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Best Christmas Cheese Ball is the perfect pairing for any party; made with cream cheese, smoked Gouda, sharp white cheddar cheese, garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, orange-flavored Cranberries, and pecans. Furthermore, this festive cheese ball will delight your guests. Moreover, the ingredients create a colorful presentation and a savory combination of flavors. As a result, it’s creamy, sweet, spicy, and is studded with pecans and orange-flavored Cranberries. Scoop it up with almond chips, but it can also be served with chutney, jam, or other high-quality crackers. 

WHAT ARE CHEESE BALLS?

Cheese balls are back and it’s an amazing burst of creativity and flavors.  The creamy orbs are an incredibly easy party appetizer to make, chill, and serve. Whether they are made with cream cheese, smoked Gouda, sharp white cheddar, garlic, onion, chives, Worcestershire sauce, dried orange-flavored cranberries, and rolled into pecans. Set one out with a tray of crackers, grilled baguette slices, or vegetable sticks, and great for holiday parties.

It complements most meals and it is so easy to prepare, and dress up with a variety of garnishes. 

CHEESE BALL ORIGIN

In the first place, it is believed The First Cheese Ball Recipe was printed in 1944 – “According to legend,” writes Michelle Buffard, author of Great Balls of Cheese, “the first cheese ball in recorded history was made in 1801 by Eisha Brown, Jr. (in the town of Cheshire, MA, sent a 1,000-pound cheese ball) on his farm and presented to President Thomas Jefferson” at the White House. The earliest mention was found in a 1944 cookbook called “Food of My Friends.”

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHRISTMAS CHEESE BALL

Other than toasting the pecans, there’s no cooking involved. You can make this cheese ball and serve it right away or refrigerate it for later! In addition, this cheeseball will keep in the refrigerator (wrapped in plastic) for up to a week.

Not to mention, this cheese ball is awesome served with a hearty cracker like almond crackers, whole wheat crackers, etc. In either case, it’s very portable making it great for gathering with friends or for your holiday office parties.

THINGS YOU WILL NEED:

• cream cheese
• smoked gouda
• sharp white cheddar cheese or gruyere cheese shredded
• dried orange flavored-craisins
• Worcestershire Sauce
• fresh chives
• Johnny’s garlic spread seasoning
• onion grated or powder
• lemon
• pecans, toasted

Hot paprika, often called pimenton or smoked Spanish paprika, is made from peppers that are smoked and dried over oak fires for several weeks. This process gives the red powder a smoky flavor. You can find this smoked variety in mild, medium-hot, and hot.

History of Paprika

Paprika is a spice made from the ground chiles of the genus Capsicum annuum. Paprika chiles are indigenous to the Americas, and both the Portuguese and the Spanish brought them back to the Old World. Up until the 1920s, paprika was generally only found “hot”. This same seasoning is perfect for Spanish Paella.

Paprika partners well with allspice, caraway, cardamom, garlic, ginger, oregano, parsley, pepper, rosemary, saffron, thyme, and turmeric.

Tools You Will Need:

• Food Processor
• Rubber Spatula
• Mixing bowls
• Saran wrap

Best Christmas Cheese Ball

INGREDIENTS

• 2- 8 ounce cream cheese
• 8 ounces smoked gouda
• 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese
• 2 tsp Johnny’s garlic spread seasoning
• 1 tsp onion, grated or powder
• 2 tbsp Spanish hot smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup chives, fresh
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 cup orange-flavored orange-flavored cranberries
• 1 cups pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped
• Crackers or crudites (for serving)

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine cream cheese and cheddar cheese and beat with an electric mixer. It’s helpful if the cream cheese is at room temperature.
2. Mix garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce.
3. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator, until firm (this usually takes a few hours).
4. Shape cheese into a ball and cover completely and tightly with a generous amount of plastic wrap. Cover more with aluminum foil.
5. Refrigerate cheese ball for at least 24 hours (and up to 3 days) before serving.
6. Remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before serving. Take off the plastic wrap and foil. Roll the ball in the finely chopped pecans until the entire outer surface is completely covered with the nuts.
7. Place the ball in the center of a serving dish, and surround it with assorted crackers. Include a soft cheese knife for easy serving.

NOTES

• If you don’t have a food processor, you can mix the ingredients in a large bowl with a spoon. It will take longer, but work the same!

• Be sure to cover the whole cheese ball in plastic wrap so that it’s secure.

• Let the cheese ball come to room temperature before adding the toppings.
• If you don’t have hot paprika you can substitute cayene pepper will do the trick.

• Other variants; dried cherries and pistachios; dried apricots and almonds.

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