It’s that time of the year when we search for easy appetizers, and in my opinion, there’s nothing better than a good cheese ball recipe. In fact, 99% of the time when I entertain, some form of cheese ball graces the table.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, I have tasted my fair of cheese ball appetizers, and these are two of the best cheese ball recipes ever. They are a great mix of ease and flavor, not to mention that the kids can whip them up and make them while you are busy with other recipes.
Brandy shared how she transformed my cheese ball.
How fun and creative is it to shape the cheese ball into a turkey for everyone to enjoy. She used felt for the head, but you could easily cut out a head from card stock and stick it on with a toothpick. She then formed the feathers and tail out of crackers and pretzels.
The picture above is Kraft’s cheeseball recipe with a hint of Worcestershire sauce. I love that addition instead of the ranch, but the ranch is always a hit.
Recipe: Easy Cheese Ball
Summary: I made this fun cheddar cheese ball for our Thanksgiving dinner a couple of years ago and it is the most talked about (and anticipated) item each year since! It is so easy to put together and the kids couldn’t keep their hands off of it while we snacked on appetizers!
Ingredients
- 3 packages of cream cheese
- 1 package of dry ranch mix
- 3 1/2 c. shredded cheese, (whatever you like)
- 1/3 c. diced green onions
- 2 c. almonds (toasted)
Instructions
- Mash cream cheese in a bowl.
- Add next 3 ingredients.
- Form into a ball shape and roll in nuts.
- Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 8
- hours (to allow ranch to distribute evenly…otherwise it’ll be too
- salty).
- Serve with crackers.
- Make sure to let the cheese ball chill for the 8 hours, then add the crackers right before serving.
- Do not refrigerate the crackers and the
- assembled turkey. The crackers will get soft.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
This odd combination is what sets this cheeseball apart from the rest. It took me months to actually combine the strawberry jam on the same cracker with the cheese ball, but once I did, the explosion of flavors made me wonder why I ever doubted. We are not huge mayo lovers, but this gives it a wonderful tangy blend.
Recipe: Pecan Cheddar Cheese Ball (with jam)
Summary: This Pecan Cheddar Cheese ball has become a family favorite. Served with strawberry jam, the combination is phenomenal, but for those who don’t want to take a risk, the cheese ball alone is one of the best cheese ball recipes ever.
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 1 cup chopped toasted pecans (or your choice of chopped and toasted nuts)
- 1 cup Hellman’s or Duke’s mayonnaise
- 1 small onion, finely grated
- Dash salt
- Dash cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup of Strawberry jam
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, except the nuts and jam.
- Add enough mayo to make a semi-moist consistency. You may need to add more mayonnaise based on preference.
- Before serving, add nuts and shape into a ring.
- Spoon jam in the center of the ring and serve with crackers.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Do you think you have the best cheese ball recipe ever?
Share your easy cheese ball recipe in the comments, and I’ll add it into my list of best cheese balls. 🙂
