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Yields:
8 - 10 serving(s)
Prep Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 40 mins
This Thanksgiving, why settle for just one turkey when you can have two? This adorable turkey cheese ball is the ideal snack to keep everyone happy while waiting for the main feast. Made with a savory blend of cream cheese, shredded gouda, sun-dried tomatoes, and parsley, it's then rolled in chopped pecans for a satisfying crunch. The playful cracker tail feathers double as handy scoops for serving. Eye-catching and kid-friendly, this appetizer is sure to be a hit at your holiday gathering!
Can you make a turkey cheese ball ahead of time?
You can prepare the cheese ball body up to 5 days in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator. Just wait to add the crackers and bell pepper decorations until the morning of the feast.
What should you serve with a turkey cheese ball?
This cream cheese and gouda cheese ball is pleasantly spreadable, and pairs well with a variety of crackers and toasted baguette slices. Fresh cut-up vegetables like celery, bell peppers, carrots, and kohlrabi make good scoopers. The smoked gouda base is also great with sliced apples.
Can you use different cheeses in a turkey cheese ball?
It's important to keep the cream cheese as a binder, but feel free to swap out the smoked gouda for another cheese that grates cleanly, like cheddar or mozzarella. Or use a completely different cheeseball recipe, such as a Bacon-Ranch Cheeseball, Pistachio Goat Cheese Ball, or Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Ball, as the turkey body.
Do you need a food processor to make a turkey cheese ball?
Not at all! The key to making a turkey cheese ball without a food processor is to cut up the ingredients in small pieces before mixing. So use the small side of a box grater to shred the gouda, and chop the pecans and sun-dried tomatoes fine. Making sure the cream cheese is at room temperature also helps. If you have a stand mixer or hand mixer, you can use them to combine the ingredients. Or, use a sturdy spoon and large bowl and mix up everything by hand, keeping in mind that the texture will be a little bit chunkier.
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup
pecans, plus 2 pecan halves
- 8 oz.
cream cheese, at room temperature
- 8 oz.
smoked gouda, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup
sun-dried tomatoes in oil, plus 1 piece for decorating
- 1 Tbsp.
milk
- 1 Tbsp.
fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tsp.
Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp.
garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp.
kosher salt
Black pepper, to taste
- 7
traditional-style cheddar cheese straws
- 7
oval buttery crackers (such as Town House Original Oven Baked Crackers)
- 5
mini oval crackers (such as Town House Pretzel Flipsides Minis), halved crosswise
- 1
orange, yellow, or red bell pepper
- 2
black peppercorns
Crackers and cut-up vegetables, for serving
Directions
- Step 1Pulse the pecans in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a shallow dish and set aside. To the food processor, add the cream cheese, gouda, sun-dried tomatoes, milk, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Pulse until the mixture is fully combined and almost smooth.
- Step 2Set aside 1 teaspoon of the cheese mixture in a small bowl and refrigerate. Use wet hands to shape the remaining cheese mixture into a ball. Roll the cheese ball in the pecans to thoroughly coat. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Step 3To decorate, transfer the cheese ball to a serving platter. Make the first row of tail feathers by carefully inserting the cheese straws into the back of the cheese ball in a fan shape. Insert a row of oval buttery crackers in front of the cheese straws, pressing them in so they are lower than the cheese straws. Make a third row of feathers by inserting 7 pieces of the mini oval crackers in front of the buttery crackers, cut-side down. Insert a mini oval cracker half on each side of the cheese ball cut-side in, for wings (eat the remaining half cracker or reserve it for another use).
- Step 4To make the turkey neck and head, halve the bell pepper lengthwise and cut it lengthwise into thick strips. Cut a 4-inch piece off the curved end of 1 strip and insert it in the top of the cheese ball. (Reserve the remaining bell pepper for another use or cut it up to serve with the cheese ball.)
- Step 5For the beak, trim the reserved piece of sun-dried tomato into a small triangle and attach it to the pepper head using the reserved cheese mixture as glue. Use the cheese mixture to adhere the peppercorn eyes. Tuck the 2 pecan halves under the cheese ball as feet.
- Step 6Serve the turkey cheese ball with crackers and cut-up vegetables.
Tip: The cheese ball can be made (but not decorated), up to 5 days in advance and refrigerated, covered. Add the decorations up to 6 hours before serving.
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