Snowman Cheeseball

How cute is this Snowman Cheeseball? Make him the tasty main attraction at your next holiday get-together. Sharp cheddar cheese, crisp bell peppers, a little jalapeño, and garlic are just a few of the yummy reasons why you should give him a try. Happy Holidays!

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Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• my favorite manual cheese shredder https://amzn.to/4iv9AHs

• baby corn on the cob https://amzn.to/4iqN0Qu

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Snowman Cheeseball

makes enough to serve a crowd!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

• 4 ounces (1 cup) shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

• 4 ounces (1 cup) shredded pepper jack cheese

• 1 medium green bell pepper, minced

• 2-3 scallions, minced

• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

• 2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

• garnish: long strips of scallion for the scarf, one regular and one mini cucumber for the hat, 10-12 whole peppercorns for the buttons and face, a small piece of carrot for the nose, a mini corn on the cob (canned) and a wooden toothpick for the pipe, thin pretzel sticks for arms (oops, I forgot to add them), a wooden skewer to hold the snowman together, and additional shredded white cheddar cheese or ground almond meal for coating the cheeseball (optional).

Directions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, white cheddar, pepper jack, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, scallions, worcestershire sauce, and garlic salt. Alternatively, you can combine these ingredients by hand, being sure the mixture is very well combined.

• Divide the mixture into two round portions (1/3 and 2/3) and wrap each tightly with plastic wrap; chill for several hours.

• To assemble and decorate: unwrap chilled cheeseballs and, if desired, roll each in shredded white cheddar cheese or ground almond meal; stack the cheeseballs to resemble a snowman.

• Decorate the snowman’s face with peppercorns, carrot, and corncob pipe; add peppercorn buttons and pretzel arms to the bottom cheeseball (oops, I forgot to add the arms!).

• To make the scarf: microwave long strips of scallion for 10 seconds to soften, then wrap around the snowman’s neck - you may need to tie more than one strip together to make the scarf long enough (see notes below for alternate scarf options).

• To make the hat: stack a 1-inch tall slice of mini cucumber on top of a 1/4-inch tall slice of regular cucumber and place on snowman’s head; insert a wooden skewer down the center of the snowman, starting at the top of the hat and going down through the bottom ball (trim away excess skewer).

• Surround the snowman with crackers and serve at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days.

Notes

• Alternative scarf ingredients: thin strips of carrot or cucumber, cut using a vegetable peeler.

• No need to coat the snowman with additional cheese or almond meal, but doing so makes handling the cheeseballs a little less messy.

• Leftover cheeseball mix makes a great filling for jalapeño poppers - check out how to bake them in this post for my Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers.

• Serve this cheeseball recipe anytime of the year by shaping into a large ball and consider coating with your favorite freshly chopped herbs or ground pecans.

• For smaller groups (10 or less), you may want to make only half the recipe.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding

Forget instant pudding mixes, homemade vanilla pudding is way better, and it’s super easy to make. Prepare yourself for oohs and aahs when you serve it. Also, you’ll have a few leftover egg whites which you can use to make yummy Vanilla Bean Meringues another day. It’s a win-win!

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Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• 4-ounce ramekins https://amzn.to/3G3aFEz

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3udhEYO

• pure vanilla bean paste https://amzn.to/3G4WCyu

• flat whisk https://amzn.to/49I5qYs

• sieve https://amzn.to/46kqSjB

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Homemade Vanilla Pudding

makes six 1/2-cup servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole milk

• 3 large egg yolks

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (see notes below)

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (or pure vanilla bean paste)

Directions

1. In a heavy bottomed 3-qt saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the milk, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until well combined.

2. Switch to a wooden spoon (one with a flat edge works well) and stir the mixture continually until it begins to thicken; continue cooking for 1 additional minute, again, stirring continually.

3. Remove from heat and stir in butter and pure vanilla extract (or paste).

4. Pour mixture through a mesh sieve (not completely necessary, but will result in a silky smooth pudding).

5. Pour pudding into serving dishes and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming; chill for at least an hour. Garnish with berries if desired.

Notes

• Recipe can be made up to 3 days in advance.

• If you use salted butter, omit the additional salt in the recipe.

• The leftover egg whites can be used to make half a recipe of these Vanilla Bean Meringues. Alternatively, you can freeze the egg whites and whip them up another day.