Olive Cheeseball
I love this time of the year! Whether it’s a holiday, game day or dinner with friends, it seems like there is always a reason to serve my favorite appetizers! I love to serve Olive Cheesebread, Neiman Marcus Dip, Creamy Baked Onion Dip, and this Olive Cheeseball at gatherings. These appetizers all work no matter what style of gathering you are having, whether it is a casual game day in the living room, or a dress to impress cocktail hour.
Cheeseballs have a fun kind of retro vibe, and you don’t see them all that often on appetizer tables. But I think they are due for a comeback, everyone seems to love a cheeseball, and you can really make it your own by tweaking the recipe to suit your tastes!
HOW DO YOU MAKE A CHEESE BALL?
Making a cheese ball is easy, and can be done the day before your gathering which makes it the perfect appetizer for the busy holiday season!
- Combine your recipe ingredients ( cream cheese, olives, cheese, onion, Worcestershire, and spices), You can use a food processor or stand mixer, whichever you prefer.
- Form the cheeseball into a ball. Use the opposite corners of a piece of plastic wrap to bring the sides of the cheeseball mixture together to begin to form a ball, when it has come together in the center of the plastic wrap, use your hands against the plastic wrap, and gently press the mixture into a round. Lift up the remaining plastic, one piece at a time, and cover all sides of the cheese round. Shape it into a ball. Collect all the plastic pieces at the top and twist them together. Check out my video here to see how to shape a cheeseball!
- Chill at least 8 hours
- Roll the cheeseball in the coating
- remove from the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before serving, to make it easy for guests to spread on crackers.
- Serve with an assortment of crackers.
HOW LONG DOES A CHEESE BALL LAST?
A homemade cheeseball made with fresh herbs, and an assortment of additions that has been stored in the refrigerator will be good for about a 24-48 hours. For the sake of food safety, once your cheeseball has been set it out for guests, after 2 hours any unused portions should be discarded. Potentially harmful microorganisms multiply rapidly at room temperature in foods such as soft cheese, so pay careful attention to the time when you set out your cheese ball.
THE BEST WAY TO SERVE A CHEESEBALL
If you have made your cheeseball in advance let it sit out at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. This will let the cheeseball warm up slightly so it’s not only more easily spreadable, but it will also taste better — the flavors really come alive and shine when the cheeseball is softer. Serve your cheeseball with crackers, toasted crostini, veggies, pretzels, or toasted bagel chips.
Olive Cheeseball
This olive cheese ball is a fun and festive appetizer for your holiday parties. Easy to make and always a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
For Cheeseball
- 16 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup green olives chopped small
- 1/2 cup black olives chopped small
- 1 cup mozzarella shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 2 green onions chopped small
For Coating
- 1/4 cup green olives chopped small
- 2 TBSPs parsley chopped small
- 1/4 cup pecans chopped small
- 1 TBSP parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix together the ingredients for the cheeseball, add the red pepper flakes last starting with 1/4 of a teaspoon and add more adjust to taste if desired.
- Spread out a large piece of saran wrap. Place the mixture into the middle of it and and then using the saran wrap form it into a ball. Chill for 8 hours.
- Combine all the coating ingredients. Before serving, remove the saran wrap from the cheeseball and roll the and pat the coating on the cheeseball to cover completley.
- Serve with crackers.
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Recipe Adapted from Wine and Glue
For more cheeseball basics check out How To Make a Cheese Ball & How Long Does a Cheese Ball Last Before It Goes Bad?
