Pumpkin “Starter”

Thanksgiving…..It is one week away!We all seem to have our favorite foods to make or bring for dinner to our Thanksgiving gatherings, but what sometimes gets overlooked are the appetizers or starters.  We know we are going to have so much food to eat and we don’t want people to fill up on other things before we even sit down for dinner so we neglect to put out an appetizer. Or in the preparation for our dinner we can forget to have a little something for guests to nibble on before we sit down to enjoy the feast!

This lovely cheese “pumpkin” is easy to make, yummy to eat, and just generally festive!  It could easily be the one appetizer you put out before you serve dinner, or what you bring to contribute to the hostess whose home you are going to for Thanksgiving.  And it is perfect for all those gathered around the TV watching football.  This idea came from our chum, Amanda 🙂

“Pumpkin” Cheese Ball

2 pkgs. of 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature (or 8 oz. cream cheese and 8 oz. goat cheese)
8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons of diced pimentos from a jar (drained), or fresh red pepper finely chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire  sauce
1 clove of minced garlic
juice from 1/2  lemon

Beat together cheeses and other ingredients and form into a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 24 hours) to allow the ball to firm up.  Place cheese ball on the serving platter.  Using the handle end of a table knife, make indentations at spaced intervals to resemble the ridges in a pumpkin.  Place a short piece of a fat pretzel stick in the top as the stem and add a washed leaf from an edible vine or a leaf from a bunch of flat leaf parsley to complete the decoration.  Serve with a variety of crackers.

Your guests will be VERY thankful indeed!