Spooky Spider Cheeseball

10/30/2011

Looking for a really cute appetizer idea for an adult or kids Halloween party?  Look no further & impress your adult or pint sized guests!

Easy Cheese Ball (Allrecipes.com)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ready In: 2 Hours 5 Minutes

Servings: 7

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium size bowl, mash cream cheese. Mix dressing mix and Cheddar cheese into the cream cheese. Shape the mixture into a ball. Roll the ball in the chopped nuts. Refrigerate covered until ready to serve. Yum!

**You will need two pecan halves for the spider pinchers

This cheese ball recipe is a family favourite. My mother-in-law brings it out for every occasion and it is a huge hit. I have brought it for potluck parties including a children’s Halloween party this weekend, but this time I made it with a twist to go with the theme – a tarantula!

In addition to the ingredients mentioned above, you need 16 Wheat Thin Stix for the legs and dried fruit for the eyes (I used chopped blueberry craisins). To make the spider you follow the directions to make the cheese ball, but instead of rolling the entire ball in the chopped pecans, separate the cheese mixture to make one large ball for the body and a smaller ball for the head – make sure you leave some to coat the stix for the legs.

Roll the two cheese balls in the chopped nuts and arrange them on the plate. Use two pecan halves for the spider pinchers and your chosen dried fruit for the eyes.

To make the legs, space four stix on each side of the spider equally apart by pushing them into the spider body so they stick up. Wrap each stix with cheese mixture and coat with chopped pecans. With the remaining 8 stix, coat them in cheese mixture and pecans (with excess on one end to join the stix together). Place the end of the stix with the extra cheese mixture, to the leg sticking out of the spider. Continue until finished.

It was my first time trying it out and I used my own creativity, so use your own when creating your tarantula! Though the recipe calls for pecans, I’m sure you could try black sesame seeds or perhaps poppy seeds if you want a black spider!

Happy Halloween!

~submitted by guest blogger, Kate Banadyga.  Follow kate at www.twitter.com/laterkater