The Best Spicy Cheese Ball Recipe For The Holidays

It's day 5 of the 12 Days Of Christmas 2018 event and the theme is Holiday Party Food Ideas. I'm sharing a recipe that is so popular in my house that if I don't serve it during the holidays, or any gathering for that matter, I hear about it. One ingredient makes this the best spicy cheese ball recipe for the holidays EVER plus make it festive by shaping it into a Christmas ornament.

Best Ever Spicy Ornament Cheese Ball For The Holidays

Spicy Cheese Ball For The Holidays


Welcome to Day 5 of the Fourth Annual 12 Days of Christmas Series!
DIY Christmas Ideas and Recipes you can use this year! DIY Christmas Decor and Games Ideas #12daysofChristmas

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GO HERE for the complete list of Dates and Topics plus a collection of most popular holiday ideas including ornaments, games, recipes, and more from all 50 plus talented bloggers!

It's Day 5 and we are sharing Holiday Party Food Ideas!

12 Days of Christmas recap

DIY Gift Ideas - Upcycled Basket Holiday Hostess Gift
DIY Christmas Countdown - Christmas Countdown Santa Cottage
DIY Kid's Crafts - Easy Snowflake Craft To Make With Your Grandkids
Holiday Party Food - Spicy Cheese Ball For The Holidays (You Are Here)
DIY Ornament Ideas - Three Unique Recycled Sweater Ornaments
Holiday Decor Ideas - Milk and Cookies Tray For Santa
Christmas In A Jar - Retro North Pole Christmas Diorama
Pretty Gift Wrapping Ideas - Eco-Friendly Holiday Gift Wrap and DIY Gift Tags
Christmas Trees - Sparkly Red Burlap Tabletop Christmas Trees
Something Sweet - Family Holiday Favorite Walnut Strudel Cookies
Stockings - Unique High Heel Christmas Stocking For A Fashionista


So what is the secret ingredient that makes this spicy cheese ball the best? 

Sharp cold packed cheddar cheese. I've tried it with other types of cheddar and it is not the same. I've yet to taste a cheese ball as good as this recipe.

Does this spicy cheese ball pack the heat?

It has just the right amount of spices to give it a punch of flavor without the heat. I can't eat really spicy food and I tolerate this recipe with no problem.

You'll find the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.

Family Favorite Spicy Christmas Ornament Cheese Ball

Steps to Making A Spicy Christmas Ornament Cheese Ball

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this recipe. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Ingredients to make the spicy cheese ball

Spicy Christmas Ornament Cheese Ball Ingredients

Step 1 - Dice the cheese

Spicy Christmas Cheese Ball diced cheese for food processor

Step 2 - Combine the ingredients in a food processor

I used a small Kitchen Aid Artisan Food Chopper on the puree setting and it works fine.

Spicy Christmas Ornament Cheese Ball Pureed Ingredients

Step 3 - Form into a ball

Form into a flat ball.

Spicy Christmas Ornament Cheese Ball Formed Into Ball

Step 4 - Roll cheese ball in spices on waxed paper

Garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary and cranberries and serve with heavy crackers.

Spicy Christmas Ornament Cheese Ball Recipe

Can I make this cheese ball ahead of time?

This cheese ball is even more flavorful when made the day before. Wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

What crackers are best served with this cheese ball?

I would recommend you serve the cheese ball with a heavier more dense cracker. Serve with a Ritz cracker-like shown above, Triscuit crackers, or Table Water Crackers to name a few.

Other ideas for serving the cheeseball

I split the cheese ball in half to make two cheese balls. I serve one and have the other in the fridge to replenish as needed.

Another option is making individual mini cheese balls for guests to put on their plates. This is a real hit but you'll need to double the recipe!

Yield: 48 8g servings
Author:

Spicy Christmas Ornament Cheese Ball

Spicy Cheese Ball Recipe For The Holidays

This recipe is so popular at my house that if I don't serve it during the holidays, I hear about it! One ingredient makes this the best spicy cheese ball ever without the heat.
prep time: 15 M cook time: total time: 15 M

ingredients:

  • 250 gram Sharp Cold Packed Cheddar Cheese
  • 125 g Cream Cheese or 1/2 package
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Tabasco Sauce
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp Paprika

instructions:

How To Make The Spicy Cheese Ball

  1. Dice cheddar and cream cheese and place it in a food processor.
  2. Add lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, and garlic powder.
  3. Puree until soft and smooth.
  4. Shape into a flat ball.
  5. Put aside 1-2 tbsp of mixture and refrigerate.
  6. Combine chili powder and paprika in a small bowl and mix together.
  7. Sprinkle spice mixture onto waxed paper.
  8. Roll to coat cheese ball on the sides and top.
  9. Wrap in waxed paper and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
  10. When ready to serve, spread the extra cheese ball mixture onto 3-4 crackers.
  11. Place crackers on the top of the cheese ball to form an ornament stem.
  12. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs and cranberries.
  13. Serve with a thicker cracker.
Calories
30.53
Fat (grams)
2.65
Sat. Fat (grams)
1.51
Carbs (grams)
0.38
Fiber (grams)
0.04
Net carbs
0.34
Sugar (grams)
0.13
Protein (grams)
1.37
Sodium (milligrams)
44.53
Cholesterol (grams)
7.79
Nutritional information is for the cheese ball only and does not include the cracker nutritional value.
Created using The Recipes Generator


I have no doubt that if you serve this spicy cheese ball, your guests will be asking for the recipe.


Spicy Christmas Ornament Cheese Ball Favorite

Scroll down for more Holiday Party Food Ideas for your holiday season.




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Comments

  1. BlissNovember 8, 2019 at 5:38:00 AM MST

    Pinned. I love cheese balls, dips, almost any kind of appetizer, and when I make 'em to take someplace I don't even care if they don't get eaten because of too much other food, I'll bring it home and eat the whole darn ball myself. Explains a couple things too, mainly my left thigh and my right one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marie-Interior FrugalistaNovember 8, 2019 at 7:13:00 AM MST

      Pssssst, just between you and me, that's why I like to split it into two cheese balls. One on the table for guests, the other in the fridge for me with finger's crossed they don't finish the first one. LOL

      Delete
  2. MarilynsTreatsNovember 17, 2019 at 9:08:00 AM MST

    Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. kim@servingupsouthernNovember 18, 2019 at 8:44:00 PM MST

    Hi Marie!
    I love cheese balls, and I LOVE spicy! I'll have to give this a try for sure. I'm totally with you and Bliss. Yesterday, we had a carry-in at church, and I was just hoping there would be enough of my dish to take home for seconds. I got lucky - this time there was enough for me and hubby to both have another helping at home. You're one of my features this week at Homestyle Gathering. Thanks for sharing!
    >>> Kim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marie-Interior FrugalistaNovember 19, 2019 at 9:56:00 AM MST

      Thank you so much Kim for the feature today, I appreciate it! xo I hope you like the cheese ball 😊

      Delete
  4. MrsSWOctober 18, 2020 at 9:23:00 AM MDT

    Thanks, Marie - pinned.
    Sheila

    ReplyDelete

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