Pumpkin Cheeseball

I have been having some technical difficulties with my blog posts. If you receive the entire post in your email, the JUMP TO RECIPE and PRINT RECIPE features are missing. If you want to see the blog as you have in the past, go to the upper right hand corner of the email and hit: READ ON BLOG. It will take you right to the website and those features will be restored. My wonderful and very bright tech-guy is working on this issue and it  may already be resolved, but just in case, that is what’s going on. Now for the recipe: Pumpkin Cheeseball!

This was our third annual Canasta Halloween extravaganza. Everyone pulled out all the stops with both the food and costumes. As you can see, I went as a Mommy Mummy. It was a delightful afternoon of pure fun and silliness.

I decided to make a Pumpkin Cheeseball for our festivities. This would also be great at Thanksgiving. I like to make cheeseballs at holiday-time; such an old-fashioned, easy-to-make favorite. You can use any combination of ingredients, as long as you include cream cheese and at least one type of grated hard cheese. Spices and extras, like jalapeno, scallions, bell pepper, etc. are up to you. I got the idea to wrap the cheeseball in elastic bands to create the pumpkin “look” from the internet.

I found a cheese I have never heard of at my local market and decided to use it.

This cheese was absolutely delicious on it’s on and in some ways the flavor got a little lost since I also used goat cheese in the ball. Next time, I think I would go with cheddar for the cheeseball and have this incredible cheese on its own with some port wine or a merlot, fruit and crusty bread. The history of this cheese is amazing. Click on the link if you want to learn more.

https://www.reypenaer.nl/en/our-cheeses

Here are the ingredients I used to make the Halloween Cheeseball.

Start by bringing one 8 oz. block of cream cheese and 4 oz. of goat cheese to room temperature. Grate whatever hard cheese you are using. Again, I used 5 oz. Reypenaer, grated. For flavorings, I included diced scallion-the white and pale green parts only (2 Tbsp.); 1/4 tsp. Sambal Oelek (or your favorite hot sauce more or less depending on heat preference), 1 tsp. Worcestershire; 1/4 tsp. garlic granules; Kosher salt and black pepper to taste. I went light of the spices as I wanted the cheese to shine.

Mix the cheeses together starting with the cream cheese, then the goat and finally the hard cheese. Next add the flavorings. Mix well to combine. Blend about 1 cup Cheese-its in a mini-max. You do not want dust, but also do not want big chunks of cracker.

Drop a generous amount of Cheese-its crumb onto the plastic wrap. Scoop the cheese mixture onto plastic wrap. Do not worry that the ball is ragged as it will come together by using the plastic wrap to form a nice ball shape. You may need to use your hands to cover, ensuring that all surfaces of cheese are coated evenly. Pat the crumbs into the cheese if there are any bare spots.

Bring the plastic wrap together forming a ball. Twist the top of the plastic wrap to securely hold the ball together. Wrap plastic bands around the cheeseball to create pumpkin creases.

Place in the fridge at least a couple hours or overnight. When ready to serve, remove the rubber bands and plastic wrap. Garnish the Pumpkin Cheeseball with the top of a bell pepper stem to create the effect of a pumpkin stem.

Take out of the fridge at least an hour before serving. Very easy and whimsical appetizer!

Here is a look at some of the other delicious food and fabulous costumes!

Stuffed Mushroom Eyeballs by Dianna.

Mozzarella Brooms by Kathi.

All so fun and delicious! And the costumes…!

Carmen

Even hostess, Dianna’s husband, Larry joined in on the fun!

Hope your Halloween was as spooky as ours!

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Pumpkin Cheeseball

Very easy to make and a crowd pleaser!

Ingredients

• 8 oz. Cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 4 oz. Goat cheese, softened at room temperature
• 5 oz. Reypenaer cheese Or other firm cheese.
• 2 Scallions, white and light green parts only Enough to make 2 Tbsp.
• 1/4 tsp. Hot sauce; more or less to taste I used Sambel Oelek.
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic granules
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Freshly ground salt/pepper to taste
• 1 cup Cheese-it's, ground You may not need the full cup, but great to have in the fridge for other toppings.
• Stem from a bell pepper.

Instructions

• Using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese first, then add the goat cheese and finally the Reypensaer. Mix until well blended.
• Add the scallions, Sambal Oelek, garlic granules, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
• Blend the Cheese-it's in a mini-max or blender until you have a fine mixture, but not dust.
• Place the ground Cheese-its on a sheet of plastic wrap. I decided to make two cheeseballs, rather than one large; either way is good.
• Drop the blended cheese onto the cracker crumbs and using both your hands and the plastic wrap, bring the plastic wrap around the cheese to form a ball. Make sure all of the cheese surface is covered with crumb. Twist the top of the plastic and again using your hands smooth out the surface. The cheese is soft so this is easy to do.
• Wrap elastic bands around the ball(s) to form the creases in a pumpkin.
• Place in the fridge at least a couple hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, bring the cheeseball out about an hour before serving. Remove the elastic bands and plastic wrap. Top the cheeseball with the bell pepper stem.
• Serve either with crackers, julienned veg or both!