With my favourite holiday Halloween just around the corner it’s time to get creative and have fun with your food. I love this holiday for all of its silliness and all the sugary goodness you can eat. I wanted to have a play around with something savoury for my favourite holiday this time, and I love a good cheese ball so why not a Halloween one? That is where this Jack O Lantern cheese ball idea came from.
Cheese, Cheese and more Cheese!
Cheese is one of my weaknesses I can eat it by the handful, about the only thing that stops me is how many calories are in it. But every now and again you have to throw caution to the wind and just enjoy it with all its calories 😉
This cheese ball consists mainly of a full fat soft cream cheese; I used Philadelphia with some mature grated cheddar added into the mix. To spice it up a little and add a little more flavour I added some minced onion, salt and pepper and some sweet chilli sauce to the mix. The sweet chilli sauce is optional but highly recommended, I only used 2 tablespoons so it doesn’t make it too spicy but it does give it a lovely little kick.
To give this more of a Jack O Lantern look I used cheese-flavoured tortilla chips broken up into small pieces and used them as a covering. I also used a yellow bell pepper for the eyes and mouth and coloured it in with a black food pen, but use whatever you like for the eyes or mouth or leave them off all together, the stem is also from the yellow pepper.
This is just a delicious silly little thing to enjoy this Halloween, so grab your chips and start digging in.
Jack O Lantern Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons minced onion
- 450 grams full fat cream cheese ((two 8 ounce packs))
- 200 grams mature cheddar cheese - grated ((1 and 1/2 cups))
- 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
- 15 cheese tortilla chips
- 1 yellow bell pepper - saving the stalk
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mince a small onion to get around 3 tablespoons. If you don’t have the equipment to mince then just very finely grate it.
- Put the cream cheese, minced onion and sweet chilli sauce into a large mixing bowl and mix until everything is really well combined.
- Form the cheese into a ball with a flattened bottom, so it looks like a pumpkin. Then chill until firm, around 2 hours should do it.
- Before serving crush up your tortilla chips until they are smashed into pretty small crumbs and then roll your cheese ball in them until fully covered.
- Press the pepper stalk into the top and if using cut eye and mouth shapes out of the pepper and gently push them into the cheese ball and if desired colour them in black with an edible food pen.
- Serve and delight your guests!
Notes
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I really like this one. It’s not only cute but looking through the ingredients, I know it’s going to taste fantastic. I remember when cheese balls were all the rage and then they fell out of favor. Not with me!
Hi Maureen, I remember them when they were fashionable as well but being a cheese fanatic I still love them 😀
Aww that is sooo cute.. and looks so damn delicious.. what a fab idea.. Love it.. I am a total cheese lover.. i am definitely making this for halloween… 🙂
Hi Arpita, thank you I know you will love it as you are a cheese lover 😀
Such a cute idea for Halloween. And darn delicious, too!!!
Hi Liz, thank you it was very tasty 😀
How freaking adorable! Yay for the cheese lovers! I could eat this cheese ball by myself. In fact, I’ve never ate on a cheese ball for that exact reason.
Hi Miranda, thank you 😀 I love cheese and do struggle to control myself as well so I don’t make these too often otherwise I would be the size of a house!!!
How cute! Using a pepper for the stem is perfect! Very creative.
Hi Brianna, thank you 😀
Yes to savory!! This is the time of the year when I feel like I need it more than ever with all the sweets around! haha I love this – it’s so so fun!
Hi Ashley, thank you. I do love a good savoury dish as well and you’re right this time of year one is definitely needed 😀
This is so so adorable Emma! I love how festive and creative this is – it would definitely be a big hit at any Halloween party 🙂
Hi Kelly, thank you it certainly makes for a fun centre piece 😀
This is so creative!! I can hardly imagine dipping anything in to ruin it, it’s so cute 🙂 Great idea!
Hi Emma thank you 😀 all that yummy cheese will have you dipping in!
Let the party begin! This will be a hit in Halloween party!
Hi Angie thank you it does make a great centre piece!