Halloween is on the brain this month as we ready our costumes and map out which parts of the neighborhood we'll be visiting on the big day. There will be a few parties here and there and Halloween themed party food is so much fun!! But what my kids have been begging for this year is Halloween themed foods at every meal. There's tons of ideas online for sweets and treats, as fits the holiday, but I had to ask, where's the meat?! So we put our heads together on this and it's been a lot of fun! Here are a few spooky ideas that we wanted to share with you. Have some fun cooking up Halloween with John Henry's Meats!

These are so easy, we actually make them all year long. Definite kid favorite! Mix up your favorite meatball mixture with your favorite John Henry's Meats. I've used Ground Chicken, Ground Pork, Ground Beef & Liver, Ground Turkey; you can use any kind of ground meat, depending on what else you're serving with it. Also, if you don't already, I recommend adding finely diced onions to your meatloaf mixture to add texture to the "eyeballs". Use olives cut in half and pressed into the meatballs to transform them into eyes. Cook them up and serve on a sub bun with the eyes peeking out at you, or on a bed of spaghetti pasta brains. 

Use your favorite stuffed bell pepper recipe but reserve some extra cheese. While the peppers are still raw, use a small paring knife to gently carve faces into the peppers. Be careful not too cut the designs too big; you still want your pepper to be able to stand up. I make a very simple stuffing with John Henry's Bratwurst (I squeeze the meat from the casing and brown it), jasmine rice, thick and chunky salsa and Michigan Jack cheese (shredded). Pack some cheese into the pepper right behind the holes you cut, then back fill the rest of the pepper with your prepared filling. As it bakes the cheese will melt through the holes and it looks so cool!! 

Chicken Feet have been used to make bone broth and soups for generations. The feet contain collagen that is so good for you plus it adds a silky texture and a boost of flavor to your soup. Typically the feet bones are removed before serving but during the Halloween season you can leave them floating in the soup! Don't they look hideous? The chicken feet that we offer at John Henry's have been cleaned and trimmed from our pasture raised chickens, and they are food safe and ready to be cooked when you receive them. Have some fun and be creative with them! Garnish a party platter with a few, or float them in a cauldron full of chicken noodle soup. These little claws will look so creepy on your dinner table!

We can't have a Halloween post without sharing the timeless Brainloaf and Feetloaf. Again, mix up your favorite meatloaf recipes and press the meat into the shape of the desired body part. For the feet you can use onions or celery pieces for grody toenails, and you can cut a round section of potato or onion to look like the leg bone was cut off. If you're adventurous, you can use a center cut marrow bone for the cut off leg bone. It bakes in the oven with the feetloaf and the marrow will cook down into a delicious spread/oil that you can dip or spread onto some ghost biscuits. Delish!!! 

The photo above was borrowed from BH&G to show you how adorable a couple racks of St Louis Style Ribs can look on your Halloween table. This would make a super cute party platter!! But also, ribs make a tasty weeknight meal for a chilly October evening and we have just the recipe for that! Visit our Recipe Corner to get the ingredients to make a batch of Apple Cider Marinade that goes great with Ribs as well as Turkey Wings and Chicken Wingettes and Drumettes. 

We hope you love all these ideas, and we hope you have a fun Halloween this year! Tag us on Facebook or Instagram @JohnHenrysMeats and use hashtag #JohnHenrysMeats to share with us what you're cooking for dinner with John Henry's Meats!