Fun Thanksgiving Appetizer: Turkey Cheese Ball
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Turn your Thanksgiving table into a festive feast with this adorable turkey cheese ball! Easy to make and delicious to eat with cream cheese, nuts, and pretzels.
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Make your Thanksgiving extra special and fun this year with a simple and tasty turkey cheese ball! It’s creamy, cheesy, and flavorful – perfect for kids and adults!
All you need are some simple ingredients for this Thanksgiving food like cream cheese and grated cheddar (feel free to add mozzarella, boursin, or your favorite cheese). You’ll also need spices and herbs (adjust to your taste).
Making turkey-themed foods for Thanksgiving is one way to get the kids involved in the kitchen! With all the Thanksgiving desserts passed around, this cute appetizer is a great way to round out the sweets!
This cheese ball is rolled in chopped walnuts for a turkey-like look, but you can also use bacon bits, crushed crackers, or other nuts. Serve it with crackers, cucumber slices, bell peppers, or bruschetta for a fun DIY mini sandwich station.
How to Make a Cheeseball Look Like a Turkey:
- For the Feathers: Pretzel sticks (break regular ones if needed).
- Wings: Use pretzels or pecan halves.
- Turkey Neck: A thick pretzel stick or a Slim Jim. Decorate with candy eyes, cheddar, or carrot pieces.
Turkey Cheeseball – Ingredients:
1 cup cream cheese
1.5 – to 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
16 pretzel sticks
4 pretzels (round for the wings and feet)
1 thick breadstick or large pretzel stick (for the neck)
2 candy eyes
A piece of cheddar for the beak
some melted white chocolate to glue the parts together
one strip of red candy
3-4 sprigs of parsley
crackers for serving.
How to make a turkey cheeseball
1.Take out the cream cheese 1 hour before cooking. If you don’t have time, place it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk the cream cheese in a bowl, add the grated cheddar, salt, garlic powder, and chopped parsley. Stir the mixture with a spatula, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2.Form the cooled cheese mixture, roll into a ball, wrap in cling film and leave in the refrigerator for 40 minutes to stabilize.
3.Break a thick breadstick or pretzel stick in half. Melt white chocolate in the microwave and spread on the pretzel stick. Attach the turkey’s eyes, nose and beak.
4. Dip the cooled cheese ball in chopped nuts and place in the center of a serving plate. Insert neck and place four round pretzels as the wings and feet. Form feathers using pretzel sticks.
5. Serve with crackers and garnish with fresh parsley.
Final Thoughts:
This cute turkey cheese ball doubles as a snack and a table centerpiece your kids will love helping you make! Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Turkey Cheeseball
Ingredients
- 1 cup cream cheese
- 1.5 - to 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 16 pretzel sticks
- 4 pretzels (round for the wings and feet)
- 1 thick breadstick or large pretzel stick (for the neck)
- 2 candy eyes
- A piece of cheddar for the beak
- some melted white chocolate to glue the parts together
- one strip of red candy
- 3-4 sprigs of parsley
- crackers for serving.
Instructions
- Take out the cream cheese 1 hour before cooking. If you don't have time, place it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk the cream cheese in a bowl, add the grated cheddar, salt, garlic powder, and chopped parsley. Stir the mixture with a spatula, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Form the cooled cheese mixture, roll into a ball, wrap in cling film and leave in the refrigerator for 40 minutes to stabilize.
- Break a thick breadstick or pretzel stick in half. Melt white chocolate in the microwave and spread on the pretzel stick. Attach the turkey's eyes, nose and beak.
- Dip the cooled cheese ball in chopped nuts and place in the center of a serving plate. Insert neck and place four round pretzels as the wings and feet. Form feathers using pretzel sticks.
- Serve with crackers and garnish with fresh parsley.
Agnes Hsu is a mom of three and has been inspiring parents and kids to get creative with easy activities and family friendly recipes for over 10 years. She shares her love for creative play and kids food to her 2MM+ followers online. Agnes' commitment to playful learning and kindness has not only raised funds for charity but also earned features in prestigious nationwide publications.