Thanksgiving Turkey Cheeseball, the perfect appetizer for the big day!

Turkey Day is right around the corner, and Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. A gal can have a favorite holiday for every season…I mean every month, can’t she?! We love getting together with our family which includes every type of comfort food imaginable. Each of us have our favorites, and mine has to be the appetizers, hands-down! We eat the big meal a little later than lunch but a little earlier than dinner and the appetizers tide us over while we wait for the Thanksgiving feast.

As far as appetizers go, a cheese ball is always a good choice. Dress it up for the festivities like a turkey…nothing like a festive cheeseball! Ha! The combination of cheddar cheese, ranch seasoning, and bacon is a winner for both kids and adults alike.

What Do You Need To Make A Bacon Cheddar Ranch Cheeseball?

For the Cheese Ball:

16 oz. cream cheese (two bricks)
1 packet dry ranch seasoning
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup green onion, minced fine
1 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

For the Turkey:

one pretzel rod
skinny pretzel sticks
one candy corn
edible candy eyes
dab of peanut butter
parsley for garnish

How To Make A Thanksgiving Turkey Cheeseball:

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and dry ranch package.
Add the shredded cheese, green onions, and cooked back. Mix all together well, then shape into a ball.
Chill for 1 – 2 hours to firm up.
To make the cheese ball into a Turkey Cheese Ball, use the peanut butter to attach the eyes and candy corn to the pretzel rod. Next, stand the rod up by inserting it into the front third of the cheese ball. Add the skinny pretzel sticks as tail feathers on the opposite side of the cheeseball.
Serve with crackers.

What To Serve with A Thanksgiving Turkey Cheeseball:

While we serve our cheeseball with crackers, there are plenty of additional options if crackers aren’t your thing!

pretzels
apple slices
celery sticks
a sliced baguette bread loaf
lightly toasted mini bagels
pita triangles

How Long Is A Cheeseball Good For?

That depends on what’s in the cheese ball. This recipe includes green onions and bacon, so it will last about 3 – 5 days when stored in the refrigerator .

Can A Homemade Cheeseball Be Frozen?

Absolutely! In fact, it’s one of my favorite appetizer recipes because I can make it ahead of time. Thanksgiving morning is already full of food prep, so it’s great to cross this one off of the list in advance. Once the cheese ball is formed, wrap it in plastic wrap, then slide it into a Ziploc baggie. It’ll freeze for up to a month. Simply take it out of the freezer the night before serving and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

What To roll A cheeseball in?

We’ve left the outside of our cheese ball bare. However, there are many options to change up a cheese ball! Roll it in any of these toppings prior to serving and it’ll be a hit!

bacon bits or more cooked and crumbled bacon
lightly toasted panko bread crumbs
crushed pretzels
chopped nuts
toasted sesame seeds
grated cheese