Easy Homemade Cheese Ball Recipe

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gallo Family Vineyards for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Made with three types of cheeses and a little bit of “everything” else, this holiday cheese ball recipe is a party guest favorite. This recipe makes two cheese balls, one to serve now and another to share.

This week, my husband and I are both invited to separate “bring-a-dish” holiday events, and we’re sure not interested in cooking twice.

Who has time for complicated kitchen shenanigans this busy time of year?

So, I’m making this easy cheese ball recipe — because it’s everybody’s favorite and it makes two party-sized cheese balls.

Add a box of crackers and a bottle of wine, and you’re party ready.

With so many holiday obligations, why make things hard on yourself with complicated recipes and party plans? A simple recipe like this leaves time for the more important aspects of the holiday season… like sharing fun meals, memories and wine with special friends and family.

My friend, Amy, shared this cheese ball recipe with me 15 years ago after she brought it for the annual “Goodie Day” celebration at our office. Goodie Day was a big deal at the newspaper where we worked, and this cheese ball with everything was always one of the most-requested recipes. And there were never any leftovers at the end of the day.

We invited some old newspaper friends and others over for a casual Christmas get-together recently. Amy’s cheese ball made the menu lineup for several reasons:

• It’s simple and quick to make
• It’s darn tasty
• It’s always popular
• It looks festive

How to Make a Cheese Ball

As the name implies, this cheese ball has a little bit of everything in it:

• cream cheese
• sour cream
• cheddar cheese
• Swiss cheese
• hot sauce
• sweet pickle relish
• onion
• bacon
• pecans
• parsley
• poppy seeds

If you’re looking to save a few calories, you can use reduced fat or reduced calorie cream cheese and sour cream, as well as 2 percent cheese for this recipe. But I wouldn’t recommend using fat free.

You’ll find the full recipe, with exact ingredients, at the end of this post.

To make this cheese ball recipe, you’ll start off by mixing cream cheese, shredded cheeses, sour cream, hot sauce, relish, onion and half the bacon together.

Then use wax paper to roll the mixture into two balls. Place those in the refrigerator until firm.

Remove from the cheese balls refrigerator and coat them in a mixture of the remaining bacon crumbles, pecans, parsley and poppy seeds.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

During the holidays, I love to keep delicious appetizers like this cheese ball on hand to serve at those impromptu get-togethers with friends and family.

I also stock up on my favorite Gallo Family Vineyard Wines varietals, like Cabernet Sauvignon and Moscato, for effortless entertaining.

Visit Gallo Family Wines to find out where to buy these varietals and others. Also, be sure to visit the Gallo Family Vineyards Facebook for more holiday entertaining ideas.

5 from 1 vote

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Cheese Ball with Everything

Prep Time

15 mins

Total Time

15 mins

 

Made with three types of cheese and a little bit of "everything" else, this homemade cheese ball recipe is a party guest favorite. The recipe makes two cheese balls, so you can serve one and share one.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: 30 servings

Calories: 144 kcal

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 2 cups grated Swiss cheese
• Few dashes of hot sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sweet pickle relish
• ¼ cup chopped white or yellow onion
• 10 slices of bacon crumbled
• ½ cup pecan pieces
• 2-3 Tablespoons parsley flakes
• 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

Instructions

1. Mix cream cheese, shredded cheeses, sour cream, hot sauce, relish, onion and half the bacon together.
2. Using wax paper, roll into two balls and refrigerate, covered, until firm.
3. Remove from the refrigerator and coat in a mixture of remaining bacon crumbles, pecans, parsley and poppy seeds.
4. Refrigerate several hours.
5. Serve at room temperature with crackers.

Recipe Notes

This recipe makes two cheese balls.

Nutrition Facts

Cheese Ball with Everything

Amount Per Serving

Calories 144 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 31mg10%

Sodium 144mg6%

Potassium 63mg2%

Carbohydrates 1g0%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 295IU6%

Vitamin C 0.3mg0%

Calcium 134mg13%

Iron 0.2mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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