Description

This Skellington Cheese Ball Appetizer is a spooky and fun party treat featuring creamy cream cheese blended with sharp white cheddar and seasoned with garlic and onion powder. Shaped into a skull-like form and decorated with black olives, it’s perfect for Halloween or themed gatherings. The cheese ball is chilled until firm and served with crackers and veggies for a delicious, crowd-pleasing appetizer.

Ingredients

Scale

Cheese Ball Mixture

2 cups cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Decoration

Black olives for decoration (halved and finely chopped)

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Instructions

Soften cream cheese: Ensure your cream cheese is softened at room temperature for at least 1 to 2 hours. This will help achieve a smooth, easy-to-mix texture for the cheese ball.
Mix ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, shredded white cheddar cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Beat the mixture with an electric mixer until completely smooth and well combined.
Shape the cheese ball: Transfer the cheese mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Using the plastic wrap, mold and shape the mixture into an elongated oval or skull-like form that resembles a skeleton head. Wrap it tightly to maintain the shape.
Chill: Place the wrapped cheese ball in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 4 hours, ideally overnight (8-12 hours), until it becomes firm and easy to handle.
Unwrap and place on platter: Once chilled thoroughly, unwrap the cheese ball and place it onto your chosen serving platter, ready for decoration.
Decorate the Skellington face: Use black olive halves for the eyes and finely chopped black olive pieces to form the nose cavity. Press the olives gently into the cheese ball to create a spooky face. Arrange with crackers and vegetables for serving.

Notes

Softening the cream cheese completely is key for a smooth mixture.
The cheese ball can be made a day ahead and stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.
Serve with a variety of crackers and fresh veggies for a crowd-pleasing appetizer.
You can customize the spices to suit your taste by adding smoked paprika or cayenne for a kick.
For a firmer texture, chill longer before serving.