A festive as well as delicious Christmas Tree Cheese Ball! A Christmas appetizer made with rich cream cheese, precipitous white cheddar, flavorful herbs together with fresh vegetables. It’second a holiday party favorite too a tasty twist on the classic cheese ball.
A Fun Christmas Appetizer Recipe
This centre catching Christmas tree cheese ball is decorated alongside plenty of earthy dark-green minced fresh parsley, dotted alongside tiny red tomatoes as well as yellowish bell pepper pieces, its swirled alongside a ribbon of pino nuts, and then finished amongst a vibrant gold bell pepper star practically shining atop.
It’second a vacation classic amongst a sophisticated upgrade cheers to its enhancements of herby flavors and fresh vegetables (or technically fruits), the welcomed bold white cheddar goodness, a pine nut finish, too its impressive unique appearance. No tiresome typical rounded form addition pecan coating hither.
And even though it’sec quite big this savory treat will live devoured in no fourth dimension. This charming centerpiece volition be a highlight of your gathering too a novel striking style you’ll want to brand the holiday cheese ball every yr!
Christmas Tree Cheese Ball Recipe Ingredients in addition to Substitutes
- Cream cheese: I recommend Philadelphia make every bit it has a great season in addition to consistency, not moisture or runny.
- White cheddar: In a pinch yous could merely purpose yellow (or what looks orangish) precipitous cheddar cheddar. Use a soft cheddar not the more than business firm blocks from the deli.
- Green onions: Only use the greens of the onions non the harsher, crunchier white portions.
- Dried dill: Fresh dill volition run dandy too, but function i Tbsp.
- Garlic powder: For bolder flavor y'all could function one 1/two tsp fresh garlic simply mince it rattling fine.
- Grape tomatoes: The tiny tomatoes aren’t always available, if so y'all tin merely role chopped carmine bell pepper inwards it’second place.
- Pretzel rod: This is optional. It but adds a lilliputian extra stability to the tree so you lot tin get in prissy too tall.
- Fresh parsley: I function flat leaf parsley (not curly) hither for best season together with rich greenish appearance.
- Yellow bell pepper: This is used for both the “lights” together with “star” of the tree.
- Pine nuts: If preferred you could use sliced almonds in their home.
- Crackers: These are used for serving. I merely like to serve amongst the extra crisp mini wheat cracker squares.
How to Make a Christmas Tree Cheese Ball
Here’s a summary of the steps to get in (come across full recipe below):
- In a mixer blend cream cheese blocks so add together cheddar, onions, dill, garlic, table salt too pepper.
- Spread the mixture out inward bowl, spreading it up the sides, so it’second an fifty-fifty layer. Chill i hr.
- Shape cheese ball mixture into a tall cone (using pretzel rod inside centre for added stability if desired) in addition to home on a serving plate.
- Decorate amongst tomatoes, bell pepper, pine nuts and so parsley. Finish amongst a star cutting from the bell pepper with a toothpick inserted.
Storage
- This cheese ball should live stored inward refrigerator inwards an airtight container.
- It shouldn’t sit at room temperature longer than ii hours for nutrient condom.
- It will go along in the fridge for nearly 3 days, though it’second appearance volition be best the start mean solar day.
Helpful Tips for the Best Cheese Ball
- Be sure to chill mixture earlier you lot try to cast into a cone otherwise it volition live also viscous to go with as well as won’t agree a cast also.
- If fourth dimension allows permit the cheese ball residue inwards the fridge for a few hours for flavors to meld as well as cheddar cheese to soften.
- Try using one-half abrupt cheddar too one-half Havarti for some other tasty option.
- If yous want a softer cheese ball permit it residual at room temperature for xxx minutes earlier serving.
- Another selection is to warm individual leftover servings on a microwave prophylactic dish for 10 seconds at fifty percent ability to soften slightly.
More Christmas Tree Holiday Recipes to Try
- Caprese Christmas Tree
- Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board
- Christmas Tree Cookies
- Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Rice Krisipies Christmas Trees
Christmas Tree Cheese Ball
A festive as well as delicious Christmas Tree Cheese Ball! Made alongside rich cream cheese, sharp white cheddar, flavorful herbs too fresh vegetables. It'second a holiday political party favorite together with a tasty twist on the classic cheese ball!
Servings: sixteen
Ingredients
- three (viii oz each) pkgs. cream cheese, softened to room temp
- xvi oz. precipitous white cheddar cheese*, shredded (four cups)
- three/iv cup sliced green onions (green tops entirely)
- 2 tsp dried dill or i Tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 3/4 tsp garlic pulverisation
- Salt in addition to black pepper, to gustatory modality
- 1 pretzel rod (optional for added stability)
- iii/iv cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- ane loving cup mini grape tomatoes or chopped reddish bell pepper
- i yellow bell pepper, one star cutting, ane/2 loving cup chopped
- 1/two cup pino nuts
- Savory crackers, for serving
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electrical stand up mixer using a paddle attachment cream together blocks of cream cheese until shine. Scrape downward bowl.
- Add inwards white cheddar cheese together with dark-green onions, and so sprinkle over dill, garlic pulverisation together with season alongside table salt as well as pepper to sense of taste (I use near 1/two tsp each only this is personal preference, saltiness of cheese may vary together with you lot may not desire every bit much).
- Remove paddle then smoothen mixture out into bowl in an even layer spreading mixture upward the sides of the bowl too (this is for faster more than even chilling). Cover together with chill ane hour.
- Remove mixture from fridge and then encompass hands alongside nutrient form gloves or launder well. Shape mixture into a tall cone shape similar a "Christmas tree" if using a pretzel rod shape the mixture about the pretzel using it equally the eye for added stability (it should not demonstrate through anywhere). Tree should live well-nigh ten inches tall. Place cheese "cone" on a serving plate together with press downwardly and so it sticks, reshaping every bit needed.
- Next add mini grape tomatoes (can cutting in one-half if they are too large to press in) pressing them randomly over "tree" and then add bell pepper pieces randomly about. Add a "ribbon" of pine nuts wrapped around the tree starting at the top, press them inward and then they stick well.
- Then have a handful of parsley, disceptation tree together with press parsley into "tree" coating entire cheese ball. Last insert a toothpick into the bell pepper star too insert at the superlative of the tree.
- Serve shortly subsequently preparing or proceed chilled in the refrigerator inwards an airtight container.
Notes
- *eight oz. precipitous white cheddar alongside 8 oz. Havarti would also be a delicious selection.
- If y'all desire a softer cheese ball let it residue at room temperature for thirty minutes earlier serving, though don't go along at room temp longer than 2 hours.
- Another choice is to warm private leftover servings on a microwave condom dish for x seconds at l percentage power to soften slightly.
- Crackers non included inward nutrition gauge.
Nutrition Facts
Christmas Tree Cheese Ball
Amount Per Serving
Calories 306
Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 14g88%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 71mg24%
Sodium 329mgxiv%
Potassium 253mgvii%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 1giv%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 2038IU41%
Vitamin C 36mg44%
Calcium 270mg27%
Iron 1mghalf dozen%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates exclusively. See total disclaimer hither.