Halloween Jack-O'-Lantern Meatloaf - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 pounds lean ground beef
3 cups Italian bread crumbs
4 eggs
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pinch garlic salt, or to taste
Topping:
1/4 cup spaghetti sauce
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
3 drops orange food coloring, or as needed (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Combine beef, bread crumbs, eggs, onion, spaghetti sauce, Parmesan cheese, and garlic salt in a large bowl. Push mixture down into the bottom of the bowl and smooth the top. Flip bowl over into a large cake pan with sides to hold drippings. Use fingers to mold a stem shape at the top and make a happy or scary pumpkin face in the meat.
Combine spaghetti sauce and orange food coloring in a small bowl. Paint the meat loaf surface with the sauce mixture and sprinkle Italian seasoning on the stem.
Bake in the preheated oven until inside is no longer pink, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Drain grease from cake pan or transfer loaf to a serving plate.