2 lbs ground beef
1/2 onion chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 (1.25 oz) packet meatloaf seasoning mix
1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
3 (10 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 cup sugar
1 tbs worcestershire sauce
1 oz uncooked spaghetti, broken into fourths
1/2 carrot, cut into 1/8″ thick slices
1 tbs frozen green peas

preheat the oven to 350°.

in a lg bowl, combine the ground beef, onion, egg, bread crumbs, & meatloaf seasoning. use your hands to mix until well blended. measure out 1/3 cupfuls of the meat mixture & mold around a cube of cheese like a meatball. shape into a point at one end & lengthen the body a bit by rolling between your hands. place your “rat” into a shallow baking dish, & continue with the remaining meat. insert pieces of uncooked spaghetti into the rounded end of the rats to make tails.

in a medium bowl, stir together the tomato sauce, sugar & worcestershire sauce. pour over the rats in the dish & cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.

bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. uncover the dish & continue to bake for another 20-30 minutes, basting occasionally with the sauce to glaze the rats.

while the rats finish baking, heat the peas & carrots in a small bowl in the microwave for about 15 seconds.

carefully transfer the rats to a serving platter so that their delicate tails don’t fall off. press peas into the pointy end to make eyes, & insert carrot slices to make ears. spoon some of the tomato sauce around them & serve.

4 servings