PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
As long as you’ve got the pumpkin-forming technique down (and it really just takes a little plastic wrap and some rubber bands), you can mix-and-match cheese ball flavors to your heart’s content. We’ll break down some options below.
The Cheese
We’d recommend keeping that cream cheese and goat cheese base for structure, but any of your favorite hard cheeses will do in place of cheddar. We like something on the sharp or salty side to contrast the other cheeses, like Gruyère, gouda, or Asiago.
The Herbs
Though you’ll need at least one scallion if you want to make the pumpkin’s curlicue tendrils, any fresh or dried herbs can be substituted. Just be sure to finely chop the fresh herbs to avoid a lumpy cheese ball.
The Spice Factor
Fresh jalapeño isn’t the only way to add a little kick to this appetizer. Chipotles in adobo, ground cayenne or chili powder, or a tablespoon or so of your favorite hot sauce are all great options.
The Coating
Pretty much any orange crunchy snack will do the job! Just make sure you can crush them up completely—the smaller the pieces, the more readily they stick onto the outside of the cheese ball.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
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Yields:
8
servings
Prep Time:
0
hours
15
mins
Total Time:
5
hours
0
mins
oz.
cream cheese, softened to room temperature
oz.
fresh goat cheese, softened to room temperature
c.
shredded sharp cheddar (about 8 oz.)
scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced, 1 (6″) dark green piece reserved
medium jalapeño, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
tbsp.
finely chopped chives
tsp.
Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
c.
Cheddar Goldfish, finely crushed
Crackers and sliced raw vegetables, for serving
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- In a large bowl, stir cream cheese and goat cheese. Add cheddar, white and light green scallion parts, jalapeño, chives, and Worcestershire sauce and stir until incorporated; season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer cheese mixture to a large piece of plastic wrap (you may need 2 pieces), cover, and form into a large ball. Using 4 rubber bands, create ridges by wrapping them around ball, dividing into 8 sections. (You may need to wrap them multiple times if they’re too large to make an indent.) Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.
- Meanwhile, cut reserved dark scallion part into long, thin strips and place in a bowl of ice water in refrigerator. (This will cause them to curl.) When ready to use, pat dry with a paper towel.
- To create the pumpkin “stem,” carefully remove bell pepper stem. Slice remaining pepper for serving.
- Remove rubber bands and plastic wrap from cheese ball and coat in Goldfish crumbs. Transfer to a platter and press pepper stem into the top. Remove stem and place ends of curled scallions in indentation, then return stem to secure scallions in place.
- Let cheese ball soften to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Serve with crackers and sliced vegetables alongside.
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PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
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