Pumpkin Shaped Cheese Ball Appetizer – Party Ideas

Thanksgiving is nearly here (how did that happen?), and so I find myself dreaming up pumpkin-themed crafts, recipes and décor. Are you the same? 😁

I love a  tasty grazing board or charcuterie platter for entertaining, so for each season I try to re-invent the classic cheese board spread to bring a little fun to my party tables!

Pumpkin Shaped Cheese Ball Appetizer

A charcuterie or cheese board is something that is still so popular, and one of my favorite ways to serve appetizers for any party of holiday!

The main ingredient in this cheese ball is cream cheese and it’s also the binding ingredient to help tie all the other flavors and ingredients together.

You could mix all the ingredients together and serve them inside a bowl like a dip. But where’s the fun in that? 😉

But you can do what I did, and make your cheese ball into a pumpkin shape to wow your guests! I promise, it’s super easy!

Like I said, this pumpkin cheese ball appetizer is SO easy to make and you can actually add any flavors you like in the mixture.

I personally love the little salty/sweet kick the smoked bacon and caramelized onions add to the mixture. But you could skip that or substitute the bacon for ham, chorizo or some other charcuterie of your choice.

I also used only a couple of cheeses for this appetizer, so it turned out to be a much more economical party spread than the usual cheese and charcuterie board!

For coating your cheese ball you can use a third cheese to add more color or an extra depth of flavor, but I didn’t bother.

You can also coat the cheese ball with some grated Parmesan cheese, dried herbs, chopped nuts or even chopped dried cranberries. 

This is a totally versatile appetizer recipe, and you can basically add all or any of your favorite flavors as the add-ons.

I also used finely diced red, green and yellow peppers for color and crunch, alongside some other flavorings like garlic powder, smoked paprika and dried chives and herbs.

You can also make this pumpkin shaped cheese ball appetizer a couple of days ahead of your party or celebration, which makes it the perfect Thanksgiving appetizer to leave you free to concentrate on that turkey and other trimming! 👍

Pumpkin Shaped Cheese Ball Appetizer

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Yield: 6-8

Author: Bird’s Party

Pumpkin Shaped Cheese Ball Appetizer – easy to make, delicious and inexpensive alternative to a charcuterie or cheese board, perfect for Thanksgiving!

Ingredients

• 400g cream cheese
• 250g grated cheese (Gouda, Cheddar, etc.)
• 1/2 cup smoked bacon pieces
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup green pepper, finely chopped (keep stalk for decor)
• 1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup yellow pepper, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. dried herbs
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Add bacon and onions to a small frying pan, and cook on medium for about 10 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized. let it cool down completely.
2. Add all ingredients to a bowl with half of the grated cheese.
3. Mix well until combined.
4. Place the remaining grated cheese onto a plate and add the cheese mixture on top, coating the cheese to form a rough ball.
5. Place a cheese ball onto a few sheets of overlapping plastic wrap, and close it tightly.
6. Add a few rubber bands around the cheese ball as shown in the video, to form the pumpkin shape.
7. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
8. Add a pepper stalk on top for décor. Serve with crackers or break sticks on the side.

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Check out how to make this delicious Fall appetizer in the quick video below: