Recipe Talk

Thanksgiving turkey decorated cheese ball.

Turkey Cheese Ball

While the real bird is roasting, you can present your guests with this tasty Thanksgiving turkey. Our flock of clever Test Kitchen cooks dreamed up the recipe for this festive cheese ball centerpiece.

24 ServingsPrep: 45 min. + chilling

Ingredients
•2 packages (8 ounces each) reduced-fat cream cheese
•6 ounces deli smoked turkey, finely chopped
•1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
•1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
•1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
•1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
•DECORATIONS:
•3 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
•2 tablespoons 2% milk
•Brown, orange and yellow paste food coloring
•6 large oval crackers
•1 large sweet red pepper
•1 small yellow summer squash
•1 cup pecan halves
•Assorted crackers

Directions
•In a small bowl, beat the first six ingredients until combined. Shape
into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until
firm.

•In another small bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth.
Divide among four small bowls. With food coloring, tint one bowl
brown, one dark orange and one light orange (using yellow and
orange); leave one bowl plain.

© Taste of Home 2012

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Turkey Cheese Ball (continued)

Directions (continued)
•Transfer each mixture to a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; cut a
small hole in a corner of each bag.

•For turkey tail feathers, decorate the top halves of large oval
crackers with tinted cream cheese.

•Using the red pepper, form the turkey head, neck and wattle. For
beak, cut a small triangle from summer squash; attach with cream
cheese. Add eyes, using brown and plain cream cheese. Insert pecan
halves and decorated crackers into cheese ball. Serve with assorted
crackers. Yield: 1 cheese ball (3 cups).

Editor’s Note: This recipe was tested with Townhouse Oval Bistro crackers.

Nutrition Facts: 2 tablespoons (calculated without decorations and additional crackers) equals 72 calories, 5 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 21 mg cholesterol, 168 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 5 g protein.

© Taste of Home 2012