Pumpkin Patch Dinner (Meatloaf and Potatoes)

Pumpkin Patch Dinner

(Meatloaf and Potatoes)

I got two little girls who are very picking eaters so I have to be creative with dinner so they will eat it. The idea for this meal came to me after I saw a post on www.notmartha.org titled Meat Hand and in this post this lady made meatloaf in the shape of a hand surround by mashed potatoes for Halloween. She used a  hand gelatin mold to shape the meatloaf and put ketchup on it to look like a bloody hand for Halloween. I thought that was very creative and I wanted to try something like that but not as scary because I have two little girls. (Check out the post though because it is very creative)  So since we are focusing on pumpkins this week I decided that I would use my pumpkin cookie cutter and try to make a 'Pumpkin Patch Dinner' inspired by the Meat Hand and this is what I came up with.

To start this dinner mix together your favorite meatloaf recipe. I used Paula Deen's Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf recipe for this because it is a family favorite but you can use whatever meatloaf recipe you want. (To get the recipe just click on the title). The only thing I changed in this recipe was I used half of the cheese in the meatloaf mixture that the recipe called for because I was going to add a slice of cheese to the top of the meatloaf . Also I didn't use the French fried onions.

 Line a baking pan with foil and spray oil spray on it. Spray your pumpkin cookie cutter with oil spray as well.

 NOTE: You want to have a pumpkin cookie cutter that is 1 inch or 1 and 1/2 inch thick to shape the meatloaf. The one I have is the Wilton one and I got it at Wal-Mart.

Put your pumpkin cookie cutter on the baking pan and start pushing your meatloaf mixture inside the cookie cutter.

Then slowly pull your cookie cutter up to remove it from the meat. Then you will have your meatloaf pumpkin shape.

Repeat this step until you have shaped all your meatloaf mixture.

Top the meatloaf with whatever sauce your recipe calls for and then put it in the oven. While the meatloaf is cooking make your mashed potatoes. Color it green (for the pumpkin patch) with food coloring.

Right before you take the meatloaf out the oven put some ketchup in a squeeze bottle.

Cut slice cheddar cheese into pumpkin shapes.

As soon as you take the meatloaf out the oven put the pumpkin shape slice cheese on top of it while it is hot to melt the cheese.



Next put the mashed potatoes (the patch) on the plate.

Then put the meatloaf (pumpkin) on top of the mashed potatoes (the patch).

And you have a "Pumpkin Patch Dinner".

Now it is time to take the ketchup and decorate your pumpkin. You can have your kiddos draw a face or you can.

 I enjoyed making this for my girls! Both my girls ate all their "Pumpkin Patch Dinner" so that made me really happy!!

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