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If you are looking for a back to school snack to celebrate the kiddos new adventure, here’s an easy cheeseball recipe that is as fun to make as it is to eat. No cooking required, just some assembly of a few ingredients, and everyone can help out. It looks cute but it’s also full of flavor!

Pencil cheese ball surrounded by wheat crackers on an oval platter

Table of Contents

Steps to Make a Pencil Cheese Ball

Tools you’ll need

Step 1: Combine the softened cream cheese, 2 cups of shredded cheddar, sour cream, garlic powder, bacon bits, and ranch seasoning in a large mixing bowl.

Pencil cheese ball ingredients: cream cheese, shredded cheddar, black olives, pimientos, bacon bits, sour cream, and ranch seasoning

Cream cheese, shredded cheddar, sour cream, bacon bits, and ranch seasoning in a mixing bowl

Cheese ball mixture combined in the mixing bowl

Step 2: Tear off a piece of plastic wrap long enough to fold over the cheese ball with room to lengthen it into a pencil shape.

Cheese ball mixture wrapped in plastic wrap

Step 3: Mold the cheese ball into a pencil shape, then chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour to set.

Cheese mixture molded into a pencil shape in plastic wrap

Step 4: Remove the plastic wrap and carefully transfer the cheese ball to a serving platter.

Unwrapped pencil shaped cheese ball after chilling

Step 5: Press the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese onto the body of the pencil, leaving room at the top for the eraser and at the bottom for the sharpened tip.

Step 6: Press the diced pimientos onto the top for the eraser, then press the chopped black olives onto the bottom for the sharpened tip.

Pencil cheese ball with shredded cheddar shaft and diced pimiento eraser

Pressing chopped black olives onto the pencil tip

Step 7: Serve with wheat thins, crackers, or veggies. You’ll have some straggler olives, cheese and tomato, so just clean up the plate gently with a spoon, kitchen tweezers, or clean fingers.

Cheddar coated pencil cheese ball with pimiento eraser and olive tip

Tools & Equipment

Large mixing bowl
Spoon for stirring
Plastic wrap
Serving platter
Kitchen tweezers

Scooping the pencil cheese ball with a wheat cracker

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Pencil Cheese Ball

A ranch and bacon cheese ball shaped like a giant pencil, with a shredded cheddar shaft, diced pimiento eraser, and chopped black olive tip. A fun back-to-school appetizer.

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Prep Time 30

Chill Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 183 kcal

Equipment

Glass Mixing Bowl Set

Ingredients

2 blocks cream cheese 8 ounces each, softened
3 c finely shredded cheddar cheese separated into 2 cups and 1 cup
2.5 T sour cream
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 c real bacon bits or pieces
1 packet ranch seasoning 1 ounce
4 oz diced pimientos or tomatoes drained
4 oz chopped black olives drained

Instructions

Combine the softened cream cheese, 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, bacon bits, and ranch seasoning in a large mixing bowl.
Tear off a piece of plastic wrap long enough to fold over the cheese ball with room to lengthen it into a pencil shape.
Mold the cheese ball into a pencil shape.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour to set.
Remove the cheese ball from the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap, and carefully transfer it to a serving platter.
Press the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese onto the shaft of the pencil, leaving room at the top for the eraser and room at the bottom for the sharpened tip.
Press the diced pimientos onto the top for the eraser.
Press the chopped black olives onto the bottom for the sharpened tip.
Serve with wheat thins, crackers, or veggies.

Notes

Use chopped (the finer the better), not sliced, black olives. You want fine bits for the pencil lead tip.

The finer the shredded cheese, the easier it sticks.

Bacon bits are optional, depending on your preferred flavor and salt level.

Finely chopped green onions can be added if preferred.

Any savory flavor combination works here as long as it goes with black olives and pimientos.

Nutrition

Calories: 183kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 9gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 697mgPotassium: 59mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 707IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 250mgIron: 0.4mg

Keyword back to school appetizer, bacon cheese ball, cheese ball recipe, cream cheese appetizer, fun party appetizer, pencil cheese ball, ranch cheese ball, school party snack, teacher appreciation food

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The bottom line

If you’ve been looking for an easy party appetizer that’s perfect for teachers, first day of school, or a PTA meeting, here’s a recipe that combines a flavorful creamy and spreadable cheese ball, covered in shredded cheese for the yellow wood, diced tomato for the eraser and chopped olives for the pencil tip.

Looking for more fun appetizers? Here are more options: