Mummy Calzone

This really is a last minute idea for you, maybe too late to take to a Halloween party but how 'bout for dinner before Trick or Treating? Too cute and easy not to share - we can always save the idea for next year!

Unroll a tube of pizza dough and flatten evenly on a piece of parchment paper (I tried to do this on a baking sheet but until the calzone is formed it's bigger than the baking sheet and was too awkward to handle - so assemble it on the counter and then carefully transfer it to the sheet). Make cuts along the sides of the dough, I used a metal spatula as a guide to make the cuts even, about 3" in towards the center of the dough. Spread pizza sauce and whatever toppings you want - I just did cheese using a 5 blend shredded mix - then fold the cut sides up and over the toppings overlapping the pieces creating a mummy effect; brush with a little beaten egg (that helps it get golden brown when baked). Bake at 350' for 20-25 minutes. Remove to a serving plate, add 2 slices of black olives for "eyes",  cut into slices, serve with a side of pizza sauce if you want to dip (which I do).

Cute, easy, and tastes great!

Click here for original source

Zombie Brains Cheese Ball

I have very nice friends who don't seem to mind that every time I bring food to a party I'm going to make something that I want to blog hahaha. So even though it was NOT a Halloween party I brought this zombie brains cheese ball to Ronda's party so I could try it out...and no one even blinked.

This is quite easy to do and tastes yummy (once you get past the way it looks that is!). It's a pesto flavored cheese ball topped with squiggly "brains" made from feta and cream cheese, surrounded by sun-dried tomato sauce. Even if you don't want it "zombie" themed this is a very good combo, just spread the topping on instead of making it look brain- like!

Ingredients:

• 2 pkgs (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 pkg (3.5 oz.) crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup Classico Traditional Basil Pesto Sauce
• 2 T. toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 T. balsamic vinegar
• crackers for serving

Directions  - see my note after about the feta mixture:

1. In a food processor, blend 1 pkg. of cream cheese and the feta until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Spoon into a plastic baggie and refrigerate. 
2. Add the remaining 1 pkg. cream cheese, parmesan, and pesto sauce to the food processor and process until well blended. Add the toasted pine nuts and pulse several times to mix. Place the mixture into a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a ball, 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 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. 

note: I put the feta mixture in a baggie and into the fridge like they said but two things - 1) it was too firm after chilling it to squeeze out of the baggie and 2) I couldn't control the squiggles like I wanted to using the plastic bag. So I let the mixture set out to warm up a bit and then put it into a decorator bag with a big circle tip so I could make the "brains" look better.

original recipe found here. 



one year ago: baked crab cakes
two years ago: Halloween spider soap