Little Monster Meatball Sliders Recipe

When you think of holidays, you usually think of food. Thanksgiving has turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes; Easter has ham, eggs, and brunch; Hanukkah has challah, latkes, and kugel. But when we think of Halloween, we usually just think about candy, not anything particularly savory. That's all about to change, thanks to this playful recipe by Patterson Watkins. Here, saucy meatball sliders get transformed into cartoonish "monsters," complete with spiky teeth made from cheese and stuffed-olive eyes. This dish is creative and fun, but it's not excessively complicated — your kids could even take part in the fun by helping put some of the sliders together. Everyone can create their own little monster!

However, Watkins does have a bit of advice: "Assemble only the monsters you need — you don't want too many of these little goofballs running around — and serve those you'd like to munch on later a la carte-style," she says. "Assembling only what you need will keep your nice, crisp garlic bread slider buns from getting soggy." Is your mouth watering yet? Let's get started.

To make these sliders, you'll need your preferred type of frozen meatballs and pizza sauce, plus some pimiento-stuffed olives, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, fresh parsley, slider rolls, melted butter, and mozzarella — specifically the kind in deli slices (more on that later). "Any good, melty, deli-sliced cheese would work as a substitute for the mozz in this recipe. I could see provolone being a great example, and white American cheese too," Watkins notes.

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place meatballs and pizza sauce in a large pot and warm over medium-low heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until meatballs are hot all the way through.

Meanwhile, cut the mozzarella slices into pointed, teeth-like shapes. Keep the cheese refrigerated until ready to assemble the sliders.

Place the melted butter, garlic, and parsley in a small bowl and stir to combine.

Place the split slider rolls on the prepared baking sheet, with the interior of the bottom buns facing up and the exterior of the top buns facing up. Brush all over with garlic butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the buns are toasted.

While the buns are baking, thread each olive onto its own toothpick. Set aside.

Remove the buns from the oven and assemble the sliders: Place 2 meatballs onto each bottom bun and top with a toothy slice of mozzarella. Cover each with a toasted top bun and secure with 2 olive-threaded toothpicks to make "eyes." Serve right away.

If you have a busy job or a big family, you may not always have time to make a multi-step meal. That's no problem with this recipe! "I am a big fan of prep-ahead steps, and this recipe has oodles of opportunities," Watkins reveals. "The meatballs can absolutely be prepped ahead of time and kept warm until ready to assemble." Further, she explains, "You could cut the cheese, wrap it, and refrigerate it ahead of time. The garlic herb butter can be mixed, refrigerated, and reheated too." 

You could even do one step per day, if you really wanted to stretch the process out. Plus, pre-cut cheese teeth sitting in the fridge could make for a memorable Halloween surprise if an unwitting family member happens upon it in their quest for a refrigerated snack. Just make sure no one steals that tasty garlic butter if you make it ahead of time.

Both the Instant Pot (which is technically a pressure cooker) and the slow cooker are beloved by home cooks, and it's easy to see why. If you're looking for a more hands-off cooking process, you'll be glad to know this recipe can easily be adapted for these appliances, and Watkins breaks down exactly how to do it. You'll follow most of the recipes steps as normal, but you can warm the meatballs in the Instant Pot or slow cooker instead of on the stovetop. 

"Depending on how much time you have between heating and eating, program your cooker accordingly (either low heat for a longer cook or on a higher heat for a faster cook)," Watkins says. "You may want to add in some additional pizza sauce too for this method, just to keep the meatballs thoroughly sauced and reduce the risk of your pizza sauce getting too thick over the longer period of heating."