Turkey Cheese Ball for Thanksgiving
Are you looking for the perfect appetizer to impress your Thanksgiving guests? Look no further than this savory and scrumptious turkey cheese ball. This classic dish combines the flavors of Thanksgiving with the indulgence of a creamy cheese ball, making it the ultimate crowd-pleaser. This fun turkey shaped appetizer cheeseball for Thanksgiving is coated with bacon and adored with colorful bell peppers.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and for many of us, that means indulging in all the traditional dishes that have been passed down from generation to generation. But what if this year, you could add a fun and creative twist to your Thanksgiving spread? Imagine a festive and delicious centerpiece that not only looks amazing but also tastes fantastic. Introducing the turkey-shaped cheeseball adorned with colorful and crunchy bell peppers. We will show you how to create this eye-catching dish so you can get ready to impress your family and friends with this delightful and easy-to-make addition to your Thanksgiving feast
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This festive Turkey Cheese Ball recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving. Combining cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, ranch seasoning, cheddar, green onions, and bacon, it’s shaped into a turkey with a bacon coating and decorated with colorful mini bell peppers, candy eyes, and a pretzel stick.
This easy, eye-catching appetizer, served with crackers or veggies, is sure to impress guests with its flavor and creativity. We’ll show you how to whip up this delectable appetizer in no time. Get ready to take your Thanksgiving spread to the next level with this mouthwatering but fun turkey cheese ball.
Turkey Shaped Appetizer Recipe:
Ingredients for the Cheese Ball:
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 packet ranch seasoning
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup cooked bacon, finely chopped
Ingredients for the Decorations:
- 1 pretzel stick
- 2 candy eyes
- Red, yellow, and orange mini bell peppers
Equipment Needed:
- Mixing Bowl
- Mixer
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
- Serving Plate
🥣 Recipe Tips
- Smooth Cheese Ball Texture: Ensure the cream cheese is fully softened and use a mixer to blend it with the sour cream, mayonnaise, and ranch seasoning. This creates a creamy, lump-free base for the Turkey Cheese Ball, making it easier to shape and spread with crackers.
- Chill for Firmness: Refrigerate the cheese balls for at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible, to firm them up before coating with bacon. This helps maintain the turkey shape during assembly and prevents the mixture from sticking to your hands while shaping.
- Vibrant Pepper Feathers: Select brightly colored mini bell peppers and slice them thinly to create striking turkey feathers. Arrange them in a fanned pattern and press lightly into the cheese ball just before serving to keep them fresh and crunchy for maximum visual appeal.
How to make this Turkey Cheese Ball:
In a large mixing bowl add the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and ranch seasoning and beat together until smooth.
Stir in the shredded cheese, chopped green onion, and half the bacon pieces and gently mix very well.
Divide the dip mixture into one small ball and one large ball. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
While the cheese balls are chilling, wash the mini sweet peppers and slice off the tops. Cut them in half lengthwise and set aside.
When you are ready to serve this turkey cheese ball appetizer, remove both cheese balls from your refrigerator. Spread the remaining bacon pieces on a plate and roll the larger ball in the bacon, completely coating the ball. Place the large ball on your serving tray and repeat the steps to coat the smaller ball with the chopped bacon.
Stick a pretzel stick into the bottom of the small ball and press the other end of the stick into the large ball to attach the turkey’s head.
Cut a triangle shape out of the bottom of one of the yellow mini bell peppers. Press the triangle into the center of the small ball as the turkey’s beak and top with two candy eyes.
Lightly press the cut mini peppers into the back of the large cheese ball to make the turkey’s feathers.
Serve with crackers, crostini, celery sticks and/or more mini peppers on the side. This turkey shaped cheeseball adorned with colorful bell peppers is more than just a fun and festive dish for Thanksgiving – it’s a representation of the joy and creativity that can be infused into our holiday meals.
Other Thanksgiving Appetizers:
🥣 Recipe
Equipment
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Cheese Ball:
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 packet ranch seasoning
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 green onions finely chopped
- 1 cup cooked bacon finely chopped
Ingredients for the Decorations:
- 1 pretzel stick
- 2 candy eyes
- Red yellow, and orange mini bell peppers
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl add the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and ranch seasoning and beat together until smooth.
- Stir in the shredded cheese, chopped green onion, and half the bacon pieces and gently mix very well.
- Divide the dip mixture into one small ball and one large ball. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours
- While the cheese balls are chilling, wash the mini sweet peppers and slice off the tops. Cut them in half lengthwise and set aside.
- When you are ready to serve this turkey cheese ball appetizer, remove both cheese balls from your refrigerator. Spread the remaining bacon pieces on a plate and roll the larger ball in the bacon, completely coating the ball. Place the large ball on your serving tray and repeat the steps to coat the smaller ball with the chopped bacon.
- Stick a pretzel stick into the bottom of the small ball and press the other end of the stick into the large ball to attach the turkey’s head.
- Cut a triangle shape out of the bottom of one of the yellow mini bell peppers. Press the triangle into the center of the small ball as the turkey’s beak and top with two candy eyes.
- Lightly press the cut mini peppers into the back of the large cheese ball to make the turkey’s feathers.
- Serve with crackers, crostini, celery sticks and/or more mini peppers on the side.
Nutrition
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