Pumpkin-Shaped Thanksgiving Cheeseball
Last year, I saw a pumpkin-shaped Thanksgiving cheese ball on another blog. Having never seen one before, it caught my attention, and I just thought it was so clever. So for Thanksgiving, I followed the recipe from the blog and tasted the cheese mixture. It was not very flavorful. I added some Worcestershire and some garlic powder. It tasted better, but my taste testers said I should have made my regular recipe.
On Thanksgiving morning, I shaped the cheese ball into a pumpkin, added a pretzel stem, and cut cheese slices to line sections, and make it look more like a pumpkin.
Using cookie cutters, leaf shapes were cut from phyllo dough. An egg wash of egg and water was mixed up and some food coloring was added to make green and an orange color. The egg wash was brushed on the leaf shapes and baked. ( I'm thinking about making some little crackers and adding the food coloring to the mixture, instead of using the phyllo dough for this year.)
After chilling for two hours, the cheese ball was presented on a marble platter and surrounded with the phyllo leaves and an assortment of crackers. Everyone was anxious to try it.
The kids gave me an 'A' for presentation but asked why I didn't make my 'regular recipe' for the cheese ball. Okay... So obviously, this year I'll be making my standard cheese ball recipe. But how cute is this presentation? It is such a simple little thing, but it makes the cheese ball seem pretty special.
The 'regular recipe' for a cheese ball follows.
Cheese Ball
1-8 ounce block of Cream Cheese
1/4 cup crumbled Blue Cheese
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup chopped Green Onion
1 Tblsp. Worcestershire Sauce
Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature and soften. Add the minced onion and the Worcestershire sauce. Blend mixture on low speed with a mixer. On medium speed, beat until fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently. Cover and chill overnight.
Shape the mixture into a large ball. Add a piece of a large pretzel on the top to look like a stem. Make indentations where the cheese strips will be placed. I used the handle of a wooden spoon to do this.
Using a block of colby cheese, cut strips and place them on the cheese ball, where the indentations are. Place the ball on a platter, surround with an assortment of crackers, and a pate knife.
If you have a favorite cheese ball recipe, substitute your recipe for this one. It is just such an interesting way to present the cheese ball for Thanksgiving. After all, presentation is everything! Be prepared for 'Oohs and Ahhs' as everyone catches sight of your pumpkin-shaped Thanksgiving Cheeseball.
