Pumpkin Cheese Ball: Cheddar and Cream Cheese Halloween Appetizer with a Pretzel Stem

Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute.

Serves 10

Ingredients

• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
• 1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon (about 6 slices)
• 3 scallions, finely sliced
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 cups finely crushed cheese-flavored tortilla chips or orange cheddar crackers, for coating
• 1 pretzel rod, broken into a 2-inch stem
• A few fresh sage or bay leaves, for the leaf
• Crackers, apple slices and celery sticks, for serving

Instructions

1. Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute.
2. Add the cheddar, bacon, scallions, garlic powder, smoked paprika, Worcestershire and cayenne and beat on low until evenly combined. Taste and add a pinch of salt only if needed; the bacon and cheddar are already salty.
3. Scrape the mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap, gather the edges and shape it into a ball. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight until firm.
4. Unwrap the chilled ball and smooth it with damp hands into a slightly flattened pumpkin shape.
5. Cut 5 or 6 lengths of kitchen twine, lay them in a star pattern on a sheet of plastic wrap, set the cheese ball in the center and tie each string snugly over the top so it presses ridges into the sides. Chill 30 minutes more, then snip and remove the twine.
6. Spread the crushed orange chips on a plate and roll the ridged cheese ball through them, pressing the coating into the grooves until no cream cheese shows.
7. Push the pretzel stem into the top and tuck a sage leaf beside it. Keep chilled until 20 minutes before serving so it softens just enough to spread.
8. Set the pumpkin on a board surrounded by crackers, apple slices and celery, with a knife for spreading.
9. The cheese ball is a thoroughly American party invention, first printed in a 1944 Pennsylvania cookbook and ubiquitous by the 1960s, when a coated ball of cream cheese on a tray of crackers became the mark of a well-hosted cocktail hour. Dressing it up as a pumpkin turns retro into festive: the twine ridges, the crunchy orange shell and the pretzel stem make it the centerpiece of a Halloween spread, and the smoky, bacon-studded filling disappears long before the trick-or-treaters arrive.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 330 kcal
• Protein: 11g
• Fat: 27g
• Carbohydrates: 10g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 2g
• Sodium: 560mg