Cheddar & Oregano Pumpkin Cheeseball

I still remember the last year I trick or treated (such a sad day). It was eighth grade and I was with all my friends. We had pillow cases and mouths full of braces — our glory days, for sure. I think we came to a consensus that it would be our last time collecting candy together. Something about being too cool? Ugh, teenagers. But the reality was, the magic of Halloween was gone. It wasn’t anything like when we were kids. CUE THE TEARS!

Little did I know, fourteen plus years later, I’d get to experience Halloween fun through my children and boy is it just like being a kid again. This year, I find myself wanting all things Halloween. I want to hang ghosts from our trees, I want a front porch adorned in pumpkins, I want to host a Halloween party (not just any party, but like a full blown out Halloween party!!) – wow, I sound like my toddler.

But with a week until Halloween, the likelihood of any of the above happening is very, very slim (especially the party, but maybe the ghosts can happen?), so I’ll keep them in the mind for next year. Butttttttt…. a girl can still dream, right? If I were to have a party, I’d have all of the cute Halloween decorations and of course food. And this pumpkin cheeseball would be the star of my dream party’s show.

This pumpkin is filled with so many spooktacular flavors (sorry, I tend to over use spooktacular this time of year), including lots and lots of cheddar, oregano and garlic. The oregano and garlic are sauteed in butter making this ball o’ cheese scary rich.

My first iteration of this was made for the Kids Night In October subscription box and I had so much fun making a kid-friendly version with my little chef. If you end up making this, don’t forget to tag #marinamakeseats.

Cheddar & Oregano Pumpkin Cheeseball

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon of butter
• 1/4 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons of fresh oregano
• 1/2 cup of whipped cream cheese
• 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar spreadable cheese (pub cheese)
• 1 cup of shredded sharp cheese
• Stem of a jalapeno or bell pepper
• Crackers

Directions

In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and oregano and saute for about a minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, pub cheese and shredded cheese with a spatula. Add oregano and garlic mix and stir to combine. 

Lay a piece of plastic wrap on a hard surface and scoop the cheese mixture onto the plastic wrap. Using your hands, slowly cover the cheese mixture and form a ball. Place it in the fridge to harden for 30 minutes to an hour.

While the cheese ball is in the fridge, cut the stem from the pepper and set aside. 

After the pumpkin cheese ball has hardened, place it on the serving dish and add the pepper stem to the top. Make the indents of a pumpkin using the back of a butter knife. Serve on a plate with crackers and enjoy.