Get a brand new, kidney-friendly recipe* delivered to your inbox each month, courtesy of Jessianna Saville, MS, RDN, CSR, LD, CLT, a member of the Ed Center Advisory Council and Founder & CEO of the Kidney Nutrition Institute.

October’s recipe is perfect for a Halloween get together, or just anytime you’re craving some cheese (disguised as a spooky spider or not!): Spider Cheeseball
Recipe create by Jessianna Saville, MS, RDN, CSR, LD

Ingredients:
Makes 16 servings

  • 1 8 oz package, softened cream cheese (Check your packages carefully. Lowfat is not always the lowest in sodium.)
  • 2 oz feta cheese crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced (If you love garlic, we actually did 3 garlic cloves and it tasted fantastic.)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
  • 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 5 green onions finely diced
  • Optional: olives to garnish
  • Optional: unsalted pretzels to garnish
  • Optional: poppy seeds to garnish

Instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, feta cheese, olive oil, green onions and garlic. Season with dill, oregano and pepper. Mix well, and form into spider shape. Cover, and chill for 2 hours. Sprinkle with poppy seeds and decorate with olive (eyes and mouth) and pretzels (legs). Serve with low sodium crackers or bell peppers.
  2. Note: We used a food processor to mix everything and found this to be easy. The key is make sure and chop green onions and garlic first and then add in other ingredients to be mixed.

Tip: If you’re missing dairy, use cream cheese or a small amount of feta cheese that are lower in phosphorous!

*Always check with your nutritionist before incorporating new foods or recipes into your diet to make sure it is right for you.