Thanksgiving Turkey Cheese Ball Recipe

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Thanksgiving may be all about the main course, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a delicious gluten free appetizer or two on the dinner table! And who doesn’t love the combination of bacon and ranch? With this turkey cheese ball recipe, your dinner guests can enjoy a flavorful appetizer that looks like an adorable turkey! It’s perfect for the adults and kids at your celebration!

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While this cute cheese ball recipe looks complicated, you’ll be surprised to see just how simple it is to make. And the best part is that everyone will love the combination of ingredients in this simple gluten free party food recipe as much as they love the cute look of the appetizer.

Turkey Cheese Ball

Now you know this recipe is easy to make and can be put together with just a handful of simple ingredients. So what are you waiting for? Let’s start mixing!

To make your own turkey shaped cheese ball, you’ll need just a few simple ingredients:

• Cream cheese: The base of your cheese ball is made of cream cheese. You can use full-fat or reduced fat cream cheese. Just make sure to soften it before you start mixing your ingredients!
• Sour cream: In addition to cream cheese, you’ll also need some sour cream to round out the flavors of your dip. Either full-fat or reduced fat sour cream will work for this cheese ball!
• Ranch seasoning: Add some tang to your dip with the help of a package of ranch seasoning mix. I love Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning because it’s labeled gluten free!
• Chopped green onion: Give a fresh flavor to the inside of your cheese ball with the help of some fresh green onions.
• Shredded cheese: I used shredded cheddar cheese because I love the flavor combination when paired with ranch dressing! But you can mix in your own favorite shredded cheese!
• Bacon bits: To coat the outside of the turkey, you’ll need some bacon. You can use cooked bacon that is finely chopped or your favorite real bacon bits.
• Mini bell peppers. The feathers and beak of your turkey will be made with mini bell peppers. Make sure to get a mixture of colors for the best look!
• Candy eyes. Finish decorating your Thanksgiving cheese ball with some candy eyes to add a cute look to your appetizer.

How to Make a Turkey Cheese Ball

You’re going to love how quick and easy it is to make your own Thanksgiving turkey cheese ball! All you need are a few minutes of prep work and some time for the cheese ball to chill.

Start by combining the cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch seasoning in a medium bowl. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the ingredients together until everything is well combined.

Once the cream cheese is mix well, add the green onions, shredded cheese, and a small amount of the bacon bits. Stir to mix all the ingredients until they’re well combined.

Now that the dip is mixed up, it’s time to chill it! First, separate the mixture into one large ball and one small ball. Wrap each ball tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours, until each ball is firm.

When you’re ready to serve your cheese ball, remove both balls from the fridge. Spread the remaining bacon bits in an even layer on a large plate. Roll each cheese ball in the bacon bits until they’re both fully coated.

Next, use a gluten free pretzel stick or toothpick to attach the small ball to the front of the larger ball. The smaller cheese ball will be the turkey’s head.

Then, add two candy eyes to the front of the smaller cheese ball. And cut the tip off one of your yellow mini bell peppers to make the turkey’s beak.

After that, cut one red, one yellow, and one orange bell pepper in half. Remove the top of the pepper and the seeds from the inside.

Then, lightly press each of the pepper “feathers” into the back of the cheese ball. Make sure to add the peppers to the cheese ball right before you plan to serve it! As the cheese softens, the peppers may begin to fall off.

What to Serve with a Turkey Cheese Ball

Once you have your cheese ball decorated and ready to go, serve it with some of these snacks for dipping at your party.

• Chips. You can’t go wrong with chips and dip! Try serving your cheeseball with tortilla chips, pita chips, corn chips or potato chips.
• Crackers. Adding a variety of crackers around your cheese ball is a great option for serving. Make sure to provide your guests with a small cheese knife or spoon to make scooping off the cheese ball easy.
• Vegetables. Another great snack to add to your serving tray is veggies! Add some carrot sticks, celery, bell pepper pieces, cherry tomatoes, or baby carrots for a healthy snacking option.
• Pretzels. Serve your cheese ball with pretzels for a salty snack for dipping. Mini pretzels, pretzel sticks, and pretzel chips are all great for snacking.
• Bread. Small pieces of bread or breadsticks also make a great addition to your serving tray. Try serving a variety of bread options for dipping.

Thanksgiving Cheese Ball Recipe Ideas

Once you see how adorable this cheese ball is, you’ll want to make it for Thanksgiving every year! And with these recipe ideas, you can easily change up the flavors and decorations in your dip to create a unique appetizer for every holiday celebration.

Try some of these recipe adjustments and serving ideas to create a delicious appetizer for any celebration:

• Decorate with nuts. In addition to bacon bits, you can also coat your cheese ball in chopped nuts. Try using chopped pecans or walnuts to cover your cheese ball before serving.
• Make it with a different filling. Ranch is always a hit with my family, so I love using this cheese ball recipe as a base. But if your family prefers another type of cheese ball filling, you can always swap out the inside of the Thanksgiving dip with your favorite recipe. Then follow the instructions for arranging and decorating your finished cheeseballs.
• Use different feathers. I love the colorful addition of mini bell peppers as your turkey’s feathers. But if you want to swap them out, you can also use pretzels to decorate the back of your cheeseball.
• Change the eyes. Candy eyes are a popular option — especially if you’re catering to kids at the dinner table. But you can also use olives or small pieces of bell pepper as the eyes for your turkey.

More Easy Recipe Ideas:

Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce Little Smokies

Smoked Turkey with Garlic and Bacon

Garlic Herb Reindeer Christmas Cheese Ball with Pecans

DIY Thanksgiving Tablescape