In my kitchen, there is a stack of papers that sits perched precariously on top of a row of cookbooks. These papers are various sizes and shapes, some crisp and flat, while others are stained with torn edges. One thing they all have in common however, is a recipe. Whether it’s from the printer in my home office (most of them) or handwritten on a recipe card, they all represent something we’ve tried to make. The same is true for this Thanksgiving Turkey Cheese Ball. Last year, I wanted to try something different and fun for the grandkids. A quick search of Pinterest, well, let’s be honest here, have you ever really done a “quick” search on Pinterest? Me either. Moving on. So, I found this Thanksgiving Turkey Cheese Ball and it’s whimsical, adorable and perfect for the holidays!
The most challenging part of making this was the Turkey’s face. The original recipe calls for a few teaspoons of melted chocolate to adhere the eyes and beak. Yeah… that didn’t work so well. Everything kept falling apart. PRO TIP: Use Royal Icing! It sticks like a dream!
The grandkids are excited to make this again for our Thanksgiving celebration. Perhaps it will become a new Cheese Ball Tradition? Who knows! What I d0 know, is you should make this for your table too! We could all use a bit of whimsy in our lives.
Thanksgiving Turkey Cheese Ball
- November 20, 2018
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Ingredients
- 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of cheddar, jack and mozzarella)
- 2 tablespoons diced green chiles
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup mixed nuts, chopped fine
- 1 Slim Jim snack stick (for the turkeys neck)
- 1 Mini Oreo (for the turkey's head)
- 2 Wilton Candy Eyes
- 1 candy corn (for the beak)
- Pretzel sticks
- Ritz crackers
- A few teaspoons of royal icing to adhere everything together
Directions
- Step 1
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the softened cream cheese and the shredded cheese.
- Step 2
- Add the diced green chiles and minced garlic
- Step 3
- Mix until well combined.
- Step 4
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Step 5
- Using your hands, carefully shape the cheese mixture into a ball.
- Step 6
- Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for a few hours to firm up.
- Step 7
- After a few hours, take the cheese ball out of the refrigerator and roll in the chopped nuts. Take your time with this. If the cheese is soft, it will lose it’s round shape.
- Step 8
- Place the pretzel sticks around one side of the ball to form the turkeys feathers/tail.
- Step 9
- Use the royal icing to adhere the oreo to one end of the Slim Jim. Place in the refrigerator or freezer to firm up after each step.
- Step 10
- On the other side of the mini oreo, glue on the eyes and candy corn to form the turkeys face.
- Step 11
- Insert the other end of the Slim Jim into the cheese ball and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Step 12
- Carefully place the cheeseball on a plate and then add a circle of crackers around the turkey for ease in serving! Enjoy!
*recipe adapted from Food Craft Ideas.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
