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Festive Mini Cheese Ball Appetizers

With four options to choose from, everyone will find a flavour to enjoy. WARNING: These are addictive and may be a go-to recipe year round.

Festive Mini Cheese Ball Appetizers

With four options to choose from, everyone will find a flavour to enjoy. WARNING: These are addictive and may be a go-to recipe year round.
Festive Mini Cheese Ball Appetizers

Prep Time

20 min

Total Time

30 min

Serves

20–24 cheese balls

Print

Ingredients

Cheese Ball Appetizers:

250g cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

½ tsp garlic powder

For serving: pretzel sticks

 

Savoury:

2x slices double smoked bacon

3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

 

Herb & Walnut:

3 tbsp chopped walnuts

3 tbsp minced basil

3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

1x garlic cloves, grated

 

Cranberry Almond:

6 tbsp dried cranberries

3 tbsp chopped slivered almonds (substitute pecans if preferred)

 

Panko Bread Crumbs & Cheese:

½ tbsp olive oil

¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

3 tbsp minced chives

3 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. To a bowl add softened cream cheese, grated cheddar cheese and garlic powder. Mix well to combine.
  2. Divide cream cheese mixture into 4 small bowls. You will have one bowl per type of mini cheese ball.
  3. Prepare the other ingredients for each type of cheese ball below
  4. Finally, serve with crackers or pop a pretzel stick in the top of each for easy serving.

 

Savoury:

  1. Cook the bacon until crispy. Then pulse in a blender or food processor to get small ‘bacon bits.’ You can also chop with a knife if you don’t have a blender or food processor.
  2. Mix 3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese into one of the cream cheese bowls. Then scoop out 5-6 heaping tablespoons of this mixture; form into a ball with your hands and roll in the bacon bits. *Tip: Dampen hands with a little water if mixture is sticking when trying to roll into mini cheeseballs or put mixture in the fridge for a few minutes before rolling.

 

Herb & Walnut:

  1. To one of the cream cheese bowls stir in 1 ½ tbsp of minced basil, grated clove of garlic and 3 tbsp of shredded parmesan cheese.
  2. Mix the remaining minced basil and chopped walnuts together in a bowl.
  3. Then scoop out 5-6 heaping tablespoons of this mixture; form into a ball with your hands and roll in the walnut-basil mixture.

 

Cranberry-Almond:

  1. In a food processor pulse 6 tbsp of dried cranberries to smaller pieces. If this doesn’t work, try chopping with a knife.
  2. To one of the cream cheese bowls stir in 3 tbsp of the chopped dried cranberries.
  3. Mix the remaining chopped dried cranberries and 3 tbsp chopped slivered almonds together in a bowl.
  4. Then scoop out 5-6 heaping tablespoons of this mixture; form into a ball with your hands and roll in the dried cranberry-almond mixture.

 

Panko Bread Crumbs & Cheese:

  1. To a small frying pan add ½ tbsp olive oil and stir in ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs. Cook until breadcrumbs start to brown, stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
  2. To the final cream cheese bowl, stir in 3 tbsp minced chives and 3 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese.
  3. Then scoop out 5-6 heaping tablespoons of this mixture; form into a ball with your hands and roll in the panko breadcrumbs mixture.

TIPS

Make these ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Take out 30 minutes before serving to warm to room temperature.

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