Spooky Charcuterie Board with Skull Cheese Ball

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This Spooky Charcuterie board is not for the faint of heart! It features a tasty skull cheese ball wrapped in prosciutto that is as eerie as it is delicious. The meat skull is the perfect centerpiece for your haunted gathering and is sure to send chills down your spine and have your guests coming back for more… if they dare. Scroll down to get full step-by-step instructions to make this creepy Halloween charcuterie!

Who doesn’t love a Halloween charcuterie board for their party? They are so versatile and this one has a creepy element that sure stand out on any party spread!

This spooky charcuterie board features a skull cheese ball that utilizes a large skull mold made out of silicone. I bought the mold a few years ago to create a chocolate skull as a centerpiece to my Halloween dessert charcuterie board. I wanted to find another non-traditional use of the skull mold and used a simple white cheese ball wrapped in prosciutto to resemble flesh. Its the perfect savory Halloween appetizer that has the creep factor on high!

COMPLIMENTARY RECIPE

Skull Cheese Ball Ingredients

To make the skull cheese ball, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• cream cheese
• pepper jack cheese (or cheddar cheese, Monterey jack or your favorite Mexican blend)
• sour cream
• ranch seasoning mix (I used Hidden Valley Ranch)
• green onion
• bacon
• prosciutto

A skull mold is necessary for the spooky look featured. Amazon has them available from various sellers. You could also make several mini skull molds if you can’t locate one this size.

I recommend purchasing extra prosciutto so you have plenty to work with since any extra makes a great addition to the charcuterie board. I purchased two 4 oz. packages from Appleton Farms at Aldi and it worked great.

Cheese Ball Recipe Substitutions

I used precooked bacon, but you could cook fresh bacon instead. If using fresh, I like to chop the raw bacon first. I find it easier to cook and get more uniform pieces this way, rather than crumbling the bacon after it’s cooked. You could also substitute bacon bits in a pinch.

You can use whatever cheese is your favorite. I wanted to stick with the color of a skull but we like some kick so I went with pepper jack. Monterey jack would also fit the theme well but if you prefer cheddar cheese or a blend of Mexican cheeses, you could use that instead.

Don’t like green onion? That is ok! You could also use chopped fresh chives, fresh parsley or skip it altogether.

How to Make a Skull Cheese Ball

Making a cheese ball skull is probably easier than you think! I have only made this skull appetizer once and was thrilled when it didn’t require any tweaking. I will share what I did to achieve this spooky snack.

To start preparing the cheese ball, slice your green onions. I like to cut fairly small for this recipe. Set aside.

Whip the softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat until nice and creamy. Add in the ranch seasoning mix and sour cream. Stir until completely combined. Fold in shredded cheese, bacon and green onion.

Prep the skull mold with some cooking spray. I like to use a silicone pastry brush to spread it around well and get into the crevices. Can this step be skipped? I’m not sure. I was worried about my cheese ball releasing well and didn’t want to risk it.

Now it is time to layer your prosciutto. I used approximately 6 oz. of prosciutto total for this cheese ball. I didn’t do a lot of overlapping, just enough to get decent coverage over the front and halfway up the sides of the mold.

I used an offset spatula to spread out the cheese ball mixture into the skull mold.

I folded the sides over the top and then added two more slices of prosciutto so it was entirely covered over the back as well.

CRITICAL STEP:

Once the meat is on the cheese ball, gently but firmly press down into the mold evenly. I used the plastic liner, or interleaving paper, that was in between the slices of prosciutto. You could use a piece of wax paper, parchment paper or plastic wrap for this step. I believe it is important to have the skull face come through clearly.

I covered with plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil because of the awkward shape. I placed the mold on small baking sheet to keep in level in the refrigerator.

Chill until firm. I chilled for a whole 24 hours. I placed my round cheeseboard over the top and flipped it. The skull released immediately from the mold and I was thrilled with the results. I was surprised just how well the mold worked and how the teeth showed up perfectly through the prosciutto.

How to Make a Spooky Charcuterie Board

Now it is time to create the Halloween Board! I used a 12 inch round black slate cheese board I already had on hand. I decided to stick with a meat and cracker theme and didn’t want anything too colorful to distract from the star of this board…the cheese ball skull!

I started by creating salami folds. This step is very easy with fresh salami. You simply fold the thin salami in half and then fold it in half again to create this quarter shape. Stack and nestle the folds together so it is more visually appealing than stacked salami.

I also added some basic crackers for the cheese ball itself on either side before including some fresh cauliflower and pistachios. (Cauliflower seemed like a good choice since the white color pairs well with the skull.) I finished it off with leftover prosciutto and some small spiders to complete this spooky charcuterie board theme.

For serving, I used a cheese knife set since cutting into the meat on the skull is required to get into the cheese ball and a spreader is ideal for serving it on a cracker.

Other Spooky Charcuterie Board Fillers

There are so many other options for this skeleton charcuterie! While the meat skull is the centerpiece, here are a few more ideas to complement this Halloween cheese ball:

• Olives (Eyeballs): Use green olives stuffed with pimentos or black olives for a sinister eyeball look. Can add them to the skull itself or serve on the side.
• Pepperoni Fingers: Arrange slices of pepperoni or cured meats in rows to look like “fingers.”
• Bloody Red Chorizo or Soppressata: The dark red color will add a dramatic effect to the board.
• Black Cheese (Midnight Moon or Charcoal Cheddar): Use dark cheeses to add contrast and create a mysterious feel.
• Brie with Jam “Blood”: Serve a brie wheel with cranberry or raspberry jam on top to look like it’s oozing blood.
• Dark Fruits: Blackberries and black grapes, like moon drop grapes which are elongated work especially well. You could also consider dark cherries or black plums.
• Pomegranate Seeds: Scatter these around the board for pops of red and a juicy, “blood-like” effect.
• Dried Figs or Dates: Their dark, wrinkled appearance adds to the spooky vibe, resembling shriveled creatures.
• Blue Corn Chips: Their dark color fits well with the Halloween theme and is great for dipping.
• Candy Eyeballs: Scatter a few candy eyeballs (typically found at Halloween stores) for a fun, creepy effect.

How many you can add will depend up on the size of your board. You can also add fun decorative touches like plastic spiders, skulls or snakes.

That’s all there is to creating this skeleton charcuterie board. Have fun playing around with different items on your board and let your creativity go wild!

More Halloween Food Ideas

Need some food ideas for your next Halloween party? Check out these fun ideas below:

• Graveyard Dessert Cups (with edible tombstones)
• Bloody Popcorn (with edible blood splatters)
• Jumbo Marshmallow Monster (so easy a toddler can help)
• Fall Brownie Pizza (decorated like a pumpkin)
• Green Halloween Party Punch (bright green without using green Hawaiian Punch)
• Vampire Blood Drink (non-alcoholic)