Cheesy Igloo Recipes

IGLOO SPREAD WITH CREAM CHEESE PENGUINS

Steps:

• Line 1-quart bowl with plastic wrap. In food processor, place Cheddar cheese, blue cheese, 1 package softened cream cheese, the bacon bits, onions and pepper sauce. Cover and process, using quick on-and-off motions, until thoroughly mixed. Press cheese mixture into bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours but no longer than 48 hours.
• Invert cheese mixture onto upside-down glass plate or pie plate, forming igloo shape. Remove about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture from one side to make 2x2 1/2-inch arched doorway.
• Cut two 3/8-inch slices from end of block of firm cream cheese; reserve. Beat remaining cream cheese and the milk with electric mixer on medium speed until blended and smooth. Frost glass plate and igloo with cream cheese mixture; smooth with spatula. Draw lines across igloo, using toothpick, to look like ice blocks. Cut each reserved cream cheese slice into 4 rectangles. Use 6 to 8 rectangles to form door canopy. Cover loosely and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• To make penguins, cut a slit from top to bottom on each jumbo olive on one side only. Insert about 1 teaspoon cream cheese into olive to fill cavity. Cut carrot into 1/4-inch slices; cut small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Press cutout notch piece into center of small olive to form beak (if necessary, pierce olive with small paring knife or toothpick to make a hole). Using a frilled toothpick, stack head (small olive), body (jumbo olive) and feet (carrot slice), adjusting so that beak, cream cheese breast and notch in carrot slice line up. (Penguins will stand better if olives are stacked with larger holes facing downward.)
• To serve, cut flag shape from carrot curl and secure on toothpick; insert into top of igloo. Garnish igloo with rosemary, bell pepper and cream cheese penguins. Serve with crackers.

PENGUINS AND CHEESE BALL IGLOO

Steps:

• 1. Peel the carrot and cut into eighth inch thick circles and cut out a V to resemble the penguins feet. Keep the piece to put in the small black olive as the penguin's beak. Now take the colossal olive and slit down one side so you can put a piece of cream cheese in to represent the penguin's white front. This becomes the body. Take the small V carrot piece, you are going to put it in the small black olive by making a slit in the olive and push in the piece. This becomes the head. Now to assemble; put the long cocktail toothpick through the head into the body and onto the feet. You have 1 Penguin. Make as many as you like. I always make 18 - 24 Penguins. People love to eat them.
• 2. Now for the cheese ball I make my favourite one. It has to be in the shape of an igloo. Put the cheese ball in a small bowl lined with plastic wrap. After set turn the ball onto a platter or board lined with aluminium foil. Take off the plastic wrap. Spread cream cheese over the cheese ball and make lines on it that resembles ice blocks. Make the entrance of the Igloo by making blocks from the cream cheese and attaching them to the cheese ball.
• 3. To assemble it on your platter, make it look how ever you like. I put a Canadian Flag on the top of the Igloo, holly near the door, Christmas trees around etc. So that's why I started using a styrofoam igloo because it looked to cute to eat I was always told.

CREAM CHEESE PENGUINS

Steps:

• Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. Carefully insert about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into each olive. Slice the carrot into eighteen 1/4 inch thick rounds; cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Save the cut out piece and press into center of small olive to form the beak. If necessary cut a small slit into each olive before inserting the beak.
• Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then, set a small olive onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick.