No Diamonds, there isn’t actually any pumpkin in this cheese ball, but how cute is it?!

Not only has Fall officially begun, but so has football season and what appetizer could possibly be better then a big ball of cheese to dig into?! Nothing, unless you incorporate buffalo chicken dip into it! The best thing about this dip is that the hardest part of it is waiting for it to set up before you’re able to serve it. Something like this goes with everything especially next to chicken wings, nachos, and some type of slider. This will absolutely be your go to game day favorite! It’s creamy, cheesy, savory, and spicy. What more could you ask for during the Fall season on a Sunday afternoon?

HOW TO MAKE THE CHEESE BALL:

In a glass mixing bowl:

• An 8oz. block of cream cheese.
• 1/8 cup of mayonnaise.
• 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing.
• 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
• 1 cup of cheddar cheese. I used white but you can use whatever you’d like.
• 2 tablespoons of chives.
• 2 tablespoons of parsley.
• Season with seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.

The buffalo chicken:

• In a saute pan melt three tablespoons of butter along with a shredded fried chicken thigh. I only used one because it was quite big but if you need to use two you can. You can use any chicken you have left over. Chicken wings or roasted chicken would work incredibly well also.
• After the chicken cooks with the butter for two minutes add 1/4 cup of buffalo hot sauce and cook for another two minutes.
• Season with garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
• Let the buffalo chicken cool for a few minutes.

After the chicken has cooled some, it’s time to combine the buffalo chicken and the cheese mixture.

Thoroughly mix with a hand mixer until everything is fully incorporated.

How to form the cheese ball into a pumpkin shape:

• Rip off two pieces of plastic wrap and layer them on top of each other.
• Cover the cheese ball with the plastic wrap and make sure it’s tight and secure.
• Finish by wrapping rubber bands around the ball so that when it sets up in the fridge the grooves stay in the cheese; making it resemble a pumpkin shape.

• You could let the cheese ball sit in the fridge for a minimum of two hours or you can leave it in overnight, which I definitely prefer doing.
• When it’s time to unwrap the ball, all that’s left to do is to top it with a pepper stem so that it resembles a more realistic pumpkin.

Serve with pretzels and chips! You could even use bread cubes or tortilla chips to dip in as well.

Cheese balls have always reminded me of holiday parties, seasonal festivities, and special occasions. Celebrating the beginning of Fall is the best reason to celebrate with a creative appetizer such as this! Even though the presentation is super cute it truly doesn’t take much effort to put together, so if you are having company over this weekend this is what you should be serving them! If you are Hocus Pocus obsessed during Halloween time you’d know that the second movie is being released tonight and if you are hosting a premier party this buffalo chicken dip cheese ball is exactly what you should be presenting to your guests! I guarantee you they will love it and if it’s paired with a charcuterie board all you’d need is a wonderful witches brew cocktail to really complete the celebration.

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xoxo