Holiday Cheese Ball
Pinterest Hidden ImagePinterest Hidden Image

December is a very busy month when it comes to entertaining. Besides Christmas, New Year’s Eve 🥳 as well as New Year’s Day, friends get together, families come visit and stay over, there’s office parties to attend, and many other excuses for gatherings.
 
As a host/hostess, we need hors d’oeuvres like canapés, amuse-bouches, pâtés, etc. When it comes to cheese, it can be integrated among other bite-sized foods, in dips along with crudités, displayed on a plate next to some mini skewers 🍢, etc.
 
Brie en Croûte, Cheese Fondue, Crab Rangoon, and Gougères are probably the most popular ones to serve during the Holidays 🎄. There’s another one that is also often seen in parties and here’s my version of it… Holiday Cheese Ball!
 
With bacon, chives, walnuts and cranberries mixed with 2 kinds of cheese, this hors oeuvre is perfect for any occasion occurring this month. It’s easy to make and the results are so delicious. It can be served with crackers, vegetables 🥬, and breads.
 
It takes very little time to make 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳 this Holiday Cheese Ball. The most important thing is to make sure the cheeses are both at room temperature. It’s pretty easy to soften the goat cheese but cream cheese can be somewhat stubborn. Next month, I’ll be posting a great trick to quickly soften it so stay tuned…
 
When the cheeses are soft enough to be evenly mixed then bacon, chives, walnuts and cranberries are added. Another ingredient that helps to balance the flavors and brings a little sweetness is honey 🍯. I highly suggest you not skip it. If you want, agave nectar can be another option.
 
After everything is blended, the cheese mixture is quickly chilled for 30 minutes so it can harden slightly before being spooned into the center of a piece of plastic wrap and formed into a ball. It is then returned to the fridge for 1 hour ⏰.
 
Later on, it’s 🧀 unwrapped and rolled into a mixture of bacon, chives, walnuts and cranberries. To make the outside layer ingredients adhere better, gently press down on them. There’s enough to evenly cover the entire ball.
 
To make sure all the yumminess sticks better on the ball, they have to be finely chopped 🔪, crumbled and sliced. The same applies when they’re mixed with the 2 cheeses and honey. It looks better and there’s no big chunks inside the cheese mixture.
 
Festive and so colorful, this tasty Holiday Cheese Ball is ideal for any event! It’s an amazing party food to serve to your guests. If you want to take things a step further, form the cheese mixture into small, individual balls and insert a pretzel stick 🥨…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Check out these other delicious party food recipes… 😀
– Mini Cheesy Sausage Balls
– Shrimp Bruschetta
– Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders
– Whipped Feta Cream Cheese Dip
– Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
– Beet Hummus
– Sweet Chili Chicken Bites
– Sardine Cups
– Baked Greek Pita Wedges
and for even more hors d’oeuvre recipes 🍣🍢, click on this link… Recipe Category • Hors d’Oeuvres/Antipasto, Canapés/Dips
 

 
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
 

Holiday Cheese Ball

Holiday Cheese Ball

Festive and colorful, this tasty Holiday Cheese Ball is such a delight! It’s a great party food to make this season…
5 from 15 votes
Print Recipe
Leave a Comment
Servings 8

Hover to scale

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

CHEESE BALL

  • 4 to 5 ounces plain goat cheese, room temperature
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature tips & tricks
  • 1 tbsp. honey tips & tricks
  • 2 tbsp. bacon, cooked and crumbled tips & tricks
  • 2 tbsp. chives, thinly sliced tips & tricks
  • 2 tbsp. walnuts, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp. dried cranberries, finely chopped

OUTSIDE LAYER

  • 2 tbsp. bacon, cooked and crumbled tips & tricks
  • 2 tbsp. walnuts, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp. chives, thinly sliced tips & tricks
  • 2 tbsp. dried cranberries, finely chopped

Directions
 

CHEESE BALL

  • Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Cover and transfer to the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Place a piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board and scoop the cheese mixture onto the center.
  • Gather the 4 corners of the film and bring them towards the middle. Holding with one hand, twist the plastic wrap and shape the cheese into a ball.
  • Transfer to the fridge for 1 hour.

OUTSIDE LAYER

  • In a small bowl, stir all the ingredients together and transfer to a plate.
  • Remove the wrap from the cheese ball and roll it in the mixture until evenly coated and covering the entire ball, pressing down gently to adhere the ingredients.
  • Enjoy immediately or wrap in plastic film and back to the fridge until ready to serve.

Don't forget to rate and comment on this recipe!