Jalapeño Popper Pumpkin Cheeseball Recipe

Jalapeño Popper Pumpkin Recipe

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.

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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.

Crispy Dilly Zucchini Fritters Recipe

Crispy Dilly Zucchini Fritters Recipe

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 4

If you have been reading our blog (thank you), you will know that I often refer to our children as leftover haters and take pride in transforming last night's dinner into tonight's masterpiece. It is a great way to waste less and save money. I also love trying new recipes and surprising my family with new culinary creations to keep things fresh in our meal rotation. Today’s recipe: Crispy Dilly Zucchini Fritters featuring Cherchies® Lem ‘N Dill Seasoning.

Now that hubby and I are empty nesters, with the youngest two currently in college, I discovered that my biggest culinary challenge is my hubby, and changing his palate (who is, by far, the pickiest in our family) is my new mission. Our family has a one-bite rule. They do not have to like what we prepare but must try it, and the same goes for picky husbands. Challenge accepted;)

Let's talk zucchini, not necessarily my hubby's favorite but a colossal canvas for my mission. Our garden has abundantly provided us with a plethora of zucchini this summer, and aside from stir-fries, sauteeing, zucchini bread (more on that in another post), or even giving to neighbors, I needed a new recipe for zucchini fast, and this tasty zucchini fritter recipe is the perfect experiment for a picky non-veggie loving hubby.

The result, HE LOVED IT, as did our college students, who are home for the Summer. They even went for seconds! And the next day…hubby went looking for more leftover fritters for a snack but unfortunately came up short (our children had gobbled them up).

This easy recipe, featuring Cherchies® Lem ‘N Dill Seasoning Blend, comes together in minutes. It is crispy on the outside and flavorful and moist in the middle. The hardest part about this recipe is squeezing the water out of the zucchini. The more water you squeeze out of the zucchini, the better the fritters will turn out. I have yet to try this recipe in our air fryer but report back if you do.

So, if you have more zucchini than you know what to do with and are looking for a tasty vegetable recipe, consider making these crispy dilly zucchini fritters, but grab some for yourself, as they will disappear right before your eyes! Family and picky hubby approved.

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

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Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini (or one large zucchini)

• 2 teaspoons (tsp.) salt

• 4 scallions, diced

• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) Cherchies® Lem'n Dill Seasoning

• 1 large egg, beaten (might need more depending on zucchini)

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1/3 cup cornmeal

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) cornstarch

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) baking powder

• Canola or olive oil for frying

• Sour cream or **special sauce (optional) for dipping

• Extra diced scallions or chives to garnish (optional)

**Special Sauce Ingredients: (optional)

• Mix equal parts of mayonnaise and Cherchies® Hot Banana Pepper Mustard in a bowl.

Preparation
Grate zucchini into a colander with a box grater in the sink, or use a food processor with a shredding attachment. Toss the zucchini with two teaspoons of salt. Let the shredded zucchini sit in a colander over a large bowl for 10 minutes. The salt will draw out the moisture from the zucchini.

After 10 minutes, put the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. The more liquid squeezed out, the crispier the fritters will be.

Add the drained zucchini, scallions, parsley, Cherchies® Lem'n Dill Seasoning, egg, cheese, cornmeal, cornstarch, and baking powder to a large bowl. Mix to combine. (To make this dairy-free, omit Parmesan cheese or substitute with vegan parmesan cheese).

Add a thin layer of oil to a pan, and over medium heat, add spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture. Flatten with a spatula and pan-fry until golden brown (3-5 minutes per side). Once the fritters are cooked, remove them from the pan and drain them on a paper towel-lined plate.

Serve with sour cream or **special sauce, garnished with scallions or chives for dipping.

Lemon Dill Smoked Salmon Spread

Lemon Dill Smoked Salmon Spread Recipe

Entertain in style at your next cocktail party, brunch, or game day gathering with this easy to make, festive, homemade smoked salmon dip/spread. This “fancy pants” crowd-pleaser recipe can be served as an appetizer with crackers and cocktails, or it is versatile enough to be set out on a brunch buffet with bagels and all the fixings.

The cream cheese makes this more of a spread than a dip because it is thicker, but adding a little sour cream to your desired consistency, will do the trick if you want to thin it out.

Aside from the smoked salmon being the star of this dish, the freshness of the lemon and Cherchies® Lem’n Dill Seasoning puts this delicate hors d’oeuvre recipe over the top for your fish-loving friends. I would recommend making this dip a day ahead to allow the flavors to intensify and marry together.

So if you are looking for an easy and elegant appetizer, brunch spread for the holidays, or game day party dip, look no further. You have got to try this fabulous dip/spread. Your crowd will go wild over this Lem’n Dill Smoked Salmon Recipe, but make sure you grab some for yourself because it will disappear before your eyes.

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

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Ingredients

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 4 to 6 oz. of smoked salmon, setting aside a couple of strips for garnishing

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) Cherchies® Lem'n Dill Seasoning

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Dash of hot pepper sauce (We used Sriracha)

• Dash of Worcestershire sauce

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) chopped scallions (reserve 1 teaspoon (tsp.) for garnish

Preparation
Add cream cheese, sour cream, salmon, lemon juice, sauces, and seasonings to a food processor or stand mixer.

If using a food processor, pulse the ingredients (depending on desired consistency) to combine. * If you prefer larger chunks of smoked salmon, only pulse until combined. If using a stand mixer, add ingredients to the mixing bowl, and using the paddle attachment, mix until desired consistency.

Transfer the cheese mixture to a bowl, and stir in chopped scallions. Cover and refrigerate. We have found that the flavors intensify if made the day before your gathering. Serve with your favorite crackers, vegetables, or bread, or a combination of both. Garnish with reserved smoked salmon and a few green onions for an easy and tasty appetizer, and the perfect fancy treat for a crowd.

Enjoy!

Lemon Dill Bread Recipe

Lemon Dill Bread Recipe

Prep Time:  10 Minutes
Cook Time:  8-12 Minutes
Difficulty:  Easy

You will wonder how you ever served crescent rolls any other way when you serve these savory rolls, laced with lemon, butter, and dill.

Add a twist to your favorite crescent rolls. For this recipe, we used refrigerated crescent rolls, butter, parmesan cheese, and Cherchies® Lem’n Dill Seasoning. Our college students raved about this recipe and we are confident your family will too!

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

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Ingredients 

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Lem'n Dill Seasoning (or Cherchies® Lem’n Dill Seasoning NO_SALT)

• 2 teaspoons (tsp) parmesan cheese, grated

• 1 pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls

Preparation 
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (350 degrees for a non-stick baking sheet).

Unroll the dough and separate it into 8 triangles. Melt butter and add Cherchies® Lem'n Dill Seasoning and parmesan cheese.  Blend thoroughly. 

Baste each triangle from the crescent roll package with the mixture before rolling and baking.  Roll up triangles, beginning with the wide end, and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet or parchment paper.

For presentation, I like to dab the outside of the rolls with a little butter mixture.  This is optional.  Bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!