Ingredients:

  • 16 oz full-fat cream cheese, brick style (softened)
  • 2 cups sharp yellow cheddar cheese, freshly grated
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
  • 1.5 cups pecan halves, toasted and finely chopped
  • 2 large twist pretzels
  • 2 whole black olives
  • 1 maraschino cherry

Instructions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, hand-grated sharp cheddar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and chopped green onions.
  2. Use a stiff spatula to fold the ingredients together until the mixture is uniform and no white streaks of cream cheese remain.
  3. Scrape the cheese mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Pull the corners up and twist tightly to form a firm, dense sphere.
  4. Place the wrapped cheese ball in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to allow the structural proteins to set.
  5. Remove the ball from the plastic wrap and roll it in the finely chopped toasted pecans, pressing firmly to create a thick, even coating.
  6. Just before serving, snap the twist pretzels to resemble antlers and insert them into the top. Press the black olives into the front for eyes and the maraschino cherry for the nose.