Inside: Quick! You need an easy appetizer to bring to the office party. Make our Smoked Turkey Cheese Ball. I promise it’ll be better than Sally’s taco dip, and they’ll be asking you for the recipe!
On the fifth post of Christmas, Rural Girl made for you–five cheese balls! Sing along, everybody. . . Actually, I made fifteen, but, hey, who’s counting?
Fifteen, you say?
About that Smoked Turkey Cheese Ball
Well, yes, I decided to do something a little different. You see, I’ve been making this recipe for close to 25 years now. It all started with Mike receiving a smoked turkey for Christmas, which, if I’m being honest, was just okay. But what came with this particular turkey was a recipe for a cheese ball—a “very good cheese ball” the company called it. And they were right.
I made some minor adjustments, but the recipe remains fairly close to the original. So let’s get to it!
- 1 cup of finely chopped smoked turkey (I use smoked turkey lunch meat.)
- 1-8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons of Miracle Whip
- 3 tablespoons of minced onions
- ½ cup of chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons of dried parsley
- Mix the chopped pecans and parsley together in a bowl and set aside.
- Mix the first four ingredients well and shape into approximately two-inch balls. (If the mixture is too soft, you might need to briefly chill to make the balls easier to shape.)
- Roll the balls in the pecans and parsley.
- Add a toothpick or mini pretzel stick and chill until serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes: This year is the first time I’ve made mini balls. Blame Pinterest. I saw the idea there and decided it would be much easier to take a small ball rather than fumble with a knife and slice off a sliver from the larger ball while people line up behind you at the buffet.
So go ahead. Make this cheese ball for that last-minute party. Or maybe just for snacking. For yourself.
You’re welcome.
Have a favorite appetizer you make around Christmas time? Tell us about it in the comments.
Resources and related posts:
A Rural Girl’s Favorite Things Christmas Gift Guide 2019
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 1: Our Hillbilly Christmas Wreath 2019!
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 2: An Unforgettable Small Town
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 3: Cookies From Christmases Past
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 4: For Whom the Christmas Bells Toll
Posts from a year ago:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 5: Symbols and Traditions
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 4: In Pursuit of Perfect Pines
Posts from two years ago:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 5: Seasonal Symbols and Traditions
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 4: A Truly Southern Christmas
Patsy Reiter
The turkey cheese balls look delicious! I’m making coconut cream pies for our Christmas gathering and have been asked to bring along an appetizer. I think this is it! Thank you. Patsy 🙂
amy@amyharkemoore.com
Let me know how it turns out, Patsy! 🙂