This cheese ball is the perfect appetizer to serve this holiday season! It’s fun and festive, super easy to make and is loaded with smuch flavor too!
Christmas is almost upon us loves and I cannot wait for our big family gathering! (Or the food for that matter too! 😉 ) And I just lovve that every year I’m in charge of appetizers. Usually I’ll try to make somehting new or come up with a fun meat and cheese spread but lately they’ve all been requesting one thing…cheese balls. More specifically this pomegranate and white cheddar cheese ball. (I tell ya, I made this ball one time on a whim for a different family gathering and ever since then they just can’t get enough of it. ) But who am I to deny them this ball of cheesy goodness right?! It’s so easy to make, has a ton of different flavors going on and looks absolutely stunning when it comes time to serve!
Ingredients
I think the reason I love making cheese balls for a party is because they’re just so simple! They’re minimal ingrediets (most are pretty cheap too), they take no time at all to form and mix together AND they deliver big time on flavor! For this fun holiday cheese ball you only need the six ingredients listed below!
- Cream cheese: Gives the ball it’s creaminess and holds all of your ingredients together. (I used redued fat cream cheese but any kind will work too!)
- White cheddar: Adds a ton of flavor and compliments the pomegranates so well. (You can also replace it with regular cheddar or even parmesan/asiago cheese too!)
- Green onion: Gives your cheese ball that little bit of freshness!
- Pecans: Adds some texture along with a sublte nutty flavor. (Can be replaced with walnuts or almonds.)
- Salt: Helps to bring out each individual flavor in your ball.
- Pomegranate arils: Adds flavor and freshness and makes your ball look absolutely stunning!
How to make a cheese ball
I’m not gonna lie, I used to think cheese balls were so hard to make… But they’re actually one of the easiest appetizers to put together! Here’s how you do it!
- Let the cream cheese sit out at room temperature until it’s slightly softened. Then place it in a bowl and mix it with your cheddar cheese, pecans, green onion and salt. Form the mixture into a ball and place it on a serving tray.
- Next, take a few small handfuls of your pomegranate arils and gently press them around the ball to form a “crust”. (Don’t press too hard though or they’ll burst!)
- At this point you can either serve it immediately with crackers or carefully wrap the ball in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
It’s that easy!
What do I serve with my pomegranate & white cheddar cheese ball?
- Crackers: Any type of sea salt or multigrain crackers work perfectly with this appetizer. (Honestly if you’re able to find Milten’s Gluten Free Crackers – do it! This isn’t sponsored by them in any way. I just geniuely love their super crunchy texture and they have so many good flavors too!)
- Bread slices/crostini: Serving these will make this appetizer a little heartier which is perfect if you have a large group of people to feed.
- Apple slices: I would suggest using a sweet apple like Fuji or Honeycrisp to compliment the bold flavors in your cheese ball. Also, keep the apple slices thin! (This is a great option for the more healthy conscious people in your life. 😉 )
Tips for making this cheese ball
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperture before mixing! This makes it much easier to mix all of your other ingredients together and helps the pomegranates to stick to outside too.
- Make your cheeseball ahead of time. I’ll usually make this appetizer the morning of or even the night before I know I’ll be serving it for a party. Not only does it help the falvors to blend together but it makes serving so much easier and stress free!
- Serve with extra pomegranates! I love scattering a few extra pomegrante arils around the ball and crackers when serving. It makes your spread look so pretty and your guests can enjoy even more with their crackers and cheese!
More recipes you might like:
- Easy Baked Cranberry & Brie Bites
- Mexican Street Corn Dip
- Lightened Up Green Chile Chicken Dip
- Cranberry BBQ Turkey Meatballs
- Roasted Grape, Goat Cheese & Basil Crostini
[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my social media @kalefornia_kravings – I love seeing what you create!]
Pomegranate & White Cheddar Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
- 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
- ½ cup pecans, chopped*
- ⅓ cup green onion, sliced
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1½ cups pomegranate arils, for the coating
Instructions
- Let the cream cheese sit out at room temperature until it’s slightly softened. Then place it in a bowl and mix it with your cheddar cheese, pecans, green onion and salt. Form the mixture into a large ball and place it on a serving tray.
- Next, take a few small handfuls of your pomegranate arils and press them gently around the ball to form a “crust”. (Don’t press too hard though or they’ll burst!) At this point you can either serve it immediately with crackers or carefully wrap the ball in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
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