Christmas Cheese Ball Recipe

Athlyn Green enjoys whipping up tasty dishes in her home kitchen. She's received many requests for her recipes and is happy to share.

The Perfect Christmas Cheese Ball

Have you ever had (or made) a cheese ball? Oftentimes, at a gathering, the hosts serve a cheese ball with crackers. These look impressive coated with chopped nuts—and they make such a great spread for crackers.

Cheese balls are very easy to put together, and once you've made your first one, you'll wonder why you put off trying to do it for so long. They are so quick that you may find yourself making them for each gathering or whipping one up to take to a potluck.

A cheese ball is especially nice to serve at Christmastime—something a little special to add to the menu. It can be a focal point, surrounded by an assortment of crackers.

My Recipe

The recipe I'm sharing here is made with Hellman's mayonnaise, and I'm sure you'll agree that the addition of chopped walnuts gives it the wow factor. I served this to my guests, and they raved about it. By evening's end, it was gone. I had to make another for the second batch of company that was coming!

How to Serve It

You can make this ahead of time and chill before your company arrives, then all you do is place it on a platter—or, easier still, if you have a cheese ball server, you can simply use that. You will want to include a small knife for spreading the cream cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/4 cup Hellman's mayonaise
• 1/2 small tin ground ham or turkey (flake with fork)
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced onion (or dried onion flakes or chopped chives)
• A shake of paprika
• 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped parsley (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Mix the cream cheese and mayonnaise with a wooden spoon.
2. Add flaked ham and gently fold in.
3. Add Tabasco sauce, onion, and paprika to taste.
4. Mix in parsley or pat it around the outside of the cheese ball.
5. Coat the cheese ball with the chopped nuts until the entire surface is covered.
6. Chill the cheese ball for a couple of hours.

Cheese Balls Are Perfect for Entertaining

Most people enjoy spreads. With its tasty flavor and nutty texture, this cheese ball is a winner and will do for get-togethers and other social occasions.

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© 2007 Athlyn Green