Turkey Cheese Ball - the BEST Thanksgiving Appetizer!

cream cheese

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: softened cottage cheese

Greek yogurt reduces calories while maintaining creaminess

pecans

🥗Healthier: walnuts

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Walnuts provide similar crunch and flavor at a lower cost

Soften 1 brick of cream cheese and whip it using a hand mixer.

Add whipped cream cheese (Chive flavored) and mix until smooth.

Stir in 1 envelope of zesty Italian seasoning dressing mix with a spatula.

Add 2 cups of six cheese Italian blend; mix thoroughly with a spatula until well combined.

Form the mixture into a rough ball in the mixing bowl and cover it.

Refrigerate the cheese ball for 1 hour to firm up.

Chop about 1/2 cup of pecans using an old-fashioned nut chopper and spread them on plastic wrap or wax paper.

After 1 hour, remove the cheese ball from the refrigerator and roll it in the chopped pecans until fully coated.

Prepare a serving plate before handling the cheese ball to avoid mess.

Use hands to shape the cheese ball and roll it in the nuts, ensuring it is well coated.

Wash hands before proceeding to the next step.

Take pretzel rods and notch them with a serrated knife to create equal lengths for the tail.

Insert the notched pretzel rods into the cheese ball to form the turkey's tail, starting from the middle and building outwards.

Fill in gaps with additional pretzel rods as desired.

Optionally, use pretzel sticks in the front for added detail.

Insert one more pretzel rod into the front of the cheese ball for the neck.

Use a dab of cream cheese to attach two candy googly eyes to the neck pretzel rod.

Cut a piece of bell pepper to make a beak for the turkey and attach it to the neck pretzel rod.

Arrange crackers around the cheese ball for serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens