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Table of Contents
- What’s in mummy meatballs?
- What type of ground beef should you use?
- Do you have to use crescent roll dough?
- Can you make them in advance?
- How long are they good for?
- Can you freeze mummy meatballs?
- How to reheat meatball mummies
- How long can you leave these out?
- What to serve with mummy meatballs
- Notes & tips for mummy meatballs
- More fun Halloween recipes
- How to make mummy meatballs
- Recipe Details
Ready to elevate your Halloween-themed food game with a twist that’s as unraveled as it is delicious?
Meet mummy meatballs, a dish that’s bound to be the life of your next gathering – or a tomb-themed weeknight dinner.
Wrapped in flaky crescent dough and adorned with candy eyes, these meatballs are more than just a meal; they’re another creative way to enjoy everything spooky about the Halloween season.
Whether you’re a seasoned kitchen pro or a cooking newbie, this recipe is your ticket to serving up a dish that’s as fun to make as it is to eat.
What’s in mummy meatballs?
Before you can serve up your own Halloween-themed meatballs, you’ll need to gather the following ingredients:
- Breadcrumbs: Adds texture and helps bind the meat mixture together.
- Parmesan Cheese: Infuses the meat with a rich, salty flavor.
- Italian Seasoning: Adds a blend of herbs for a touch of Italian flair.
- Dried Minced Onion: Provides a subtle, savory undertone.
- Garlic Powder: Adds a classic garlic flavor that complements the meat.
- Lean Ground Beef: The main protein that forms the “body” of the mummy.
- Large Egg: Acts as a binding agent for the meat mixture.
- Crescent Roll Dough: The “wrappings” for your mummy, offering a flaky, buttery texture. You can either use store-bought (a single eight-ounce tube of dough), or you can make your own.
- Marinara Sauce or Ketchup: Adds a tangy element, perfect for dipping or as a “glue” for the candy eyes.
- Candy Eyes: The finishing touch that brings your mummy to “life,” adding a playful, visual element.
What type of ground beef should you use?
While you can use beef with any fat percentage in this recipe, I recommend lean ground beef. It will be less greasy, making it easier to handle the meatballs as you wrap the dough and get a crisper bake of the crescent roll dough.
If you’d like to try other types of ground beef, here’s a quick breakdown of the pros and cons:
Lean Ground Beef (90-95% Lean)
- Pros: Lower in fat, which means fewer calories. It’s also less greasy.
- Cons: Can be drier and less flavorful due to the low fat content.
Fatty Ground Beef (70-85% Lean)
- Pros: Higher fat content makes for juicier, more flavorful meatballs.
- Cons: More calories and can be greasier.
Middle-of-the-Road (85-90% Lean)
- Pros: A good balance of leanness and fat, offering both flavor and a less greasy texture.
- Cons: Not as lean as the 90-95% but not as flavorful as the 70-85%.
Do you have to use crescent roll dough?
Whether you use store-bought or homemade, crescent roll dough is the best pick for this Halloween finger food because it’s stretchy, puffs up during baking to create a soft, airy texture, and has a classic buttery flavor that really complements the meatballs.
A close substitute would be puff pastry, but remember that it doesn’t contain yeast, milk, or sugar, so baked puff pastry will make the fabric strips of the mummy dogs crispier and flakier than light and airy.
Can you make them in advance?
Certainly! These spooky meatballs can be prepared ahead of time and then baked when ready to eat. To do this, follow these instructions:
- Follow the recipe instructions until you’ve completely assembled the mummy meatballs (initially baked and wrapped with crescent dough), and they’re ready to bake a second time.
- Place the assembled mummy meatballs on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. From here, you can do one of the following:
- Cover baking sheets with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Place the baking sheets in the freezer and allow the meatball mummies to freeze solid. From there, transfer them to a sealed container or freezer bag and freeze them for up to one month.
- When ready to eat, allow meatball mummies to come to room temperature. If they were refrigerated, resting for 30 minutes on the countertop should do. If frozen, allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then rest for 30 minutes on the countertop.
- Bake as directed in the recipe.
How long are they good for?
Once prepared and cooled, these mummy meatballs can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Can you freeze mummy meatballs?
Yes, mummy meatballs can be frozen for later, both before and after cooking. To freeze, follow these instructions:
- Assemble the mummy meatballs as instructed in the recipe (or if they’ve already been baked, allow them to cool to room temperature), then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Pop the baking sheet in the freezer and let them freeze until solid.
- Once frozen, transfer the mummy meatballs to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to one month.
When you’re ready to bake them, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and either follow the recipe instructions for baking or reheat the baked mummy meatballs using your chosen method.
How to reheat meatball mummies
If you’ve already baked and stored this spooky snack appetizer, there are easy to reheat and enjoy again:
- In the oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the mummy meatballs on the baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until they’re heated through and the pastry is crispy again.
- In the air fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Arrange the mummy meatballs in the air fryer basket, leaving some space between them to ensure even heating. Air fry for 4-6 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.
- In the microwave: Place the mummy meatballs on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for 30-60 seconds or until they’re heated through. Keep an eye on them to avoid overcooking, as the pastry may become soggy if it’s overheated.
How long can you leave these out?
Whenever you serve a finger food for your guests to enjoy, you should always keep track of how long it sits at room temperature.
The general rule of thumb for most foods is that a perishable item should not be in the “danger zone” for more than two hours. And by “danger zone,” this is usually at or just above room temperature.
Since these mummy meatballs will be served warm, that should give you another 30-60 minutes before needing to keep track of them. So, in total, these mummy meatballs can be left out for an absolute maximum of three hours, depending on the room’s temperature. However, be sure to still check the mummy meatballs every now and then and make your best judgment.
Once you’re near the recommended time, you can heat them up in the oven again.
Want to dig deeper into food safety? Take a look at the USDA’s Food Safety Basics, especially the part about the above-mentioned “danger zone.”
What to serve with mummy meatballs
Since finger foods like this are typically served as an appetizer, the best accompaniment would be a flavorful dipping sauce. Some of my favorites include:
- Classic ranch dressing. You can also use a flavored ranch that compliments spicy foods like this cilantro lime ranch.
- Buffalo wing sauce.
- Honey mustard.
- A classic aioli.
- Yum Yum sauce.
- Teriyaki Sauce.
- Classic BBQ sauce.
- Various salsas like salsa verde, pico de gallo, or enchilada sauce.
Notes & tips for mummy meatballs
- The meatballs in this recipe are shaped like logs for ease of handling. If you prefer the traditional round shape, note that you’ll end up with double the amount—16 instead of 8. Don’t forget to halve the crescent roll dough strips to have enough for each meatball.
- Feel free to use homemade meatballs made with chicken, turkey, or pork. Just remember to adjust the baking time as needed to ensure they’re fully cooked.
- Frozen or pre-cooled meatballs are also an option, but they’ll limit you to only creating round-shaped mummy meatballs.
- To help keep the pastry from unraveling or coming apart during baking, you can brush the edges of the dough with a beaten egg before wrapping it around the meatball. This will help the dough stick together and create a golden brown, crispy crust.
- For more Halloween flair, decorate the top of your chosen dipping sauce with more candy eyes.
More fun Halloween recipes
How to make mummy meatballs
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – First, grab a large bowl and mix together breadcrumbs, shredded parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, dried minced onion, garlic powder, ground beef, and a lightly beaten egg. Use a spatula or your hands to mix it all up until combined.
Step 2 – Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Roll each into a log shape and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 3 – Bake!
Step 4 – Transfer the logs to a paper towel-lined plate once out of the oven. Let them cool down for about 10 minutes.
Step 5 – Roll out the crescent dough on a clean surface and slice it into 1/4-inch strips. You’ll need at least 8 strips to wrap the meatballs.
Step 6 – Take a strip of dough and wrap a meatball log, stretching the dough slightly as you go. Leave a small area dough-free for the eyes. Make sure the seams are all on one side, then place the wrapped log seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat until all meatball logs are mummified.
Step 7 – Bake again!
Step 8 – Let the mummies cool for about 5 minutes, then dab a little marinara on the back of the candy eyes and place them on the meatball.
Step 9 – Serve and enjoy!
Mummy Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 8 ounces crescent roll dough
- 1 teaspoon marinara sauce, or ketchup
- candy eyes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, dried minced onion, and garlic powder.1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Add ground beef and egg to bowl with dry ingredients. Using a spatula (or even just your hands), mix or knead meat into dry ingredients until thoroughly combined.1 pound lean ground beef, 1 large egg
- Divide meatball mixture into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a log shape and arrange on prepared baking sheet, spacing each log so they do not touch.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Meatball logs do not need to be fully cooked at this stage; they will bake longer in a future step.
- Transfer meatball logs to a paper towel-lined plate to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Set baking sheet aside to be used again later.
- On a clean work surface, roll out crescent dough and cut into 1/4 inch strips, creating at least 8 strips.8 ounces crescent roll dough
- Starting at one end, wrap a meatball log with a strip of dough, gently stretching it as you wrap. While wrapping, be sure to leave an area free of dough near one end of meatball log for eyes (they’ll be attached directly to meatball). You can either completely cover meatball log or leave some gaps where meatball shows through. Try to make sure that all seams of dough are on same side so that they can be tucked under while baking. Once wrapped, place mummy meatball, seam side down, on previously used baking sheet. Repeat this step until all meatball logs are wrapped.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until dough is golden brown.
- Allow mummy meatballs to cool for 5 minutes.
- Dab back of candy eyes with marinara, then secure them directly on an exposed area of meatball. Repeat this step until all mummy meatballs are decorated.1 teaspoon marinara sauce, candy eyes
- Serve as desired.
Nutritional Information
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