Classic Cheese Ball Recipe - Build Your Bite (2024)
By: Author Joy Shull
Posted on Last updated:
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This classic cheese ball recipe is made with cream cheese, green onions, and sharp cheddar cheese. A must have appetizer for the holidays!
This is the best cheese ball recipe!
This is my go to recipe for an easy and tasty cheese ball that only uses simple ingredients and comes together in just a few minutes.A classic favorite that is always a hit for the holidays!
A cheese ball is a delicious addition to any holiday party, and a tradition that I grew up with, like many others did.
This delicious appetizer is so flavorful and has that perfect contrast of crunch in the pecans. Fresh green onions, cream cheese, and a few simple spices add just the right amount of flavor for every bite.
It is so good we made a Pimento Cheese Ball and Pumpkin Cheese Ball version too!
Step 1: First, allow your cream cheese to soften for a few minutes. You will need two blocks of cream cheese.
Step 2: Once softened, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, fresh chopped green onions, salt, and pepper until combined with a hand mixer.
Step 3: Grate 8 oz of sharp cheddar cheese and beat that in.I always recommend that you take the extra few minutes to grate your cheese fresh. It really makes all the difference in flavor.
Step 4: Cover and chill the filling mixture in the fridge for around an hour or so to firm it up. This will help make it easier to form the cheese ball.
If you want to make this ahead, you can leave the batter overnight in the fridge, then just finish rolling and shaping it right before serving.
Step 5: Once you are ready to make the cheese ball, use greased hands and a spatula to form the mixture into a ball shape.
I first shaped the ball roughly with a spatula then sprayed my hands with olive oil spray to finish shaping it and that worked perfectly.Oiling your hands will help keep the cheese from sticking too much to you.
Step 6: Next, roll the cheese ball in the pecan pieces until it is coated on all sides. You need about a cup of chopped up pecans.
Step 7: Just place the chopped pecans in a bowl and roll the cheese ball until it is totally covered in chopped nuts on all sides. Your cheese ball is now ready to serve!
Tips for Success
Grate the cheese yourself: Don’t skip grating the cheese yourself! The extra flavor and texture are just right for this recipe.I used sharp cheddar cheese, but medium cheddar would work just as well.
Buy pecan pieces: To save time, buy your pecans in pieces so you don’t have to spend time chopping them up.
Use a butter knife to serve this cheese ball
Refrigerate until ready to serve: do not leave this out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
What crackers to serve with this Cheese Ball Recipe
Personally, ritz crackers are my favorite cracker to serve with a cheese ball, but pretty much any cracker is going to be delicious!
triscuits
pita chips
wheat thins
pretzel chips
other crackers
How to store a Cheese Ball
Leftover cheese ball can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. I doubt they will last that long though. In our house any leftovers are quickly devoured!
More Appetizers You’ll Love
Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
Creamy Spinach Dip
Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
Homemade Veggie Dip
Pimento Cheese Spread
Sour Cream Potato Chip Dip
Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip
Crock Pot Bean Dip
Crock Pot Queso Dip
Are you making this recipe? I want to see! Don’t forget to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!
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Yield: 1 cheese ball
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour15 minutes
This classic cheese ball recipe is always a favorite appetizer for the holidays!
Ingredients
16 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup fresh green onions, minced or finely diced
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 cup pecan pieces**
Instructions
Beat together the softened cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, green onions, salt, and pepper until combined
Grate the cheddar cheese block fresh
Beat in the sharp cheddar cheese
Cover and chill the cheese ball mixture for around an hour, until it begins to firm
Use a spatula and greased hands to form the cheese ball shape, then roll it in the pecans until it is coated on all sides
Serve with your favorite crackers and enjoy!
Notes
Start with one cup of pecan pieces for rolling, and add more if necessary.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 - 5 days
Your cheese ball is too runny: Once you have added all the extras, and it's all mixed in well, if the texture is more salad dressing-like than something you might spread on a bagel, you can tighten it up easily by adding unsalted butter, one tablespoon at a time, mixing before you add more.
"According to legend," writes Michelle Buffardi, author of Great Balls of Cheese, "the first cheese ball in recorded history was made in 1801 by Elisha Brown, Jr. on his farm and presented to President Thomas Jefferson" at the White House.
Remove cheese ball from the fridge 30 minutes before serving so the cheese has time to soften and become more spreadable. Why is my cheese ball too soft? A cheese ball can be too soft if reduced fat or nonfat cream cheese is used. Stick to regular, full fat block-style cream cheese.
What to Serve with Cheese Ball. That's an important question and I obviously have a strong opinion. Here are some options: Crackers – Ritz Crackers, Wheat Thins, Multi-Grain, Milton's.
Cover the cheeseball in cling wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour to allow it to firm up. Take it out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving to allow it to soften just slightly.
For a cheese dip or sauce, the addition of cornstarch serves a similar function: Starch molecules absorb water and expand, not only thickening the liquid phase of the sauce, but also physically preventing the proteins from binding into long, tangled strands and the fats from separating out and pooling.
The earliest mention was found in a 1944 cookbook called "Food of My Friends". The recipe came from a Minnesota housewife. A "cheeseball" also refers to someone trying to be funny or corny. Cheese Balls are a great snack for a home movie night.
A cheese ball is classic party food that always hits guests. They are easy to make and can be customized to your taste with different cheeses and toppings. Cheese balls are also relatively healthy, as they are made with natural ingredients and do not contain any preservatives or artificial flavors.
Why is my cheese ball so hard? You want your cheese ball to be firm enough to hold its shape, but soft enough to allow for easy spreading. To achieve this consistency, the key is making sure your cream cheese is softened before preparing.
One of the most common reasons for a dry, crumbly texture in cheese though is over acidification. This means that through one or more steps the acid in your cheese has been allowed to over develop, reducing the amount of protein in the cheese, causing it to become more brittle.
Thing is, once cheese is heated too far beyond its melting point, the proteins firm up and squeeze out moisture—the same way protein does in meat. When this occurs you're left with rubbery, clumpy bits of cheese protein that separate from the fat and moisture.
Storing in Fridge: If you start with fresh ingredients, you can store the cheese ball in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Cover any leftovers with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. How to Freeze: I prefer a freshly made cheese ball, BUT you can freeze cheese balls.
Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.
Egg yolk.Grated cheese. Grated cheese, such as cheddar or parmesan, can also act as a thickener in a cheese sauce and becomes a great binding agent in the cooking process.
As cheese is pushed out of the can, shear rate increases causing a decrease in viscosity and higher flow rates of the material. In this case, the cheese behaves more as a fluid.
The basic building blocks of cheese are milk protein (casein), water, fat, and salt. When heated, the protein molecules break apart and become fluid. Melting, a phase change from a solid to a liquid isn't really happening, the cheese becomes fluid, much like what happens to plastic when it's heated.
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