauce, tomato sauce and horseradish. Stir to combine the dipping sauce and return the sauce to a bubble. Add salt and pepper and adjust seasonings.

Heat nonstick skillet over high heat. Coat meat bites lightly in oil. Season with steak seasoning blend or salt and pepper, to taste. Cook the meat until caramelized all over, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer dipping sauce to a small dish and place at the center of a serving platter. Surround the dip with meat bites and set several bamboo “stakes” or skewers along side meat.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray and foodnetwork.com.

Photo courtesy of foodnetwork.com.