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Trying to get something nutritious into your kids before they go Trick-Or-Treating and embark on a week-long sugar high is challenging, at best. Luckily, Zombie Finger Stew comes to the rescue – delighting the kids with the gory zombie fingers and satisfying mom’s need to provide a veggie-dense meal they’ll actually eat.
I love everything about Halloween. Everything from the decorations to the costumes is something I look forward to every year. But planning a gory, bloody, or gross menu that thrills the kids always gets my creative juices flowing. And why will a child eat something gross or gory but turn their little noses up when a green vegetable is presented to them? Definitely one of life’s mysteries.
Franks and beans are the ultimate comfort food. We remember eating them as children, on camping trips, backyard barbecues, and school lunches. It’s a taste that follows us into adulthood. It’s an easy, budget-friendly meal.
This ‘stew’ is a hit with everyone who eats it. It’s a take on franks and beans but made more nutritious with hidden veggies. Using canned beans makes this recipe even easier; it can be made ahead of time or in your slow cooker.
Yes! You can make Zombie Finger Stew up to 2 days ahead of time. After adding all of the ingredients to the sauteed vegetables and sausage, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. Add another 5-10 minutes of cooking time when ready to bake.
You can. Brown the sausage and saute the vegetables. Spoon them into a crockpot. Dump the remaining ingredients into the slow cooker, stir, cover, and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until thickened.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze, spoon the leftovers into a freezer-safe container and store in your freezer for 3-4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave at half power, stirring often, until hot. The time will depend on your microwave.
You can spoon the Zombie Finger Stew into a saucepan and reheat over medium heat, stirring often, until hot.
Trying to get something nutritious into your kids before they go Trick-Or-Treating and embark on a week-long sugar high is challenging, at best. Luckily, Zombie Finger Stew comes to the rescue – delighting the kids with the gory zombie fingers and satisfying mom’s need to provide a veggie-dense meal they’ll actually eat.
Cut each hot dog in half crosswise.
Next, make the fingernails and knuckles.
For the fingernails, use a sharp knife to slice two small sides of the fingernail, then a straight slice at the top of the nail.
Make a curved slice at the bottom. You should have a fingernail shape.
Take the knife and slice a very thin ‘fingernail’ off the top.
Now, the knuckles.
Use the knife to make 3 small slits slightly below the fingernail and another three just above the bottom of the finger. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Use a spoon to break up the pieces into small pieces.
Stir in the onions, bell peppers, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent – about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, paprika, chili powder, cumin, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, barbecue sauce, ketchup, yellow mustard, and brown sugar.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the ingredients are fully combined.
Add the canned baked beans and mix well.
Gently fold in the zombie’s fingers.
Cover and bake the ‘stew’ for 45 minutes until the beans have thickened, the sauce has darkened in color, and the fingers have taken on some of the sauce color.
Ladle the stew into serving bowls and place two fingers on top of each bowl.
Serve hot.