Very Merry Cheese Ball Recipes

Cheese ball season is here! Are you as excited as I am?! A few weeks ago I did a cheese ball making demonstration for the ladies at church and it was a big hit. We got to eat all of the wares with lunch and I was in cheese ball heaven.

My love of cheese balls came from my first job working at a deli in Columbus, Indiana. Two of the cheese ball recipes are actually from that deli and I've been making them for years. The other two are just as amazing (cue the bacon). I actually made mini cheese balls and "cracker packs" to put on my neighbor treat plates last Christmas and I think they were my most popular item. I put the how to for the mini cheese balls back in this post.

I hope this gets you excited for all of the parties coming up! Happy Holidays to you...

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Bacon Cheddar Ranch Cheese Ball

2 packages cream cheese

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1 T. dill weed

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. onion powder

1 T. chives (fresh or freeze dried), optional

Salt to taste

1 pound bacon, cooked crisp and finely crumbled

Mix cream cheese, cheddar cheese, spices, and ¼ of a cup of crumbled bacon together in a medium bowl until well combined. Taste with a cracker and adjust seasonings as needed and add salt if desired. Spread the remaining crumbled bacon out on a plate. Form the cheese mixture into a ball using your hands and roll in the bacon crumbles. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Notes: Block cheese that you shred at home (opposed to shredded cheese in a bag) works better here and lends to a smoother texture.

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Pineapple Cheese Ball

2 packages cream cheese

1 small can crushed pineapple, well drained

Chopped nuts for rolling, optional

In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese and well drained pineapple, mix until well combined. Form the cheese mixture into a ball using your hands and roll in the chopped nuts if desired. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Notes: This one sounds boring but it is always a crowd-pleaser!

Beef and Onion Cheese Ball

2 packages cream cheese

5 green onions, green part only, chopped

½ cup finely chopped roast beef

½ to 1 t. garlic powder

2-3 T. Worcestershire sauce

salt, to taste

chopped nuts for rolling, optional

crackers for serving

In a large bowl add the cream cheese, green onion, roast beef, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce (add the smaller amounts of the garlic powder and Worcestershire). Using your clean hands, blend everything together really well. The heat from your hands really helps to work everything together. Taste with the crackers you are using. Add salt if needed and more Worcestershire or garlic powder as needed. Taste again and adjust accordingly.

To make a party-sized cheese ball, scrape as much of the cream cheese mixture as you can from the bowl into your hands. Pat and roll in between your hands to form a ball. Roll in nuts if you are going to, reshape, and then wrap in plastic wrap. Let it firm up in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

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Monster Cookie Dough Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup oats (regular or quick)
1 cup miniature plain M&Ms
1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix cream cheese through oats together in a medium bowl until well combined. Spread the M&M’s and mini chocolate chips out on a plate. Form the mixture into a ball using your hands and roll in the M&M’s and chocolate chips. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. Serve with graham crackers, animal crackers, or vanilla wafers.

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Printable Recipe (all 4 cheese balls)
Recipe Sources:
Bacon Cheddar Ranch Cheese Ball: Bless This Mess Original
Pineapple Cheese Ball: From the The Big Cheese Deli in Columbus, Indiana
Beef and Onion Cheese Ball: Adapted from The Big Cheese Deli in Columbus, Indiana
Monster Cookie Dough Cheese Ball: Skip To My Lou