Prep Time: 20 Minutes (Plus extra time to chill the cheeseball)
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 8-10

Happy Fall, everyone!

An easy appetizer that never gets old is the cheeseball, and this pumpkin cheeseball is perfect for entertaining for Fall, Halloween, or Thanksgiving. Not only does the mighty cheeseball, although underrated, lean itself to festive shapes; footballs during game day season, pumpkins for Fall, snowmen, reindeer and trees for winter, and so much more, this recipe is so easy and tasty that you will want to keep it in your back pocket for any occasion.

We’ve spiced things up with this delicious jalapeño popper pumpkin cheeseball featuring cream cheese, fresh and pickled jalapeños, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, and Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning Blend. It is the perfect blend of sweet and spicy, and the flavors intensify beautifully if you make it ahead.

This jalapeño popper cheeseball is such a hit we’re constantly asked to bring it to gatherings, and you will be amiss not to try it! And, because it can be made ahead, it allows you more time with your family and friends.

If you’re looking for a new appetizer to add to your Fall culinary cache, consider this jalapeño popper pumpkin cheeseball. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by. :) Comment below if you have tried this recipe. Visit us again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients

3 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
1 8oz. block of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (Hand-shredded is better than store-bought shredded cheese)* See Note
1/2 cup Monterey Jack Cheese (could use pepper jack if you like it spicier. (Hand-shredded is better than store-bought shredded cheese)* See Note
1/3 cup seeded and finely diced fresh jalapeños (2 medium or 1 large…more if you like it spicier), reserving one stem to finish the pumpkin at the end
1/3 cup finely diced pickled jalapeños (recipe to come soon for homemade pickled jalapeños)
1/2- 1 teaspoon (tsp.) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning Blend (Could substitute Cherchies® Garlic ‘N Herbs NO-SALT) Seasoning.
1/4 cup chopped chives or green onions- white and green parts (Optional. I have used them before, but not for this photograph).
1 snack-size bag of Cheese Itz crackers, crushed (Could use cheese puffs, spicy Doritos, or even extra cheddar* See Notes).
3 rubber bands

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When the oven is ready, with a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, place bacon on the baking sheet and cook until crispy. (Every oven is different, so you must watch the bacon for about 15 minutes, give or take a few).

While bacon is cooking, chop up jalapeños and grate the cheese. Be sure to save one stem as decoration for the finished product.

Add the cream cheese, shredded cheese, Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning, and jalapeños to a medium-sized bowl. (Make sure to use kitchen gloves while chopping up jalapeños…trust me from experience; you need the gloves).

When cooked and cooled, chop up the bacon and add to the bowl. Mix all the ingredients with a hand-held mixer until combined.

Use a rubber spatula to shape the mixture into a ball. Place the cheeseball on a piece of plastic wrap and cover the cheeseball. Use rubber bands to create the typical grooves found on pumpkins. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Place the cheese crackers in a plastic resealable bag and crush them with a rolling pin, rolling over the bag until fine crumbs are formed. Set aside. If you have a food processor, place the crackers in the processor and pulse until finely ground.

Once your cheeseball has chilled in the refrigerator*, add the crushed crackers to a medium bowl, remove the rubber bands, and roll the cheese pumpkin in the crushed crackers. Decorate with the saved jalapeño stem and serve with crackers, pretzels, and/or carrots, celery, and cucumbers for a healthier dipping option.

Enjoy!

For a football shape, add extra cooked bacon on the outside, followed by Provolone or Monterey Jack cheese.

Notes:

Substituting the Cheese Itz- Feel free to substitute them with cheese puffs, spicy Doritos (regular Doritos are not as orange, or extra grated yellow cheddar cheese.
Grating Cheese- It’s always better to hand-grate a block of cheese. Pre-shredded cheese works in a pinch. If baking this mixture for a hot dip, hand-grated cheese is best because the pre-shredded cheese does not melt as well because of the coating added to the cheese.
Would you prefer a hot dip? Evenly spread the dip ingredients into a pie plate (step five, “Use a rubber spatula to shape the mixture into a ball”), sprinkle with the cracker crumbs, and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until bubbly.