This Turkey Cheeseball Board is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving Day spread. It's great to make ahead of time for easier entertaining and your guests will keep coming back for more!
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and what better way to kick off the festivities than with a creative and delicious appetizer that will have your guests gobbling for more? Enter the Turkey Cheeseball Board: a festive and whimsical addition to your Thanksgiving spread that's as fun to make as it is to devour.
Cheeseballs are an excellent appetizer for a party, holiday get-together, or special occasion because they easy to whip up, a recipe that can be made ahead of time, and it's easy to accommodate dietary needs. Paired with a variety of yummy dippers and accents, it's a beautiful centerpiece that guests can gather around and munch on as they socialize.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Crowd-Pleasing: This Turkey Cheeseball Board BOASTS fall and Thanksgiving vibes! The combination of creamy, flavorful cheese and a variety of crunchy dippers makes it a holiday appetizer hit.
- Make-Ahead Option: The cheeseball portion of this board can be made in advance and refrigerated until the party, making hosting your get-together a lot easier. It also transports well if you're bring it to a party.
- Versatility: You can customize this board in so many ways. You can use different cheese or low-fat varieties and add different herbs, spices, and coatings. It's also fun to get creative with the endless kinds of dippers you can add.
Ingredients in a Turkey Cheeseball Board
- Vegetables (Mini Sweet Peppers, Cucumber, Green Leaf Lettuce, Green Onion): Green onions add freshness and a mild onion flavor. Cucumber, peppers, and lettuce create the "turkey" cheeseball base by looking like feathers and serve as the dippers to spread it on.
- Cooked Bacon: Contributes a savory and smoky element.
- Cream Cheese: Provides a creamy and rich base for the cheeseball. It adds a smooth texture and a tangy flavor.
- Cheddar Cheese: Contribute a sharp, distinct flavor and adds to the texture.
- Seasonings: Salt, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper: : Enhances the overall flavor profile of the cheeseball.
- Extra Accents (Black Olives, Candy Corn, Sour Dough Hook Pretzels, Crackers): Accents the "turkey" shaped cheeseball. The crackers serve as a dipper to spread the cheeseball on.
What to Serve with a Cheeseball
A cheeseball like our Tom Turkey is a versatile, holiday get-together appetizer winner that pairs well with a variety of dippers. Feel free to get creative with your grazing board and what you accent around the centerpiece cheeseball. Here are some delicious options:
- Crackers: classic water crackers, butter crackers, wheat crackers, pita crackers, multigrain crackers
- Bread: sliced baguette, crostini, melba toast, pretzel bread, rye bread slices
- Vegetables: carrot sticks, celery sticks, mini sweet peppers (various colors), cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices
- Fruits: apple slices, pear slices, grapes (red or green), dried apricots, fresh figs
- Nuts: pecan halves, walnut halves, almonds (whole or sliced), cashews, pistachios
- Pretzels: pretzel sticks, pretzel twists, pretzel crisps, pretzel rods
- Dried Fruits: dried cranberries, dried apricots, dried figs, dried apple slices, raisins
- Sliced Meats: salami, prosciutto, summer sausage, smoked turkey slices, pepperoni
- Pickles and Olives: gherkins, sweet pickles, stuffed olives (green or black), Kalamata olives, pickled onions
- Spreads and Jams: grainy mustard, fig jam, apricot preserves, honey, fruit chutney
- Chutneys and Relishes: mango chutney, cranberry relish, pickle relish, onion jam, tomato chutney
- Dips: hummus, baba ganoush, spinach and artichoke dip, roasted red pepper dip, salsa
- Cheese Accompaniments: additional cheeses (brie, gouda, blue cheese), cheese-stuffed jalapeños, cheese twists or straws, cheese-filled puff pastry bites
- Sweet Options: dark chocolate squares, shortbread cookies, ginger snaps
- Crisps and Chips: potato chips, tortilla chips, vegetable chips, pita chips, corn chips
- Sauces: balsamic glaze, hot sauce, garlic aioli, truffle oil, raspberry vinegar
Tools You'll Need
How to make a Turkey Cheeseball Board
- Finely dice ⅓ cup of the peppers, using all 3 colors. With the remaining peppers, halve and remove the membrane and seeds.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine diced peppers, turkey bacon, cream cheese, cheddar, onion and seasonings. Mix until well combined using a hand mixer.
- Divide the cheeseball into 2 balls, 1 smaller than the other. Place each ball in plastic wrap. Enclose and mold into 2 balls.
- On a serving platter, create the "turkey feathers" with a fanned out layer of green leafy lettuce with stacks of the halved peppers on top.
- Place the large ball at the base of the board and the smaller ball on top of the larger ball. Fill between the peppers with cucumber slices and around the cheeseball with crackers.
- Create the turkey body features with olives for the eyes, candy corn for the beak, a piece of curly lettuce leaf for the gobbler on the smaller ball, and pretzels for the legs on the larger ball.
- Add a spreader serving utensil as well as additional dippers or board accents as desired.
Tips and Substitutions
- Ensure Cream Cheese is Softened: Allow the cream cheese to soften at room temperature before mixing. Softened cream cheese ensures a smooth and creamy texture for the cheeseball.
- Experiment with Flavors: Feel free to customize by adding herbs, spices, or even a hint of heat with crushed red pepper flakes.
- Get the Kids Involved: This is a fantastic project for the little ones. Let them help shape the cheeseball and decorate the turkey.
- Prepare in Advance: Save time on the big day by prepping the turkey cheeseball board components a day ahead. This allows the flavors to meld, and you'll have one less thing to worry about as you prepare the rest of the feast.
- Shape Creatively: Besides a cute turkey, you can form the cheeseball into a traditional round shape or more seasonal shapes like a pumpkin or pinecone. Accent a pinecone shape with sliced almonds and a pumpkin with a bell pepper stem for the pumpkin stem.
- Refrigerate Before Serving: Allow the cheeseball to chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight before serving. Chilling helps the flavors meld, and it allows the cheeseball to firm up for easier handling.
- Healthier Options: Opt for reduced-fat cream cheese and cheddar cheese for a lighter version.
- Gluten-Free Dippers: If serving gluten-free guests, provide gluten-free crackers, rice crackers, or vegetable sticks for dipping. Ensure there's not cross contamination with other gluten-containing items on your turkey cheeseball board.
- Add Texture with Nuts: Use finely chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, for coating the cheeseball. This adds a delightful crunch and complements the creamy interior.
Storage and Freezing
If you have leftover Turkey Cheeseball Board, wrap the cheeseball tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. Package the vegetables and other dippers separately. Consume the cheeseball within a 4-5 days for optimal freshness.
While freezing is possible, it's not ideal for maintaining the texture. Ingredients like cream cheese can become crumbly after freezing. It's best to prepare and refrigerate the cheeseball for short-term storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
A grazing board, often referred to as a charcuterie board or a grazing table, is an abundant display of various foods arranged in an artful and appetizing manner.
All charcuterie boards can be considered grazing boards, but not all grazing boards are exclusively charcuterie boards. A charcuterie board focuses specifically on cured meats, while a grazing board encompasses a wide variety of foods arranged in an artful manner.
Add a kick by incorporating ingredients like hot sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, diced jalapeños, or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
While full-fat cream cheese contributes to a creamier texture, you can use low-fat or non-fat options. Keep in mind that the texture and flavor may vary slightly.
Absolutely! Chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds are a classic choice for coating cheeseballs. They add texture and flavor.
Yes! Get creative with your cheeseball. Add herbs, spices, or even mix in different types of cheese for a unique flavor profile. Experiment with ingredients that complement your taste preferences.
More Fall Appetizer Recipes
- Fall Turkey and Cheese Sliders Recipe
- The Great Pumpkin Cheese Ball
- Deluxe BLT Deviled Eggs
- Mini Cheese and Corn Tarts
Turkey Cheeseball Board
Ingredients
- 1 pound mini sweet peppers divided
- 3 ounces cooked bacon pieces regular or turkey
- 8 ounces regular or light cream cheese softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 2 green onions finely diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 black olives
- 1 candy corn
- 6-8 green leaf lettuce leaves
- 1 sliced cucumber (or 3 mini cucumbers)
- 2 sourdough look pretzels
- Wheat Crackers
Instructions
- Finely dice ⅓ cup of the peppers, using all 3 colors. With the remaining peppers, halve and remove the membrane and seeds.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine diced peppers, turkey bacon, cream cheese, cheddar, onion and seasonings. Mix until well combined using a hand mixer.
- Divide the cheeseball into 2 balls, 1 smaller than the other. Place each ball in plastic wrap. Enclose and mold into 2 balls.
- On a serving platter, create the "turkey feathers" with a fanned out layer of green leafy lettuce with stacks of the halved peppers on top.
- Place the large ball at the base of the board and the smaller ball on top of the larger ball. Fill between the peppers with cucumber slices and around the cheeseball with crackers.
- Create the turkey body features with olives for the eyes, candy corn for the beak, a piece of curly lettuce leaf for the gobbler on the smaller ball, and pretzels for the legs on the larger ball.
- Add a spreader serving utensil as well as additional dippers or board accents as desired.
Video
Notes
Tips and Substitutions
- Ensure Cream Cheese is Softened: Allow the cream cheese to soften at room temperature before mixing. Softened cream cheese ensures a smooth and creamy texture for the cheeseball.
- Experiment with Flavors: Feel free to customize the cheeseball by adding herbs, spices, or even a hint of heat with crushed red pepper flakes.
- Get the Kids Involved: This is a fantastic project for the little ones. Let them help shape the cheeseball and decorate the turkey.
- Prepare in Advance: Save time on the big day by making the cheeseball a day ahead. This allows the flavors to meld, and you'll have one less thing to worry about as you prepare the rest of the feast.
- Shape Creatively: Besides a cute turkey, you can form the cheeseball into a traditional round shape or more seasonal shapes like a pumpkin or pinecone. Accent a pinecone shape with sliced almonds and a pumpkin with a bell pepper stem for the pumpkin stem.
- Refrigerate Before Serving: Allow the cheeseball to chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight before serving. Chilling helps the flavors meld, and it allows the cheeseball to firm up for easier handling.
- Healthier Options: Opt for reduced-fat cream cheese and cheddar cheese for a lighter version.
- Gluten-Free Dippers: If serving gluten-free guests, provide gluten-free crackers, rice crackers, or vegetable sticks for dipping. Ensure there's not cross contamination with other gluten-containing items.
- Add Texture with Nuts: Use finely chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, for coating the cheeseball. This adds a delightful crunch and complements the creamy interior.
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