I have made this recipe so often that I could probably do it with my eyes shut and one hand held behind my back. My dad loves it and complains if we try to alter it in any way.
My sister and I developed this cheese ball because we couldn’t find a recipe to suit our fancy. We added a little of this, a handful of that, and, to our surprise, created something deliciously savory with a mere hint of sweetness.
It’s ridiculously easy to make. Care to learn how?
Here’s what you’ll need: cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, lemon, onion, dried cranberries (optional), freshly ground black pepper, and pecans.
Begin by chopping the onion fine. You only need about 1/4 cup.
Roll the lemon and squeeze out the juice. You only need 1 teaspoon.
Place all of the ingredients except the pecans into the bowl of a stand mixer.
Beat until combined.
Scrape onto a piece of plastic wrap.
Form into a ball. Place in the refrigerator until it firms up a bit, about 30 minutes.
Toast the pecans and chop coarsely.
Just before serving, roll the cheese ball in the nuts to cover completely. You may need to press the nuts into the ball with your hands to make them stick.
Serve with your favorite crackers. I recommend something simple without intense flavors. You don’t want to overpower the cheese ball. These crispy wheats from Back to Nature are quite good.
Notes: The cranberries are completely optional. If you dislike fruit in your cheese ball, simply omit them. You can also switch out the nuts for walnuts, almonds, etc. Pecans are our favorite.
For the best flavor, take the cheese ball out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving.
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Description
Our favorite cheese ball recipe. Dad complains if we make any other.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
- ¼ cups Sour Cream
- 1 cup Finely Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- ¼ cups Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ cups Finely Chopped Onion
- ½ teaspoons Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 pinch Cayenne Powder
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- ¼ teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- ⅓ cups Dried Cranberries (optional)
- ½ cups Toasted Pecans, Chopped Coarse (optional)
Preparation Instructions
1) Place all ingredients except pecans in a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on medium-low speed until well combined.
2) Scrape the mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap. Cover with the plastic wrap and shape into a ball or log. Put the cheese ball on a plate and place in the refrigerator to harden, about 30 minutes – 1 hour.
3) Roll the cheese ball in the chopped pecans and place on a serving plate. Serve with crackers.
Note: this cheese is best if allowed to sit for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend. The flavors are best if it is allowed to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.
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Erica Berge shares her wonderful recipes and amazing food photography on her blog, Cooking for Seven. She also writes about crafts and posts more of her beautiful photography in her personal blog, EricaLea.com. There really isn’t much that this amazing young lady can’t do, and we’re thrilled she does some of it here.
43 Comments
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Nicole on 2.24.2011
Please come make this for me. Right now…yes, for breakfast!
Nicole Tschida on 1.8.2011
I made this cheese ball today. The flavors work so well together! Everyone at the party LOVED it!
kelly on 1.7.2011
oh my dear goodness! we made this on nye & it was FANTASTIC. YUM, YUM, YUM. i used cranberries & also a “fancy” cheese (irish whisky cheddar, i think), but it would be good with the cheese she recommends, i’m sure.
my one tip: REFRIDGERATE FOR 24 HRS!! the cheese ball was SO much better the next day. makes a world of difference.
thank you for that fabulous recipe!
Meredith on 1.6.2011
I made this on New Year’s Eve for my friends party- it was AMAZING! Thanks so much for sharing this!!
pvfrompv on 1.3.2011
“Everything old is new again”. This was a perfect “retro” addition to our new year’s day get together. Liked the craisins with the onion (I used green onion) – we did an impressive number in making it disappear. Easy, quick to put together. My kind of appetizer.
Kimberly on 1.2.2011
I made this today, a lazy apres-New Year indulgence, and my family descended on it and laid it waste! It is gone, a fond memory of culinary happiness! Thank you for sharing, and it shall become a standard in this household!
Lana on 1.2.2011
My new daughter-in-law traditionally makes a similiar cheese log every year at Christmas – she adds chipped beef to her log. Delicious!!
Charlotte Knox on 1.2.2011
This sounds yummy but I do think I would substitute the cranberries for sundried tomatoes.
flutehappy on 1.1.2011
I made your cheeseball for my New Years Eve party last night…..it was a HUGE hit! Thank you for sharing your delicious recipe!
camelliacottage on 12.31.2010
I am sitting here munching out on this cheeseball, and I have to say, its the best I’ve ever eaten! I did add a bit more cheddar cheese and cayenne (like things a tad warm), but it’s the cranberries that does it for me! Just adds a tiny bit of sweetness that is surprising! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Megan on 12.30.2010
just made this and I cannot wait to dig into it tomorrow! yummy!!
Carolyn on 12.30.2010
Sounds good. Pomegrante seeds are also good for rolling a chesse ball in and festive looking for the holidays.
Shawne on 12.30.2010
Love the Ulu knife, I use mine all the time. Recipe looks great.
Hope on 12.30.2010
Our family favorite is cream cheese, sharp cheddar, green onions, bacon, garlic, pimiento and parsley. I always make a double batch and drop it off at other peoples house for the new year along with my pizza bread and dried beef dip!
Halle on 12.30.2010
Yum! Yum. Yum.
I have a great recipe that is a variation on a cheeseball. I’ll be featuring it on my blog this week
But again, yum.
AmyHug on 12.29.2010
Love it! I’m makin’ this for New Year’s. Can’t wait!
Serve at Once on 12.29.2010
Well done, Erica. I love how simple yet elegant and flavorful this looks. Thanks for sharing your party fave!
Circle F on 12.29.2010
sounds delish … we love the one with cream cheese, onion, green pepper, lawrys, pecans and crushed pineapple and then rolled in pecans. …and the one with Buddig ham, green onions, cream cheese and garlic powder. We love Sociables crackers w/our cheese ball… thanks for the new recipe .. look forward to trying it.
Megan on 12.29.2010
Look yummy!
Cheese balls must be in the air b/c I saw this CHOCOLATE cheese ball recipe today, and about fell over.
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/12/chocolate-chip-cheeseball.html
KB @ Home-Baked Happiness on 12.29.2010
Somehow, I never thought of making one of these instead of buying it. I totally should — the one I bought the other day was kinda disappointing.
Erica Lea on 12.29.2010
SueDeeSue: It’s not necessary to use a stand mixer — it just makes this cheese ball really easy to prepare. You could also use a hand mixer or just stir by hand. If you let the cream cheese soften it will be easier to mix by hand.
SueDeeSue on 12.29.2010
Erg…why do all the best recipes need a food blender. My old hands just aren’t capable of doing that kind of blending and all my electrical gadgets have gone to happier hunting grounds. So not fair all those yummy ingredients!
lauramich on 12.29.2010
I made my first cheeseballs for a family get-together this year—one savory (cream cheese and smoked cheddar, rolled in crushed Smokehouse almonds) and one sweet (cream cheese, peanut butter, and just enough powdered sugar to bind, rolled in honey roasted peanuts). Served with crackers, pretzels, carrots, and celery. Both were delicious, but the peanut butter cheeseball was the hit of the day.
Oh, and while I do have a stand mixer, I whipped both of these up in a food processor.
Maegan on 12.29.2010
I have made the same cheese ball year after year and never found another that I even wanted to try! This one though, I will DEFINITELY be making for our New Years Party!!
(my original one uses jalapenos, bacon bits and shredded cheese! yummy!)
MrsBailey on 12.29.2010
Yum! Cheese balls are one of my Christmas favourites.
Cassie Sue on 12.29.2010
I didn’t realize cheese balls were so easy to make! I’ll have to try it, I always thought it was a complicated process.
My old coworker used to make a chocolate cheese ball with Kahlua and would never give me the recipe, I may have to experiment now that I know how easy these are.
Heather (Heather's Dish) on 12.29.2010
to be honest i never really liked cheese balls until this year! but now that they’re in the picture i don’t see how making my own would be a bad thing at all
Cathy on 12.29.2010
this has new years eve written all over it!
It’s really similar to the one my mom and I make over the holidays…always a hit, and a sure relief from too many sweets! Thanks for sharing.
love,
cathy b. @ brightbakes
Kelly S on 12.29.2010
I have a cheese ball recipe that I got from my mom–very similar to this one. I never got around to making them last year and I really missed them. I made sure to make several this year!
Patti Rabbit on 12.29.2010
My family has a favorite cheese ball, too. The youth from a local church would make them every year before Christmas and sell them to raise money. Every body in town loved them & they made a lot of money from this. I forget how much they sold them for, maybe $8.00. It was a pretty big cheeseball. They made 2 sizes. You could buy 2 small or 1 large. Then one year, they didn’t make them. We were distraught. The recipe was their secret & they wouldn’t give it out. I finally got the recipe & make it every year. I also make it for every wedding reception, baby shower, etc. Your kids might like to have a fund raiser in your church with your cheeseball.
missamy on 12.29.2010
Looks like the perfect thing to take our New Year’s Eve get-together this year – yum!
Erica Lea {Cooking for Seven} on 12.29.2010
Patrice: Oh, port wine sounds awesome! I may need to try that sometime.
Erica Lea {Cooking for Seven} on 12.29.2010
Kitchen Kimberley, eidolons, and Ashelina: Yes! I love our Ulu. A friend brought it to us, from Alaska, I think.
ashelina on 12.29.2010
We have a knife from Alaska too that looks like that! heh heh
eidolons on 12.29.2010
Hey! I have that knife! My dad got it for me in Alaska. (:
Patrice on 12.29.2010
mmm this looks good! I have made a similar cheese ball in the past but had lost the recipe. The only thing that “lost” recipe had that this one doesn’t is a couple tablespoons of Port wine, which went really well with the cranberries. I will definitely make this for NYD! Thanks for posting this!
Susan F-N on 12.29.2010
if you define “easy” as “actually quite complicated”….
It looks very easy to me – except I don’t have a stand mixer (boo hoo). I can’t wait to try this!
MOV on 12.29.2010
Delicious. And if you define “easy” as “actually quite complicated” then, yes, it’s easy.
Always an inspiration!
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http://mothersofbrothersblog.blogspot.com
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MOV
Jean F on 12.29.2010
oooh, I feel another wine and cheese dinner coming on… this would be a good recipe to try! Thanks for posting this!
ashelina on 12.29.2010
Yum! I am going to make this for our New Year’s party. Love cheese balls!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is on 12.29.2010
I love cheeseballs. They are so nostalgic for me.
Kitchen Kimberley on 12.29.2010
Yum! I cannot wait to make this…today!
The recipe looks like the perfect balance between sour, salty, bitter, and sweet, which makes for a party for each and every tastebud! Also — love, love, love the use of the Ulu knife, it’s one of my favorites! Thanks for sharing!
Jodie (allgoodinmommyhood.com) on 12.29.2010
I have never seen a recipe for one of these, but have seen them gracing some blogs this holiday season! May have to make for New Years!