lil carb Pumpkin-Shaped Cheese Ball

Everybody! Get excited!  This is my favorite time of the year! Back to back to back holidays!  Lets kick this season off strong with a fun video and a tasty snack!

This is the perfect Halloween or Thanksgiving appetizer for your family and friends!  Fun and festive and totally EASY! Bring this to a party this season and everyone will be asking you for the recipe and they'll be telling you how cute it is!

Check out the video above because I had a special guest come into the lil Piece of Hart kitchen and teach me how to make this... hehe! Hint: she may or may not have come all the way from Kansas!

lil carb Pumpkin-Shaped Cheese Ball
8 oz softened cream cheese
3/4 cup colby jack pre shredded cheese
3 Tbsp pesto, jarred or homemade (I used my homemade traditional basil pesto- click here for the recipe!)
2 Tbsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 clove of garlic (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 orange bell pepper
+extra veggies for serving- I like to use celery, baby carrots, red or green bell pepper and a leaf of iceberg to use in the center of the veggie platter underneath the pumpkin ball.

In a food processor add in the cream cheese, colby jack cheese, pesto, minced onion, oregano, salt pepper as well as red pepper and garlic clove if you are using them.
Pulse until well combined. If mixture balls up just break it up with a spatula and pulse again until everything is well combined.
Turn out the cheese mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap.
Cover in plastic wrap and form mixture into a ball.
Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to firm up and for the flavors to develop.
When you are ready to serve take 3/4 of your orange pepper and chop it into very small pieces (watch my video above for clarification) and reserve the stem of the pepper any extra large pieces of paper just put them on the veggie platter for dipping.
Roll the chilled cheese ball in the orange pepper pieces pushing the pieces into the cheese.
Put the cheese ball on a leaf of iceberg lettuce in the middle of a veggie platter or large plate. Surround with cut up veggies for dipping and take the orange pepper stem and press it into the top of the cheese ball to resemble the stem of a pumpkin.
Then dig in and Enjoy!

*Hint: Double this recipe to make a larger cheese ball OR make 2 cheese balls so when guests dig into the first one you can replace it with a new pumpkin!