Cheese Pumpkins Recipes

CHEESE PUMPKINS

Steps:

• Line small serving plate with waxed paper. For each pumpkin, roll level tablespoon cold-pack cheese food into a ball; place on plate. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes for easier handling.
• With end of toothpick, draw ridges around balls to resemble pumpkins. Dip bottoms of cheese balls in chopped peanuts.
• Just before serving, insert pretzel halves into cheese balls for pumpkin stems. Decorate with parsley for leaves. Store pumpkins in refrigerator.

PUMPKIN CHEESE BALL

Steps:

• With a mixer, blend 16 ounces room-temperature cream cheese with 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, 3 tablespoons minced onion, 2 tablespoons salsa, 2 teaspoons ground cumin and 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno. Scoop onto plastic wrap and use the wrap to form the mixture into a 5-inch pumpkin-shaped ball; chill at least 2 hours. To serve, unwrap, roll in crushed nacho-flavored tortilla chips and press a bell pepper stem into the top.

CHEESE PUMPKIN SOUP WITH SAGE AND APPLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Remove about 1 cup of seeds from the pumpkin halves. Clean off any pumpkin meat from the seeds before setting them aside.
• Rub the pumpkin halves with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place them seed side down on a sheet tray lined with aluminum foil. Cook in the oven for about 50 minutes or until a sharp knife easily pierces the skin and flesh.
• Meanwhile, cut the carrots and onion into a medium dice and sauté them in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over low heat until tender. Set aside.
• Heat 1 cup of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it begins to simmer, add 3 to 4 sage leaves at a time, frying them for about 6 to 8 seconds each. Remove the leaves with tongs or a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Continue this process until all the sage is fried. Turn off the heat.
• Immediately place the reserved pumpkin seeds in the leftover, sage-infused oil, for about 20 seconds or until they begin to brown. Pour the contents of the pan into a metal strainer set over a metal bowl.
• Place the seeds on a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt. Set the oil aside to cool.
• When the pumpkin is cooked, remove it from oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Then remove and discard any seeds from the flesh.
• Scoop out the pumpkin meat from one pumpkin half and place it in a blender. Add half of the cooled carrots and onions, and one chopped apple to the blender. Add vegetable stock to the ¾ mark on the blender and close the lid. Blend on low, then gradually increase the speed as the ingredients combine. Pour the contents into a large pot or bowl. Repeat with the remaining sautéed carrots and onions, chopped apple and vegetable stock.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• To serve: ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with pumpkin seeds, 2 to 3 sage leaves and a drizzle of the reserved pumpkin-sage oil.

MINI CHEESEBALL PUMPKINS WITH CARAMELIZED GARLIC

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until sizzling, about 30 seconds. Add garlic and sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic just starts to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately remove from heat. Transfer garlic mixture to a bowl. Add Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, green onions, and garlic salt. Beat using an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Cover and refrigerate until firm enough to handle, about 30 minutes.
• Shape chilled cheese mixture into golf-ball-sized balls. Roll each ball in crushed crackers and slightly flatten the bottom. Press 1/2 a pretzel stick into the top. Repeat with remaining cheese mixture.
• Spread parsley out on a serving plate and place mini cheeseball pumpkins on top, leaving enough room in between for parsley to show through.

CHEESE PUMPKINS

Steps:

• Line plate or tray with waxed paper or plastic wrap.
• Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of the cheese food, and roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining cheese until you wind up with about 12 balls.
• Refrigerate for 15 minutes on prepared plate.
• With a toothpick, draw ridges around the balls to resemble pumpkins. Dip the bottoms of the pumpkins in the peanuts (to resemble dirt).
• Just before serving, place a couple of parsley leaves on the top of each pumpkin and insert a broken pretzel piece for each stem.
• Store in refrigerator until ready to use.