Halloween falls on a Monday this year, and you know what that means: Brunch is going to be off the rattling, spooky, ghost-borne chain. You should host a Halloween party at home, and make a meat head as your centerpiece. It’s pretty much just what it sounds like—a plastic Halloween skull wrapped in the cold cuts of your choice—but it makes one hell of a visual impression. Especially when it’s served on a fancy tray or even a cutting board heaped with all your brunch favorites, like sausage links (extra points for blood sausage), heaps of scrambled eggs, more cold cuts, cheese, toast, English muffins, biscuits and whatever your spooky little heart desires—or even the makings for the ultimate bloody mary bar.
If you’re serving eggs Benedict as part of your brunch spread, squeeze a few drops of green food coloring into the Hollandaise or the poaching water for an eerie effect, and let guests top their dish with slices from the smiling skull. And because your guests will eagerly descending upon your meat head and pick it apart once it's placed on the table, it's important to make an entrance. Possibly while playing haunted house music and leading a chant of "Meat head! Meat head! Meat head!"
Meat Head
How to Make It
Wash the plastic skull. If it's not marked as food safe, wrap it in plastic wrap or foil, making sure to leave the teeth exposed.
Mix the food coloring of your choice into cream cheese, and when your desired hue is achieved, spread it over the skull thickly enough that you are confident that the meat will adhere to it.
Layer the meat over the cream cheese, overlapping as needed until the surface is covered. Depending on the texture you'd like to achieve, press it down smoothly or let the edges hang roughly.
Slice the egg in half horizontally, and depending on the size of the skull's eye sockets, fit either the halves with whites, or just the yolks into the sockets, and secure olive or cocktail onion "pupils" in place with a toothpick. If the spirit so moves you, you can dye the yolks with drops of food coloring for additional spookiness.
Place the meat head on a tray or board and surround it whatever brunch foods you desire and allow guests to serve themselves buffet-style.
