Description
A crowd-pleasing cheese ball made with a creamy blend of cheddar, Mexican cheese, and cream cheese, rolled in toasted almonds for a crunchy finish. Perfect for holiday parties and parties, served with crackers at room temperature.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheddar Cheese
- ½ cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Mexican Cheese Blend
- ½ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
Cream Cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise (store-bought or homemade)
Seasonings
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried chives or ¼ cup minced fresh chives
<h4Coating
- ½ cup salted and roasted sliced almonds or chopped pecans
Instructions
- Prepare the filling: In a food processor or stand mixer, mix the shredded cheddar, shredded Mexican cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, and chives until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Shape the ball: Wrap the mixture tightly in plastic wrap and form into a round ball. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours to firm up.
- Coat the exterior: Roll the chilled cheese ball in the toasted nuts until evenly coated on all sides.
- Serve: Remove from the fridge about 15 minutes before serving to reach room temperature for easier spreading; serve with crackers.
Notes
- Don’t skip the crunchy coating; it provides a great contrast to the creamy center.
- For fun shapes, try forming the cheese ball into a football, pumpkin, Christmas tree, or log.
- Do not let the cheese ball sit out for more than 2 hours. If entertaining for longer, place it over a bowl of ice to extend its time outside the fridge.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cheese ball, cheddar, cream cheese, party appetizer, holiday recipe, crackers, no-bake
