Jack Olantern Onigiri Recipes

Steps:

• Side Bar: Before you start, set your cream cheese and butter out for several hours, so it can warm up to room temperature. Set rack in middle of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Cut the tops off the pumpkins and set aside, With a teaspoon or grapefruit knife, scrape the fibrous pulp and seeds out of the pumpkins. Scrape some of the meat off the inner walls so they are no more than 3/8-inch thick. Put the cream cheese, butter, sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a large mixing bowl and beat at medium speed until blended. Take care not to mix too much air into the batter. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, until each is incorporated. Reduce the speed and beat in the sour cream, vanilla and pumpkin puree. Fill the pumpkin shells with the batter and bake, on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes. Turn the pan and place the tops next to the pumpkins. Bake for 10 more minutes, until barely set and firm. If, at any time, the cakes start to puff up, turn the oven down or remove them. Let cool, in the pan, then refrigerate.;
• Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes until the berries have popped and form a thick sauce. Let cool. To serve, spoon cranberry sauce on top of filling. Place the pumpkin lid on a jaunty angle. Stick the birthday candle and mint sprig into the top.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the top off the pumpkin and scoop out the insides. Rinse well. Carve a spooky face onto the pumpkin, without going all the way through the flesh. Rinse well, oil outside of pumpkin. Bake the pumpkin shell for 30 minutes.
• While shell is baking: saute the onion, green and red peppers, carrots, celery, and garlic until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Brown ground beef and chicken. Add the veggies and cooked rice and cook over low heat, stirring often, for 10 to 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.
• Remove pumpkin from oven and let stand 15 minutes. Stir the tomatoes and soup into the meat mixture. Place meat mixture into pumpkin. Put back in oven for 20 minutes. Serve on a platter with cheesy biscuits- -very yummy.

Steps:

• Pour rice into a large colander. Rinse under cold running water, stirring with your fingers, until water runs clear, about 5 minutes.
• Set colander over a large bowl. Leave rice to drain, about 20 minutes.
• Cut sides away from each cucumber round; discard seeded center. Cut sides into thin strips for the pumpkin 'stems'. Place cucumber strips in a bowl.
• Cut 1/2 the nori strips into triangles to make the 'eyes.' Cut remaining nori strips into jagged 'mouths.' Place eyes and mouths in separate bowls.
• Combine rice, 3 1/2 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and cover; cook until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat but keep pot on the burner. Let rice stand, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Remove rice from heat; stir in gochujang and turmeric until rice is uniformly orange. Cool rice until easily handled, about 10 minutes.
• Stir 1 cup warm water and salt together in a shallow bowl. Line a platter with plastic wrap.
• Scoop warm rice with a 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop and drop onto the plastic wrap. Dip your hands in the warm salted water and roll rice into balls. Stick on 2 eyes and 1 mouth. Press 1 cucumber strip into the top. Transfer finished onigiri to another serving platter.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cook macaroni according to package directions.
• Remove and set aside 1/4 cup pizza sauce.
• Combine prepared macaroni, half the ground beef, remaining pizza sauce, garlic powder, egg, and basil.
• Spoon evenly into a 9 inch pie plate.
• Sprinkle with cheese.
• Combine remaining meat with the reserved pizza sauce.
• Use to create a jack-o'-lantern face on top of the casserole.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• Let stand 5 miutes before serving.
• Serve with salad.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a small bowl, combine the flour, salsa and chili sauce until blended; stir into skillet. Add the corn, chilies and brown sugar.
• Transfer to a deep-dish 9-in. pie plate. Unroll pastry; place over filling. With a sharp knife, cut out a face to resemble a jack-o'lantern; flute edges. Beat egg and food coloring; brush over pastry.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.