Rats in Blood/Spaghetti and Meatballs ala Halloween

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch black pepper
uncooked spaghetti, broken into quarters
thinly sliced raw carrot
black peppercorns, cooked black beans
1 (19 ounce) can ground tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1
In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, onion, egg and 1 teaspoons (5 mL) of the salt. Mix well.
2
Now make the rats. Using a measuring cup, scoop out 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the ground beef mixture. Form it, by hand, into a firmly packed teardrop shape — pointy on one end, rounded on the other. This is your basic rat. Place it into a 3-quart (3 liter) shallow baking dish and gently pinch in the neck area. Poke a piece of uncooked spaghetti into the larger rounded end as a tail. Repeat with the remaining ground beef mixture.
3
When all the rats are neatly placed in the baking dish, stir together the tomatoes, water, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1 teaspoons (5 mL) of salt and 1/4 teaspoons (1 mL) pepper. Pour over the rats. Cover the dish with foil wrap (or a lid, if it has one) and bake at 350° F (180° C) for 45 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for another 45 to 50 minutes, basting occasionally with sauce, or until the rice is tender and the rats are fully cooked.
4
Gently remove rats, one at a time, from the sauce and place gently on a serving platter. (Take care not to damage the tails — they’re fairly delicate.) Into each rat, insert two carrot slices as ears, peppercorns (or whatever) for eyes, and a few more broken strands of uncooked spaghetti for whiskers. Spoon sauce around the rats and serve, smiling wickedly.


Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/halloween-rats-baked-in-blood-186679#ixzz1c0oRtsUd

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/halloween-rats-baked-in-blood-186679#ixzz1c0oG02F3