Description
This Pumpkin-Shaped Cheeseball is a festive and creamy appetizer perfect for Thanksgiving and holiday gatherings. Made with a blend of cream cheese, vegetable cream cheese, ranch seasoning, green onions, red pepper, and sharp cheddar cheese, it’s shaped to resemble a pumpkin using cling wrap and rubber bands. Serve it chilled with buttery crackers for a delicious and visually impressive treat.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cheese Ball Mixture
- 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 8 ounce tub vegetable cream cheese
- 2 Tablespoons Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch mix (or regular ranch)
- 3 green onions, sliced (green parts only, can use whites if preferred)
- 1 red pepper, finely diced (save the stem)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided use
Instructions
- Combine Cream Cheeses: Using an electric or stand mixer, blend the 8 ounce block of softened cream cheese and 8 ounce tub of vegetable cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add Flavorings: Stir in the 2 tablespoons of Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch mix, sliced green onions, finely diced red pepper, and 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the cream cheese mixture. Mix thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
- Prepare Plastic Wrap Base: Spread out a large sheet of plastic wrap on your work surface. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the plastic wrap. This will help keep the cheeseball from sticking.
- Shape the Cheeseball: Spoon the cheese mixture over the shredded cheddar on the plastic wrap, forming into a ball shape.
- Coat Cheeseball: Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar cheese over the top and sides of the cheese ball, pressing gently to adhere the cheese.
- Wrap Tightly: Wrap the cheeseball tightly with 2 layers of cling wrap to hold its shape firmly. Secure with four large wide rubber bands (or kitchen twine) placed around the ball to create pumpkin-like indentations. Double wrap each rubber band if needed to get good indentations without squeezing out the cheese.
- Chill: Place the wrapped cheeseball into the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours, ideally overnight. This resting period allows the flavors to meld and the shape to set firmly.
- Final Touches and Serve: When ready to serve, carefully remove the rubber bands and unwrap the cling wrap. Gently insert the saved red pepper stem into the top of the cheeseball to resemble a pumpkin stem. Serve with your favorite buttery crackers.
Notes
- This cheeseball is creamy with a delicious ranch-style flavor covered in cheddar cheese, making it a perfect appetizer for Thanksgiving or any fall celebration.
- Using rubber bands or kitchen twine to create indentations is key to achieving the pumpkin shape.
- Chilling the cheeseball for at least two hours improves flavor melding and helps maintain the shape.
- Slicing green parts of the onion adds color and delicate onion flavor without overpowering the mix.
- Feel free to adjust the ranch seasoning to your preference, using spicy or regular ranch mix.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 787 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
