A Zombie Brains Cheese Ball appetizer will be the centerpiece of your spooky Halloween Party spread. In just a few easy steps, you can make this frighteningly fun treat for your holiday celebration!

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October is right around the corner, and with it comes some of my favorite things: sweatshirts, bonfires, cool air, and pumpkin-spiced everything. Fall also brings Halloween, one of my favorite holidays!

I have so many great Halloween memories from when I was a little girl, trick-or-treating in a homemade costume with my three sisters by my side and collecting oodles of candy in big pillow cases. We always had so much fun!

I have to say, though, in all my years of enjoying Halloween festivities, I’ve never met anyone who does Halloween like my sister-in-law. She loves Halloween more than anyone I have ever met and she celebrates the holiday with ghoulish style!

Every year she hosts a fabulous Halloween costume party for the whole family and lots of friends. Her house gets decked out in spooky decorations galore and she whips up a menu full of Halloween-themed treats and snacks.

She inspired me to get more creative with my Halloween menu this year and I came up with this frighteningly fun Zombie Brains Cheese Ball. While it may look creepy on the outside, it is full of delicious flavor on the inside!  The base is a pesto and Parmesan flavored cheese ball that is topped with a smooth feta cheese mixture that is piped on to look like brains.  The whole thing is surrounded by a sun-dried tomato sauce that brings a bold, garlicky punch.

Not only is it easy to make, but you can prepare it in advance, which leaves you free to chat with all of the ghosts and goblins when it’s party time. I guarantee it will get plenty of Eeeeeew’s and Ah’s at your Halloween gathering while you munch on Witch Hat Cookies and sip your Halloween Sangria!

How To Make a Halloween Cheese Ball

To make a zombie brains cheese ball, first, make the piping cheese by combining softened cream cheese and feta cheese. Then, combine more cream cheese, parmesan cheese, pesto sauce, and pine nuts to make the shape of the brain. Chill in the refrigerator. After chilling, pipe the swirled brain pattern onto the brain shaped cheese ball. Finally, make the tomato sauce by processing together the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, water, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve with the sauce spooned around the cheese ball. See below for a detailed ingredients list and instructions.

How Do You Shape a Cheese Ball

My favorite method for shaping cheese balls is to use a bowl. Find a small bowl similar to the size and shape you want your cheese ball to be and line it with a big piece of plastic wrap. Spoon the cheese ball mixture into the bowl and wrap the plastic wrap up and around the filling to make a ball. Refrigerate right in the bowl.

What to Serve With Halloween Cheese Balls

A cheese ball is the perfect Halloween party food that goes well with lots of dippers. Here are some of my favorites:

• Crackers: Any cracker will do, but it's a good idea to serve a small spreading knife alongside the cheese ball to spread it onto the crackers. More fragile crackers like Ritz will break off in the cheeseball if you try to "scoop" with them.
• Toasted bread: A thinly sliced baguette or french bread that is toasted in the oven until just crisp is a tasty choice to serve with your cheese ball.
• Vegetables: Some great vegetable choices to serve with your Halloween cheese ball are broccoli and cauliflower florets, bell peppers, celery, and cucumber slices.
• Pretzels: Pretzels are a great tasty choice that pairs perfectly with the cheesy flavors of the cheese ball.
• Bagel chips: Bagels and cream cheese go together like peas and carrots, so naturally bagel chips are a great pairing choice!

How to Serve a Halloween Cheese Ball

A Halloween cheeseball, especially one formed into a creepy brain shape, is super fun for a Halloween party. Serve the cheese ball surrounded by a sun-dried tomato sauce to mimic faux blood. I like to place a knife with a little tomato sauce into the top of the cheese ball to show a spooky Halloween scene. Crackers or toasted bread slices served on the side are the perfect accompaniment.

How To Store a Cheese Ball

This festive Halloween cheese ball recipe can be made up to three days in advance. Store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Wrap leftovers and enjoy for up to one week.

More Fun Halloween Recipes

Looking for more awesome Halloween recipes to add to your Halloween party menu? Check out these popular recipes from the archives:

• Death by Chocolate Cupcakes
• Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• Honey BBQ Drumsticks with Jack-O-Lantern Macaroni and Cheese
• Spooky Spider Chocolate Cheese Ball

If you try this spooky Zombie Brains Cheese Ball recipe, I'd love to know what you think in the comments below. Enjoy!

Zombie Brains Cheese Ball

Yield: 16 servings
Prep Time: 15 MINUTES
Chill time: 1 HOUR
total time: 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES

A Zombie Brains Cheese Ball appetizer will be the centerpiece of your spooky Halloween Party spread. In just a few easy steps, you can make this frighteningly fun treat for your holiday celebration!

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INGREDIENTS

2 pkg. (8 ounce each) cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. (3.5 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pesto sauce
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a food processor, blend 1 pkg. of cream cheese and the feta cheese until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Spoon into a plastic baggie and refrigerate.
2. Add the remaining 1 pkg. of cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and pesto sauce to the food processor and process until well blended. Add the toasted pine nuts and pulse several times to mix. Place mixture into a plastic wrap-lined bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, water, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to the food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.
4. Unwrap the pesto ball and turn onto a plate. Gently shape into an oval. Cut the tip off of one corner of the feta mixture baggie and pipe onto the pesto ball in a twisting brain-like pattern. Spoon the sun-dried tomato sauce around the cheese ball and serve with crackers.

NOTES

To toast pine nuts, place in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Author: Becky Tarala

Nutrition data should not be considered a guarantee. Please see our full Nutrition Data Disclosure.