Thanksgiving Cheese Ball

by Nanny Bubby

I love the Autumn. In Las Vegas the best months of the year are September, October and November. It is cool and beautiful and everyone comes outside, finally, after a long hot summer. I use this recipe for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and a minor Jewish Holiday called Sukkot, which usually falls in October. Any excuse to celebrate the Autumn, harvest moons and cooler nights – I am ready! Enjoy!

Total Time:

Serves:

Ingredients

3 c. orange cheese puffs
2 lbs. cream cheese at room temperature (softened)
3 c. shredded cheddar cheese
¼ c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
¼ c. chives chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bell pepper with a long stem that looks like a pumpkin
crackers for serving

Directions

Put the cheese puffs in a food processor and process until finely ground. Transfer to a shallow plate.
Combine the softened cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chives, parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and mix to combine.
Mold the mixture into a ball, pressing the top of the ball with your hand to flatten it.
With the flat side of your thumb, carve lines down the sides of the ball to resemble a pumpkin.
Roll the cheese ball in the ground cheese puffs.
Remove the entire bell pepper stem with a paring knife and put it on top of the cheeseball as the pumpkin stem. Seed and slice the bell pepper.
Serve the cheeseball on a plate with crackers and slices of bell pepper. Enjoy!