Turkey Cheese Ball

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Yields1 Serving
 2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
 4 tbsp butter, softened
 6 oz goat cheese
 1.20 tsp garlic powder
  cup freshly chopped chives
 ¾ cup freshly chopped parsley
 1 sprig thyme, stem removed, plus more for serving
 Kosher salt
 Freshly ground black pepper
FOR DECORATING AND SERVING
 1 1/4 c. pecan halves, toasted, divided
 Red and yellow bell peppers
 Orange and white carrots, julienned
 Pretzels
 Crackers
1

Combine cream cheese, butter, goat cheese and garlic powder in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Add chives, parsley, and thyme leaves and pulse a few times until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Form mixture into a large ball.

2

To make the turkey body, Pulse ¾ cups pecan halves in a food processor until finely chopped. Roll cheese ball in pecan crumbs and chill for at least 1 hour to allow the cheese ball to set up.

3

To decorate: Make the tail by sticking pretzels, pretzel sticks and multi colored julienned carrots into the tail end of the turkey. Slice carrots to make the turkey feet. Cut a red bell pepper into a large triangle to make the face of the turkey and place on cheese ball using a toothpick or pressing into the cheese ball. Slice a smaller triangle from a yellow bell pepper and attach to the red triangle to make the beak using another toothpick. Slice a thin carrot crosswise to get 2 rounds, for the turkey eyes and place onto red triangle with toothpicks. For the wings, stick pecan halves into the sides of the body, overlapping each other to make a wing shape.

4

Serve cheese ball turkey on a platter along with crackers.

Ingredients

 2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
 4 tbsp butter, softened
 6 oz goat cheese
 1.20 tsp garlic powder
  cup freshly chopped chives
 ¾ cup freshly chopped parsley
 1 sprig thyme, stem removed, plus more for serving
 Kosher salt
 Freshly ground black pepper
FOR DECORATING AND SERVING
 1 1/4 c. pecan halves, toasted, divided
 Red and yellow bell peppers
 Orange and white carrots, julienned
 Pretzels
 Crackers

Directions

1

Combine cream cheese, butter, goat cheese and garlic powder in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Add chives, parsley, and thyme leaves and pulse a few times until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Form mixture into a large ball.

2

To make the turkey body, Pulse ¾ cups pecan halves in a food processor until finely chopped. Roll cheese ball in pecan crumbs and chill for at least 1 hour to allow the cheese ball to set up.

3

To decorate: Make the tail by sticking pretzels, pretzel sticks and multi colored julienned carrots into the tail end of the turkey. Slice carrots to make the turkey feet. Cut a red bell pepper into a large triangle to make the face of the turkey and place on cheese ball using a toothpick or pressing into the cheese ball. Slice a smaller triangle from a yellow bell pepper and attach to the red triangle to make the beak using another toothpick. Slice a thin carrot crosswise to get 2 rounds, for the turkey eyes and place onto red triangle with toothpicks. For the wings, stick pecan halves into the sides of the body, overlapping each other to make a wing shape.

4

Serve cheese ball turkey on a platter along with crackers.

Turkey Cheese Ball