There always seems to be something about the cheese ball that makes it become the perfect addition to any holiday get-together. There seems to be a debate happening every year concerning what type is best but what you need to realize is that the cheese ball and all of its glorious flavor can be turned up a notch by simply adding the best compliment for serving it. So if you plan to use the perfect cheese ball recipe for your next holiday gathering, try these. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
Sliced Apples and Pears
When you combine fruit with cheese you are just asking for a flavor explosion! The firm fruit makes it easy to spread the cheese and it will hold together as you dip them too. Having a ball of cheese made of blue cheese is perfect for pear slices and cheddar has been known to compliment apple slices pretty nicely.
Crostini
A perfect addition to any cheese spread. The crostini is nothing more than thin slices of baguette that gets toasted and drizzled by way of olive oil. When they’re nice and crunchy you just spread your cheese over them and enjoy.
Crudite
When a platter of crudité is added you can expect great flavors to come of your ball of cheese. Keeping it simple will make any celery and carrots look delectable. You can also change it up by using other vegetables like radishes, cauliflower, fennel, or broccoli.
Mini Bagels
What bagel do you know of that doesn’t have some sort of cheese on it. Especially when it’s a ball of cream cheese! This is why it not only makes sense but it’s another winning combination. When you introduce mini bagels, you are providing a perfect snacking size every time. You can also have them toasted or not or have a little of both to suit your guests’ wants.
Pretzels or Mini Pretzels
No matter what size pretzels you utilize, you can never go wrong with adding a ball of cheese to them. They are perfect for dipping and a knife is not needed for serving.
Potato Wedges Roasted with Garlic
With so many choice ingredients to add to your ball of cheese, having an addition of potato wedges roasted with garlic will enhance the cheese especially if it includes onion.
Dried Fruit and Nut Biscuits
These biscuits are similar to biscotti and provide a texture that is crunchy along with a hint of sweetness. They make a perfect pair to any cheese ball comprised of Brie or goat cheese. Because Brie is more spreadable you should use it as the base while having the goat cheese shredded for the outer coating.
Traditional Buttered Crackers
When adding traditional buttered crackers, you add an additional butter flavor to the rich and creamy cheese with every bite. Because of their thickness, they are perfect for balls of cheese made with Gouda, Cheddar, Gruyere, and Comte. Remember, if you plan to use Comte, keep it refrigerated prior to it being served as well as peeling off the Gouda cheese’s coating prior to making the ball of cheese.
The Croccantini Cracker
The Croccantini cracker was introduced by the La Panzanella bakery as a crunchy and thin cracker. It beautifully pairs with any type of cheese so your options are limitless when you pair it to your cheese ball recipe. To have an even easier service you can include mini Croccantini’s and just surround your ball of cheese with as many as you want.
Interested in more delicious cheese ball recipes? Try these, too!
- Country French Cheese Ball
- Thanksgiving Cheese Ball
- Sweet Potato Balls (Okay, they not cheese balls, but they are round and will look great served next to one!)
Cheese Ball
- Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
- 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 Tablespoon diced onion
- 1 Tablespoon chopped green bell pepper
- ¼ Tablespoon seasoning salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Mix together the cream cheese, pineapple, onion, bell pepper and seasoning salt.
- Form into a ball and roll in chopped pecans. Chill and serve with butter crackers.
- Prep Time: 5
