Need a quick dish to serve on Halloween? Menacing Meat Pies are not only yummy, but because they use convenience foods, they are quick and easy to make. Refrigerator biscuits and store-bought mashed potatoes (or leftovers if you have them) shorten the hands-on time, and family members will love eating them before attending parties or trick-or-treating. They also make a good main dish for a children’s party.

If you plan to have guests over for a Halloween BOO-ffet, these pies can be kept warm in a chafing dish for an hour or so. You can serve blood (chili sauce or ketchup) on the side if you wish. A scary green vegetable is a good accompaniment, or a tossed salad such as Halloween: In the Garden of Good and Healthy.

8 Servings

2 tablespoons dehydrated onion flakes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 pound lean ground beef

1 16 oz. can big flaky refrigerator biscuits (such as Grands)

24 ounces ready made mashed potatoes (such as Hormel Homestyle), or 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
Frozen peas

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Spray 8 muffin cups with non-stick spray.
3. In a mixer bowl, mix the onion flakes, tomato sauce, egg, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper until well-blended; stir in the ground beef.
4. Divide the mixture into 8 balls.
5. Roll or pat each biscuit as thin as possible, preferably to 1/4" thickness.
6. Press a biscuit into each of the muffin cups; place a meatball in each of the biscuits.
7. Stir the mashed potatoes to fluff them up and divide them between the pies.
8. Press two frozen peas into the mounds for eyes.
9. Bake 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are beginning to brown and the meat is cooked through (140° on an instant read thermometer).
10. Remove from the oven, let sit 5 minutes, then, using a butter knife around the edges, remove from the muffin pans and serve.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 466 Calories from Fat 214
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 46% Protein 15% Carb. 39%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 24 g
Saturated Fat 14 g
Cholesterol 79 mg
Sodium 1302 mg
Total Carbohydrate 45 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 1 g
Protein 18 g

Vitamin A 8% Vitamin C 7% Calcium 0% Iron 16%