This adorable little Turkey Cheese Ball is the perfect easy appetizer for Thanksgiving. It’s delicious, simple, and is sure to be a hit!
If you’re looking for the perfect appetizer to go with your Thanksgiving dinner, this fun Turkey Cheese Ball is it! The delicious cheese ball combines bacon, Ranch seasoning, and white cheddar cheese into the perfect little snack. This festive cheeseball is perfect if you need a dish in a hurry, or just want to add to your Thanksgiving appetizers.
Ingredients for a Turkey Cheese Ball
- Cream Cheese – Bring a block of cream cheese to room temperature for the base of the cheese ball.
- Ranch Seasoning – This is a blend of seasonings, like garlic, dill, salt, and pepper. You can buy the seasoning premixed at the grocery store or make your own homemade Ranch.
- Bacon Bits – Add a salty crunch with tiny bits of crunchy bacon. This also gives the cheese ball it’s brown-orange color.
- Finely Shredded Cheddar Cheese – Shred white or orange sharp cheddar cheese to mix into the softened cream cheese.
- Pretzels – Use pretzel chips or small pretzel twists as the tail feathers for the turkey-shaped appetizer. You’ll also need pretzel sticks or rods.
- Pecan Halves – The pecans are the perfect food to use as another layer for the turkey’s tail.
- Candy Eyes – These little candies are for the eyes for the turkey. They make the turkey look extra adorable!
Make Homemade Ranch Seasoning
Ranch seasoning is a zesty and flavorful combination of spices, like garlic, onion, and dill. The seasoning mix is available for purchase at most grocery stores. But it’s also easy to make your own!
In a small bowl, combine 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/8 teaspoon of dill, and 1/8 teaspoon of parsley with 1/8 teaspoon of salt and of pepper. Whisk the spices together to evenly distribute them.
Serve this Pumpkin-Shaped Cheese Ball on a Fall Charcuterie Board!
How to Make a Turkey Cheese Ball
This festive Turkey Cheese Ball appetizer is perfect your Thanksgiving Day celebrations. It’s a simple recipe that creates a cute turkey.
Step One – First, lay out a 12″x 12″ large piece of plastic wrap.
Step Two – Create the cheeseball mixture next. Mix cream cheese with Ranch seasoning, some of the bacon bits, and shredded cheese in a large bowl. Stir them by hand, or with an electric mixer.
Step Three – Plop most of the cheese ball mixture in the center of the plastic wrap square. Wrap the large sheet of plastic wrap around the cream cheese mixture. Use your hands to form the bacon cheese mixture into a ball shape.
Step Four – Sprinkle the bacon bits over the cheese ball and press them into the ball of cheese all over.
Step Five – Next, wrap the coated cheese ball in plastic wrap again. Be sure the plastic wrap is as even on all sides as possible and tightly wrapped.
Step Six – Create a smaller cheese ball using the remaining cream cheese and bacon mixture. Cover it in bacon bits and wrap it as well.
Step Seven – Place the cheese ball in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. If you’re making this ball in advance it may stay in the refrigerator for a few hours. Place it in the freezer to firm the ball in 10-15 minutes!
Step Eight – When it’s time to serve the turkey-shaped cheese ball remove the plastic wrap. Place the large ball of cheese on a serving plate or cheese board.
Make It Look Like a Turkey
Step Nine – Place a row of 4-5 pretzels across the top back of the ball in a fan shape to make the turkey tail feathers. Then create another row of pretzels in front of that. Next, repeat this step with the pecans for smaller turkey feathers. Press pecan pieces into cheese ball.
Step Ten – Place half of a pretzel rod, or 2-3 pretzel sticks, into the top of the cheese ball close to the front. Place the smaller cheeseball on the end of the pretzel rod. This is the small head of the turkey.
Step Eleven – Attach the two candy eyeballs to the front of the smaller cheese ball turkey head. Add a candy corn under the eyes for the turkey beak.
Step Twelve – Serve with pretzels, crackers or chips. Fall chips, like the leaf-shaped tortilla chips from Trader Joe’s, are perfect for this ball.
This easy Turkey Cheese Ball is the perfect addition to a Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board or appetizer table.
More Delicious Thanksgiving Appetizer Ideas
Turkey Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 6 oz bacon bits
- 1 oz ranch seasoning
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 12 pretzels
- 9 pecan halves
- 1 pretzel rod
- 2 candy eyeballs
- 1 candy corn
Instructions
- Lay out a 12"x 12" large piece of plastic wrap.
- Mix cream cheese with Ranch seasoning, 3 ounces of bacon bits, and shredded cheese in a large bowl. Stir by hand, or with an electric mixer.
- Plop most of the cheese ball mixture in the center of the plastic wrap square. Wrap the large sheet of plastic wrap around the cream cheese mixture. Use your hands to form the bacon cheese mixture into a ball shape.
- Sprinkle the bacon bits over the cheese ball and press them into the ball of cheese.
- Wrap the coated cheese ball in plastic wrap again.
- Create a smaller cheese ball using the remaining cream cheese and bacon mixture. Cover it in bacon bits and wrap it.
- Place the cheese ball in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Place it in the freezer to firm the ball in 10-15 minutes!
- Remove the plastic wrap. Place the large ball of cheese on a serving plate.
- Place a row of 4-5 pretzels across the top back of the ball in a fan shape to make the turkey tail feathers. Then create another row of 4-5 pretzels in front of that.
- Repeat this step with the pecans for smaller turkey feathers.
- Place half of a pretzel rod, or 2-3 pretzel sticks, into the top of the cheese ball close to the front. Place the smaller cheeseball on the end of the pretzel rod. This is the small head of the turkey.
- Attach the two candy eyeballs to the front of the turkey head. Add a candy corn under the eyes for the turkey beak.
- Serve with pretzels, crackers or chips.
