By Laura | Laura the Gastronaut
Prep Time: 40 minutes | Resting Time: 1 hour | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 2 Breadstick Hands + Extra Meatball Eyeballs
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This Halloween recipe was inspired by Adam from Beetlejuice when he sticks eyeballs on the end of each of his fingers! The hand is made from a simple and tasty breadstick dough. The eyes are homemade meatballs covered in a white sauce, and the pupils are black olive slices. This Beetlejuice recipe is so delicious and makes for the perfect snack for Halloween or a Beetlejuice movie night!
• 3/4 cup (180 mL) water, warmed to 110°F (43°C)
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon honey, or sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) milk
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 cup (240 mL) milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• Sliced black olives
*See Notes below for electric mixer instructions.
① Make the dough: In a large bowl, add in warm water and sprinkle yeast over the water. Stir in honey. Let rest for 5 minutes or until frothy. If your yeast does not get frothy, start over with new yeast.
② Stir olive oil into the bowl of water/yeast.
③ In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
④ Slowly stir dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring until ingredients are well combined.
⑤ Knead the dough: Place the dough on a well floured surface, and knead with floured hands for about 4-6 minutes or until the dough is a smooth and elastic ball. During the kneading process, you may need to add more flour by the tablespoon, but be careful not too add too much flour. You still want the dough to be slightly sticky!
⑥ Rise the dough: Place the dough in a large lightly oiled bowl, roll dough around in bowl to coat all over with oil, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot for 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
⑦ Preheat oven to 400°F.
⑧ Form the hand: Punch down the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two parts. Shape out the dough to a palm-like shape, and, by rolling the dough between your two hands, slowly work it out to make 5 fingers. See the pictures above for guidance. Using foil, make stands to rest the dough fingers on while they bake so you get a grip-like look (pictures above). Repeat the hand-making process with the other part of the dough.
⑨ Bake the hand: Place the dough hand on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Put the foil stands underneath the fingers so the fingers drape over the foil. After the bread has been in the oven for 6 minutes, take out and pinch the ends of all the fingers. This step is important as it allows the meatballs to slide onto the fingers. Continue baking for an additional 12-14 minutes until the hand is lightly browned and cooked through.
⑩ Make the meatballs: In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk in a bowl and set aside.
⑪ In a separate large bowl, mix together the pork, beef, egg, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper with your hands or wooden spoon. Do not overwork. Add in the prepared breadcrumb/milk mixture and stir to combine.
⑫ Form the meatball mixture into about 1 1/2 inch balls. You will have more meatballs than fingers*.
⑬ Heat a small layer of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the meatballs in batches so the pan is not crowded. Cook about 10-15 minutes, flipping once or twice until the meatballs are cooked through (165°F). Once done cooking, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Continue until all meatballs have been cooked.
⑭ Make the white sauce: In a small saucepan, heat the milk to a boil. Keep a close eye on it so it does not scorch or boil over.
⑮ Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour, and cook for a couple minutes, whisking constantly.
⑯ Remove flour mixture from heat, and slowly pour in the boiling milk, whisking the entire time. Continue beating vigorously with a whisk until well blended.
⑰ Set saucepan over moderate-high heat, and whisk continuously until boiling. Boil for 1 minute, while whisking.
⑱ Remove from heat, and whisk in white pepper and salt. Taste, and adjust seasoning, if necessary
⑲ Complete the eyeball hand: Gently make one slit into 10 meatballs with a small knife, and then cover the meatballs with the white sauce. Carefully push a meatball onto each finger of the breadhands. Top each meatball with a slice of black olive. Serve the extra meatball eyeballs alongside the breadstick hands!
✽ Electric Mixer: You can also use an electric mixer to make the breadstick dough. Use the electric mixer's bowl as your large bowl in step 1. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using the dough hook on low speed until it all comes together. Knead with the dough hook on medium-low speed for 4-6 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. You may have to add more flour so the dough is not too sticky.
✽ Extra Meatballs: Since you will have more meatballs than fingers, you can make them into eyeballs as well and display them in a bowl or surround the breadstick hands with them.
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Find recipe at: https://laurathegastronaut.com/beetlejuice-breadstick-hand-with-meatball-eyeballs