Little Monster Meatball Sliders Recipe

Patterson Watkins

October 17, 2023 at 4:20 PM·6 min read

meatball sliders with eyes and teeth - Patterson Watkins/Mashed

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.

Assemble Your Meatball Slider Ingredients

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.

Step 1: Prep Your Pan

oven preheated at 350 degrees - Patterson Watkins/Mashed

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

Step 2: Cook The Meatballs And Sauce

pot of meatballs in red sauce - Patterson Watkins/Mashed

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.

Step 3: Make The Cheesy Teeth

sliced cheese cut into spiky pattern - Patterson Watkins/Mashed

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

Step 4: Mix Up The Buttery Spread

herby garlic butter in bowl - Patterson Watkins/Mashed

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

Step 5: Butter The Slider Buns

slider buns with garlic and parsley - Patterson Watkins/Mashed

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.

Step 6: Toast The Slider Buns

toasted garlic slider buns - Patterson Watkins/Mashed

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

Step 7: Make The Monster Eyes

pimiento olives on sticks - Patterson Watkins/Mashed

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

Step 8: Assemble Your Monster Meatball Sliders, And Enjoy

halloween monster meatball sliders - Patterson Watkins/Mashed

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.

Can You Make Meatball Sliders In Advance?

meatballs with sauce in pot - Patterson Watkins/Mashed

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.

Can You Make Meatball Sliders In The Slow Cooker Or Instant Pot?

meatball slider with edible eyes and teeth - Patterson Watkins/Mashed

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."