Pumpkin Shaped Cheese Ball

Everyone loves a good cheeseball, don’t you? It makes it even more fun and festive when it is shaped as a pumpkin, or any other holiday themed shape. This cheeseball is easy to make and tasty for you and your guests, and comes together in no time.

You can change the below recipe up however you want. If you don’t like dill, for instance, but like thyme, then change it out. You want goat cream cheese instead, go ahead and switch.

For the coating, you can use crushed up Cheetos or other cheese crunch type snacks (like I did), or you can use crushed up Nacho cheese Doritos, or even more finely shredded yellow cheese. Make it your own. I love the way everything works together in the below recipe. Give it a try!

You will need:

• 2 blocks cream cheese (8 oz each), softened
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grounded black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 2 green onions, washed, dried, quartered and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups crunchy Cheetos (or other cheese crunch snacks), crushed into crumbs
• 1 pepper stem
• 4 to 6 medium thickness rubber bands

Steps:

1. Add softened cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, garlic and onion powders, pepper, salt, and sour cream to a bowl and mix well with an electric mixer or by hand utensil.
2. Add chopped green onions, parsley, and dill and continue to mix in well.
3. Lastly, add in cheddar cheese and combine well.
4. Shape into a ball and wrap well with a couple of pieces of plastic wrap.
5. Put into the fridge for one hour to lightly set then wrap with 4-6 rubber bands, depending on how many ridges you want. Make sure the rubber bands aren’t too tight, you don’t want them to cut deep into the ball. If they do you can form the ridges better with a skewer before coating later on.
6. Put into fridge again and let set for at least a couple of hours before coating. You can coat it right before serving or up to 24 hours prior.
7. An hour before guests arrive (or from when you want to eat it) set it on a platter and let it sit at room temperature to soften. Serve with crackers or crudité.

Kali Orexi!