Everyone loves a good spa day, so turn your favorite relaxation time into a Spa Party Appetizer! This delicious cheese ball is funny, festive, and will have everyone wanting more.
A few years ago my friend celebrated a birthday of huge significance, you know one of those birthdays when you start counting backwards. Her life is full of constant stress, so I thought it would be nice to throw her a spa party where she could relax and be pampered for an evening. She loved it and I was happy to have hosted such a wonderful event for her.
During the party we dined on gourmet appetizers and over the top desserts, but I sure wish I would have come up with the idea to make this cheese ball back then as I know she would have thought it was so clever. I guess I just need to host another spa party:)
As I was dreaming up ideas for my birthday party recipes, that spa party and an image of a women enjoying a facial came to my mind. I’ve made food into faces before for Halloween parties, and had no trouble deciding just how to make this particular face. I wanted the woman’s face to be covered in an avocado mask so I chose to make a cheese ball that tasted a bit like a taco – the flavors work well together. Her head is wrapped in a mozzarella cheese towel and she has cucumbers over her eyes and a roasted red pepper lips. It took me less than 30 minutes to create this whole thing. I love recipes like that.
Spa Party Appetizer – Taco flavored cheese ball
Ingredients:
2 – 8 ounce blocks cream cheese, softened
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
1-2 tablespoons taco seasoning (season it to your taste)
1 fresh mozzarella cheese roll
1/2 cup guacamole or pureed avocado*
2 slices cucumber
1 roasted red pepper
*I prefer the flavor of guacamole on the cheese ball, but you may just like pureed avocado. If you are using store bought or fresh guacamole, strain it through a fine mesh stainer to remove all of the chunky bits
Special Equipment Needed:
food handling gloves, optional
Instructions:
Wash the face mask with warm soapy water. Dry. Line it with a piece of plastic wrap.
In a bowl combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Monterrey Jack cheese, and taco seasoning. Stir well to combine. I like to put on some food handling gloves and just mash it all together using my hands. Press the cheese mixture into the face mask. Smooth out the top surface then fold the plastic wrap up over the cheese and smooth out even more. You can, if you want, refrigerate the cheese ball for up to a week. You want to decorate it close to the time you serve it.
If you want to decorate it now, just un-mold it and set it on a serving platter. The woman’s skin will be very wrinkled. Use your finger to smooth away the wrinkles (wouldn’t it be great if that worked in real life?)
Unroll the mozzarella cheese roll onto a cutting board. The two ends of the roll wont open up too flat, but you will easily be able to cut out a 10″-12″ piece of flat cheese. Cut that piece in half lengthwise. The underside of the cheese, although wrinkled, is much more smooth than the top side. Flip both slices of cheese over and make sure the top side shows when placed on the face. It will really look like a towel.
Pick up one strip of cheese and set it at a diagonal across the left side of the face. Press the cheese up against the head. You want to form the cheese around the top and side of the head then cut off the excess cheese. Lay the second piece of cheese in the opposite diagonal direction across the right side of the face and repeat the process.
Spread guacamole or pureed avocado over the face. I think I would have liked my face a little better had I left more of it exposed. Try to spread the guacamole in an oval over the face, leaving some of the pale orange cheese ball showing. Place cucumber slices over the eyes. Cut lips out of roasted red pepper and place on face.
Serve. If you wont serve right away, don’t add the green guacamole face mask. If you need to have it ready early, see the pictures below for other green mask options that can be refrigerated.
UPDATE – Reader’s photos – You can see more reader’s photos in the Reader’s Gallery (here.)
If you can’t find these plastic masks in your local craft store, you can buy them from Amazon.com (commission earned for sales). I love the mask without the holes. It is perfect for this project.
Making this next week for a Spa birthday party. I can’t find the mozzarella cheese unwrap & roll. What could I substitute the head wrap with? Thanks for your help!!!
You could also make the headwrap using white (Queso) Velveeta cheese. Melt the cheese and spread it out onto a silicone baking mat (or piece of wax paper) then let chill it. Once it is firm enough, you can cut it into strips, allow it to come to room temperature, then lay it over the cheese ball face. You can see how I melt and cut the white Velveeta cheese in this other cheese ball post – https://hungryhappenings.com/elegant-cheese-ball-birthday-cake/
You could also buy a large block of mozzarella cheese and cut thin slices to wrap over the heat. You may need to warm the cheese slightly to get it to bend.
One of my readers spread cream cheese on plastic wrap and froze it for a while until it would peel off the plastic wrap. Then she wrapped it around the cheese ball head.
I hope this helps and that you have a wonderful birthday party.
Its an awesome idea. Having a spa party next year.
I hope you have fun at your spa party!
This is hilarious and so very clever! Love it!
I’m so glad you found the humor in this!
Soooooo awesome!! Where did you get the mask that you used for the mold?
Thanks Pam. You can find the masks at craft stores. I ordered mine from amazon here – https://amzn.to/2w6NoxU (affiliate link).
Hello, I tried making the spa cheeseball as a trial run and I think I did something wrong. Don’t laugh…..( I know how hard is it to make this right) but for some reason it was very hard to spread or dip into. Is that normal or did I skip something?
Hi Vicki, I’m so happy you are making this for a party. The cheese ball is quite firm. You need it that way to hold it’s shape. But when it sits at room temperature for a while, as it will for your party, it should become soft enough that you can easily cut off pieces and spread them on a cracker. It isn’t a soft dip, that’s for sure. If it’s too firm for you, you can add less of the hard shredded cheeses the next time you make it. Just be sure it isn’t too soft or it won’t hold it’s shape. Have fun!!! I hope your guests enjoy this unique snack.
I think I'd feel slightly uncomfortable dipping a nacho into someone's face! But it's a very clever idea nonetheless!
Omg…. This was such a great idea! Had a spa party for some friends and it was a hit! !! We named ours Emma. I wish there was a way to attach a picture for you to see. I added a little lemon juice in the guacamole to prevent from browning and it worked! !! Emma was fresh all day! !!! Thanks again! !!
Yay, I'm so happy to hear Emma was a big hit at your party. Adding lemon juice to the guacamole is a brilliant idea. I'd love to see a picture. You can send it to my e-mail – beth@hungryhappenings.com and I'll share your picture in my Readers' Gallery.
Love this idea – I'm definitely making one of these for my next gathering!
Marie @ The Interior Frugalista
I found this recipe while looking for ideas for a cheese-and-crackers platter using cucumber slices to replace the crackers. Offering this cheese ball with sliced cucumbers instead of or in addition to the crackers would offer a low-carb choice, and complement the cucumber slices on the eyes.
how can I share or send this…I think its AWESOME!!!!
There are share buttons at the bottom of the post, just underneath the Amazon links (the boxes with images of the mask) and above the comments. You can share through Facebook, Google +, Pinterest, E-mail, and Twitter. Thanks!
I still die laughing over this!
Thanks! It is one of my favorite creations:)
This is absolutely fantastic. I really appreciate the step-by-step guide. I will be using this in a bachelorette spa party this weekend!
Have fun making your cheese ball for your party. I'd love to see a picture, if you'd like to share. You can send it to me at beth@hungryhappenings.com.
Where I come from we have a good recipe that could be use for this too. It's called Bola de Fuego. It's cream cheese and spam mixed together you make the ball or in this case the face then pour all over pinnaple jelly! Serve with Ritz! It taste awesome!
That sounds like it would work perfectly for this project!
This is such a great idea and great tutorial. I never thought to use a mask mold. I was going to hand mold it. I've seen the spa lady thing before but never so stop by step. And your recipe sounds delicious. Glad I bothered to "read the directions" this time. Thanks again!
If you can sculpt, you can make it by hand, but it was really easy using the mask mold and they are really cheap at the craft stores.
I'm not really understanding how to mix up the cheeses… Also, how does the facial lady cheese ball taste?
Hi Mahalia, Just mix the cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, Jack Cheese and taco seasoning together. You can use a food processor or just mix it in a bowl. The guacamole and the cheese ball are a great flavor combo.
Beyond creative…and sooooo entertaining too! Love it!
Love this idea I am having a spa party this weekend and this would be perfect!! thanks so much for posting this!
I'm a new 'follower' =D
So smart!!!! I wonder if I can sculpt the cheeseball into a face so that I don't have to buy the mask! Thanks for including the link for the mask though! GREAT post!
love it
My daughter is in love with this idea for her 9th birthday party. Thanks for taking the time to share your ideas and the how-to's. She is also excited about the fuzzy slipper nutter butter cookies. THANK YOU!!!!!
Absolutely adorable and creative! Love it! Shared with my AZ Spa Girls community and they ate it up;-)
love this idea , so cool , want to make it but where can i buy the mask ?
You can find the masks in most craft stores like Michael's, Jo Ann Fabrics, and Hobby Lobby. I just added a link at the bottom of the post so you can buy them online at Amazon.com if you can't find them at your local craft store. Have fun!
This is such an awesome idea! Wish I had know of it sooner. I've had spa parties for both of my daughters.
– The Tablescaper
LOVE this!!!!! Will definitely make it a staple at my skin care clinics!!! It will definitely be a conversation piece….and super yummy!!!
Thx – Cindy
http://cindybarker.biz
Thanks Cindy. What a great idea to use this at your clinics. Hope you have fun with it!
Is there a special section to find this cheese in? Maybe I need to go to a different store.
There are several types of cheese in this recipe, but I assume you are asking about the roll of mozzarella. I find it in the specialty cheese section of my grocery store. I shop at Kroger and they carry it, but it you can't find it do what Jo and Sue did for their head wrap and use long slices of regular mozzarella cheese. It wont be as soft and as easy to wrap if it's cold, so allow it to come up to room temperature in order to get it to mold to the shape of the head.
It has been so fun to see so many variations of this recipe. Thanks for sending in your photos. I've added them to a few different blog posts. Keep 'em comin'
Love your ideas, will be using on my website. Spa party for girls is healthy fun for girls of all ages-kids, tweens, teens, big sisters and even mothers.
Us girls have found a few new things to do, girls spa party is the new trend to achieve
natural health and beauty.
I made this for a make up preview party but had very little time to search for the mold and the special cheese. I improvised and was still able to get teh face shape and teh head wrap. Iwas really happy with how it came out. Thanks for teh inspiration. There is a tutorial for teh simplified version on my blog. http://lydiaburchett.blogspot.com/2011/11/pink-papaya-party.html
Thought we would update you on the spa mask again 🙂 Sue and I created a Medusa cheese ball for Halloween using this spa mask as inspiration. (thank you) Here is the link if you want to have a look!
http://joandsue.blogspot.com/2011/10/medusa-cheeseball.html
Just blogged about your wonderful cheese ball. Here is the link:
http://joandsue.blogspot.com/2011/08/spa-mask-cheese-ball.html
Brilliant!! Thank you for sharing with the world. Love how detailed the tutorial and fabulous pics. Cheese balls rock and if it's a humorous ball…then all the better! Can't wait to "eat a face" around Halloween. Thanks Beth 🙂 ((oh, and waa waaa for negative people))
I just discovered your site… you're a genius!! I'm pinning several of your photos with links back to you. WOW!
Fabulous idea! I'm now following your blog, I can't wait to see what else you post!!!
Thanks for all of the wonderful comments. I'm so happy to see so many people like this idea. I've seen this recipe posted on Pintrest a lot in the past week and have gotten lots of positive comments, but have also heard from some that are bit squeamish at the thought of eating a face. Not me! Halloween is coming soon, and so will more gross recipe ideas.
Beth @ Hungry Happenings
Would LOVE to see the ideas mentioned for Halloween cheese ball masks!
That is the coolest appetiser I have ever seen.
Well, it's a new and original idea to me! I LOVE this and want to have a spa party so I can make this – ha! Thanks for the photo tutorials – makes like so much easier. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
I just ran across this while searching for recipe ideas for a cooking demo that I'll be doing next month with the theme of "when girl's nite out stays in." This is perfect! Thank you!
Hi Beth,
I love this appetizer idea and your tutorial is so easy to follow. I wanted to let you know that I've shared it on my site (on my page about spa birthday party ideas – perfect!). Let me know if there's anything else you'd like me to add. Thanks so much for sharing!
-Jill
Beth – Don't jealous people suck?!?! You rock!
THIS IS AMAZING! Thanks for sharing this great tutorial. I would have never thought of this myself, and now I'm thinkin' I might need to do a spa party sometime soon!
http://www.spiritedshannon.com
So happy so many of you like this idea and I think Chris offered some great suggestions for changing it up a bit. I love the idea of a mud mask and really like black beans, too!
Thanks,
Beth @ Hungry Happenings
This is so cool! Love it!
Found you on Tip Junkie's linky party…love this idea! I want to plan a spa party just to make this cheese ball!!
Thanks Trish:)
THIS IS THE BOMB..I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog so much x 1 million billion. I feel bad about the other post b/c you INSPIRE ME ALL THE TIME…I just don't have the talent or time to reproduce your wonderfulness. I hope you shake that off and know you are a cool chick.
Too funny! Love this idea! You could really go several ways with it – sour cream or something on top like cold cream, mashed black beans for a mud mask, etc. I'll have to remember this. 🙂
Hi Bonincontrus, I am so very sorry I have disappointed you as that was never my intention. I work hard to come up with creative ideas and provide really intensive step-by-step tutorials for each recipe I make. When I pick a theme or holiday to create themed cuisine, I spend a lot of time just brainstorming ideas and do dream up most of my ideas usually as I'm swimming or riding my bike. That's not to say all of my ideas just pop into my head at the moment I need them. I search for inspiration throughout the year. I look at clip art, crafts, nature, television, etc. to find ideas. As with all of my recipes, once I figure out what I'd like to make, I do a Google search to see what similar recipes might be out there. I'm always thrilled when my idea is truly original, but more often than not it is a new twist on an idea that has already been done. In this case there were lots of cakes that used this spa party theme. I wanted to make this dish savory not sweet and felt that was a big change. I did also see the bento picture which is really fantastic, but as it is on a lot of bento sites, there are no detailed instructions for readers to use to replicate the recipe. So, yes the image of a woman getting a facial had been done in food before, but not as a cheese ball which is how I interpreted this idea.
My goal here at Hungry Happenings is to make recipes that my readers can re-create at home and to show as much detail in preparing the recipes as I think is needed to do so easily. If I use an idea directly from another site, as I did with the Rice Krispies Treat Party Hat (a twist on Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treat Witch Hat) I will say so as to not take credit for an idea or recipe. If, however, I dream up the idea or create a recipe own my own, and it just happens to be similar to another one I find, I still feel like it is my own idea to share with my readers.
Not every one of my ideas will be ground breaking or unique (of course I wish they were), but I do hope that all of my readers enjoy what I present here. I also encourage you take my idea or recipe and add your own twist to it to make it your own. I've featured several pictures from readers who took an idea from Hungry Happenings and made some changes that worked so well. I am thrilled when I can inspired someone else to be creative in the kitchen.
Beth @ Hungry Happenings
i’m planning for a ladies laugh in (fun, let-down-your-hair, fun event where a joke in hand by each woman will serve as a tirhis wonderfuk idea/recipe will be great for my event.
i’m planning for a ladies laugh in (fun, let-down-your-hair, fevent where a joke-in-hand by each woman will serve as a ticket. this wonderfuk idea/recipe will be great for my event.
REPLY
That sounds like so much fun. I hope the ladies love this cheese ball. 🙂
such a clever Idea. I will def. use this one someday. Thanks for sharing!
I have been following this blog for a long time but this is the first time I have ever been truly disappointed. You wrote this post as if you had this sudden idea that came out of the blue, but spa lady with avocado or green sour cream etc has been around since I was in school. Most recently it was made popular again by slashfood http://www.slashfood.com/2008/08/20/box-lunch-spa-bento/ and a link I posted on here a few months ago but is now removed.
How disappointing
Oh, who cares? It's just a cute idea. Lighten up.
Oh my goodness! This is fun. I really admire your creativity!
Oh my goodness! This is so great 🙂 You have the greatest ideas. Seriously. Love this.
We just had a spa party for my 6 year old granddaughter, her sisters, and her cousins. (Ages 6 to 13) pandemic safe. They loved the face mask snack. Great suggestion!
That is so fun! I’m so happy that you and the girls enjoyed the face mask cheese ball and stayed safe during the party. 🙂
We had a spa party at church for the ladies and this would have been fantastic. I will have to keep this idea handy for next time. Thanks for sharing all your great ideas.