Oh, cheeseballs!
I can’t get enough of their retro charm — whether they’re giving off ’70s, ’80s or ’90s vibes. Whatever era you want to pin on them, cheeseballs always feel like a comforting holiday staple.
We make the classic olive-and-cream-cheese cheeseball every holiday in my family — it tastes like home — but this year I wanted to do something a little different.
So I turned it into a fall-forward butternut cheeseball. My mom probably wonders why I can’t leave beloved classics alone, but I’m helpless: once autumn starts, I’m obsessed with brown butter, roasted squash, sage and parmesan.
This cheeseball captures those quintessential fall flavors — sweet, tender butternut, nutty brown butter, crisp sage and plenty of parmesan. Honestly, it’s the kind of spread I’d happily eat with a spoon. It’s rich, silky and comforting in the best possible way.
For Thanksgiving, I don’t usually fuss over many appetizers — I prefer focusing on the main event. But when it comes to snacks, I go all in on one centerpiece: a big, beautiful cheese board.
And yes, I will willingly eat the whole thing for dinner. I’ve done it.
The cheeseball stands on its own — you could serve it with only a few crackers and be perfectly happy — but if you want to go wild with a full cheese board, here’s a setup that complements those autumn flavors beautifully.
Below is the full recipe for the butternut cheeseball and the items I like to include on my Thanksgiving cheese board. The cheeseball is creamy and smooth, rolled in crunchy walnuts for texture, and it pairs perfectly with a variety of cheeses, fruits, nuts and savory bites.
Butternut Squash Cheeseball and a Holiday Cheese Board
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Ingredients
butternut cheeseball
- 1 cup cubed butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons brown butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 handful fresh sage
- 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, preferably toasted
what’s on my thanksgiving cheese board
- block of merlot-soaked cheese
- block of sharp parmesan
- chunk of honeycomb
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced hot capicola
- 1 cup kettle corn
- 1 cup marinated olives
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews
- 1/3 cup cranberry chutney or salsa
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seed salsa
- 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/2 cup walnuts suspended in honey
- 1/4 cup whole grain mustard
- 1/4 cup cornichons
- rainbow carrots, peeled and sliced
- thinly sliced pears
- bunches of red seedless grapes
- hard breadsticks and whole grain crackers
Instructions
butternut cheeseball
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Place the cubed butternut squash in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook 15–20 minutes until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly.
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Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add fresh sage leaves and cook about one minute per side until crisp. Transfer the sage to a paper towel to drain.
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In a food processor or stand mixer, combine the cooked squash, brown butter, crisped sage, softened cream cheese, grated parmesan, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Pulse until completely smooth and homogenous with no cream cheese lumps. Transfer the mixture to plastic wrap, shape into a ball, wrap tightly and chill at least 30 minutes or overnight.
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Spread the chopped walnuts on a plate. Unwrap the chilled cheeseball and roll it in the walnuts, pressing gently so they adhere.
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Serve the cheeseball immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.
what’s on my thanksgiving cheese board
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Arrange cheeses, cured meats, fruits, nuts, spreads and crackers on a large board. Embrace a relaxed, slightly messy presentation — it looks inviting and makes grazing easy.
Did you make this recipe?
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P.S. You’re invited.