Cheese Slice Owls – A Fun Halloween Appetizer

Nothing is cuter that these Cheese Slice Owls for a Fun Halloween Appetizer! This adorable snack can be created with any cheese you like. You’ll have a hoot making this!

People often ask how I continue to come up with the ideas for my themed cuisine.  Well, I have begun to image how almost everything I see would look made out of food.  The other day I came across a craft project that I just fell in love with and I instantly visualized how I could create an edible version of it. Lynn Put over at The Queen’s Scene created adorable owl boxes for a Valentine’s Day craft.

I took one look at the box and knew I had to re-create it out of cheese slices. I know my mind works in mysterious ways. I’ve been developing recipes for our upcoming witch and wizard themed Halloween party, and owls fit the bill perfectly. I can’t wait for my guests to see my newest work of edible art. While Lynn’s medium of choice is card stock and colorful paper, mine is Cheddar, American, Co-Jack, and Provolone cheeses along with two jumbo black olives.  Using Lynn’s owl as a guide, I was easily able to create my own version out of cheese. I always serve some sort of cheese at our parties and think this will be the most impressive cheese display I’ve ever served.

Usually I just cut cheese slices into shapes using cookie cutters, which is fun, but not as exciting as this creation. I’ll be sure to make a few of these owls for our party.  I do find that the guests who arrive early worry about disturbing some of my works of art and I will want them to dig in and enjoy the cheese. I’ll probably also make owl shaped crackers using this recipe I used to make my Cackling Crackers..

 Cheese Slice Owls for Halloween (serves 6-10)

Ingredients:

3 slices American cheese
4 slices Co-Jack cheese
2 slices Sharp Cheddar cheese
1 slice Provolone Cheese
2 jumbo black olives

Special Equipment Needed:

knife or kitchen shears
round cookie cutters (1 1/2″, 2″, and 3″)
optional: small oval and tear drop cookie cutters

Instructions:

Use a knife or kitchen shears to cut a slight curve out of a slice of American cheese.  Repeat with two more slices.  Lay one slice with curve side down on your serving platter.  Just above it lay two slices on top of each other with the curved side up.

Cut two little ovals out of a slice of Cheddar cheese using a cookie cutter, knife, or kitchen shears and lay the ovals over the bottom curve to make the owl’s feet.  Use a 1 1/2″ round cookie cutter to cut three circles out of Co-Jack cheese.  Set them in a row just above the feet.

Cut three more circles of Co-Jack cheese and set them in a row just above the first row of circles. Cut 8 more circles of Co-Jack cheese. Then cut each of the circles in half.  Begin layering them, offsetting the rows as you go to form the owl’s feathers. Make four rows, with either three or four feathers.

Cut a beak using a knife or a small tear drop cookie cutter.  Set it just above the top layer of feathers. Use a 2″ round cookie cutter to cut two circles out of Provolone cheese. Set above and just over the top edge of the beak.  Use a 3″ round cookie cutter to cut one circle out of Cheddar cheese. Cut the circle in half and attach at the sides of the owl for the wings.  In order to get your olives to sit nicely on the cheese, cut off a slice on one side creating a flat surface. Set the olives on the Provolone cheese circles to create the pupils of the owl’s eyes.

Serve with crackers.  You can make this edible art up to a day ahead of your party.  Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. I would suggest you add the olive eyes just before serving.

Be sure to check out all the Halloween recipes here on Hungry Happenings.