Paula Deen S Cheese Ball Goblin One Scary Looking Halloween Appetizer

Need a spooky, impressive finger food to take to a Halloween potluck? This take on Paula Deen’s cheese ball goblin is the ghoulish dish for you! Scarily scrumptious, this easy cheese ball is made with cream cheese, Mexican-style shredded cheese, butter, and milk. Green-hued tortilla chips, a pepperoncini, olives, bell pepper strips, carrot sticks, and shredded cabbage turn the seemingly innocent ball of cheese into the ominous head of a goblin. Your family and friends will fight for the first stab at this gruesomely irresistible cheese ball goblin. ALSO TRY: Jalapeno popper dip New to making cheese balls? Once you see how easy it is, you’ll look for more creative ways to serve cheese balls for every festive food occasion. This cheese ball is a mouthwatering mass of softened cream cheese beaten with shredded cheese, butter, and milk, then formed into the shape of a head. Generously slather whipped cream cheese around it to give it that sinister pale face — and to make it cheesier, of course! At this point, the basic cheese ball has been made. But don’t stop there. It is Halloween, after all. Like every other ghoul at the party, the cheese ball needs a costume. Tortilla chips tinted with green food coloring become unsightly big ears, a pepperoncini hangs from the face as a nightmarish nose, green olives masquerade as blood-shot green eyes and goblin toes, red bell pepper strips give the goblin a frightful expression, carrot sticks become rotten teeth, and shredded red cabbage is piled on top of the head to form an unruly mess of hair. Showing up to the potluck with an assortment of creepy crackers and vegetables, this cheese ball goblin will take first place in any costume contest.

Beat together the cheeses, butter, and milk

Let’s get the Halloween party started with the cheese! In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, softened butter, and milk. Use a handheld mixer to beat the ingredients until smooth. Add the Mexican shredded cheese and beat until well-combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Chilling the cheese mixture will make it firm up so you can shape it into a ball.

Form the cheese mixture into a ball

Transfer the cheese mixture to a sheet of waxed paper. Using your hands, form it into a headlike shape.

Transfer the cheese ball to a serving platter

To keep the serving platter clean, place three strips of waxed paper in a diagonal fashion around the edges of the serving platter, leaving a space in the center. Place the cheese ball in the center space and use a spatula to spread the softened whipped cream cheese around the cheese ball.

Paint the tortilla chips green

Tortilla chips transform into cheese ball goblin ears. To tint them green, mix together a few drops of green food coloring and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to paint the tortilla chips green. Set them aside for a few minutes to dry.

Make the goblin face

This is where the frightening food fun begins.

Once the chips are dry, press them into the sides of the cheese ball to form ears. Use a toothpick to skewer the pepperoncini in the middle front of the cheese ball to form a long, lecherous nose. Press pimiento-stuffed olives to form eyes. Use the two red bell pepper strips to make eyebrows formed into an upside down “V” shape. Insert the small pepper triangles in each of the pitted green olives and press them into the bottom of the head to form goblin toes. Press the carrot sticks into the goblin head to form unsightly orange teeth. Carefully remove the waxed paper strips as you go.