Everything Bagel Cheese Ball
Recipe Overview
First off, it looks just like the picture and it’s adorable!!! Point scored. Second, it was easy to make. Point scored. Third, it’s too much horseradish. Point lost. (Insert sad face here) Delicious Table’s Everything Bagel Cheese Ball, more aptly named the Everything Bagel Pumpkin Cheese Ball, is as festive as appetizers get and will look fantastic on your holiday table. But you’ve got to cut the horseradish to make this a repeat recipe. In real life, there’s just too much tang to make it really appetizing. I’ve incorporated the tweaks below – just keep in mind that you should incorporate as much horseradish as you prefer.
Ingredients List
Equipment Needed:
- 4 – 24” lengths of String (butcher, twine, whatever you have laying around that is a bit thicker)
- 1 Stem – can be from a small sugar pumpkin, butternut squash, zucchini, or any other stemmed vegetable. You can substitute celery if you can’t get a stem.
Ingredients:
- 8oz Cream Cheese (1 package) softened, room temperature
- 4 tbsp Everything Bagel Seasoning divided 2 tbsp & 2 tbsp
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tsp prepared horseradish – you may omit this. 2 tsp made this inedible for my family (and my husband loves horseradish) so adjust for your family. We’d leave it out entirely next time.
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup Sharp Cheddar shredded
- 2 tbsp fresh chives or green onions
- 1 bag pita chips, crackers, or vehicle of your choice
Step 1: Prepare Your Pumpkin Stem
I used a butternut squash stem that popped off quite easily. Delicious Table suggests cutting the top off of your squash and then using a knife to cut the extra pumpkin from around the stem. She says not to try to pull it off because it will usually break, so use your judgment here.
Step 2: Make the Cheese Ball
In a medium bowl, mix softened cream cheese, 2 tbsp Everything Bagel Seasoning, sour cream, horseradish (if using), Worcestershire sauce, cheddar cheese, and fresh chives. Using a rubber spatula, mix and form a round ball in the bowl.
NOTE: this was a shoulder and forearm workout! I’d use a mixer with the paddle attachment next time. Just be judicious and don’t beat it into oblivion.
Step 3: Wrap the Cheese Ball
Place a large sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and set the cheese ball in the center. Wrap the cheese ball tightly with the plastic wrap. I twisted the top to secure and that worked just fine.
Step 4: Form the Pumpkin
Lay the 4 pieces of string in a star pattern on the counter. Place the wrapped cheese ball in the center. Tie each string tightly enough to create impressions in the cheese ball. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Step 5: Finish the Pumpkin
Get ready to sprinkle your pumpkin with Everything Bagel Seasoning. Cut the strings and discard. I unwrapped the top while holding the cheese ball and sprinkled seasoning around the edges and top. It’s super sticky, so don’t set it down until you’re absolutely ready. Seasoning is gonna kinda go everywhere so you might consider placing a cookie sheet under the pumpkin while you’re sprinkling to catch wayward bits. Once you have enough seasoning on the sides, place your cheese ball where you want it – it’s not easily moved so place with intention. Place your stem and enjoy what you’ve created!
Conclusion
This Everything Bagel Cheese Ball is a delight to the eyes and festive to the core! With a little bit of adjustment on the horseradish level, this is a winner every time. Cute, easy, and tasty. It doesn’t get any better than this! In real life, this recipe works!
Pumpkin Deviled Eggs
Recipe Overview
Ummmmm, put these in the fail category. Good idea, but it didn’t work out at all! Which I was super bummed about, because they looked so cute on Kathryn’s recipe card. I’ve made approximately a million deviled eggs in my life and thought I’d pretty them up using this recipe. It was too wet and I couldn’t get them to look like pumpkins at all. I’ll stick with my dijon mustard next time! In real life, these just didn’t make the cut.
Ingredients List
- 6 hard boiled eggs
- 2 tsp yellow mustard
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chives (chopped)
- Paprika or red cayenne pepper (optional)
Step 1: Prep the Eggs
Peel the hard boiled eggs and slice lengthwise. Separate the yolks from the whites.
Step 2: Make the Filling
Mix yolks, mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper together in a bowl.
NOTE: We all prefer dijon over yellow mustard. Use your preference. If you want to try to make these into pumpkins, I’d leave the mayonnaise out until the end and add a little at a time until you get a consistency that will allow you to impress the lines.
Step 3: Scoop and Roll it Until it is Round
Scoop about 2 tsps of the mixture into a spoon and roll it until it is round. Place in an egg white and press the yolk mixture down with your fingers to fill the egg white.
NOTE: I didn’t get mine to do this. It was way too wet.
Step 4: Make 3 to 4 Indents
Using the back of a knife, make 3-4 indents in the yolk mixture to resemble pumpkin sections. Top with a ¼-½ inch chive. Sprinkle with paprika or cayenne if you prefer.
Conclusion
This recipe had lots of 5-Star reviews, which is why I tried it. Honestly, I can’t see how. Skip this one and use your tried and true deviled egg recipe. I’ll keep looking for one that tastes good and gives us all the cuteness of Fall.
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