Description
Ina Garten’s cheese ball combines creamy cream cheese with sharp cheddar and tangy goat cheese. Guests will love this elegant appetizer that brings rich flavors and smooth texture to party spreads with classic American charm.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- ¾ cup (177 ml) shredded smoked cheddar
- ¾ cup (85 g) finely chopped toasted pecans
- ½ cup (118 ml) chopped green olives
- ¼ cup (15 g) minced fresh chives
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tsp (5 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp (5 g) garlic powder
- 1 tsp (5 g) onion powder
- 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt
- 1 tsp (2 g) sweet paprika
- 1 tsp (2 g) freshly ground black pepper
- Crackers for serving
Instructions
- Mixing Base: Whip cream cheese with house seasoning using an electric mixer until achieving a silky, homogeneous texture.
- Flavor Fusion: Blend smoked Cheddar, green olives, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce into the cream cheese, ensuring even distribution of ingredients while maintaining a consistent mixture.
- Seasoning Enhancement: Delicately incorporate kosher salt and black pepper, calibrating the taste profile to personal preference.
- Coating Preparation: Create a textural layer by combining finely chopped pecans and minced chives in a shallow bowl, preparing for the cheese ball’s exterior transformation.
- Shaping and Coating: Utilize plastic wrap to form a compact spherical shape, then methodically roll the cheese mixture through the pecan-chive blend, ensuring complete and uniform coverage.
- Flavor Maturation: Refrigerate the prepared cheese ball for 1-12 hours, allowing the ingredients to harmonize and develop a refined taste profile.
- Serving Ritual: Remove from refrigeration 15-20 minutes before serving, permitting slight softening to enhance spreadability and unleash the full depth of flavors; present alongside crisp crackers for an elegant appetizer experience.
Notes
- Maximize Flavor Blending: Mix ingredients thoroughly to ensure even distribution of tastes, preventing clumping and creating a harmonious cheese experience.
- Perfect Chilling Technique: Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to develop and texture to set, enhancing the overall taste and spreadability.
- Coating Precision: Apply pecan and chive mixture evenly by gently rolling and pressing, ensuring complete coverage for a consistent crunch and herbal accent.
- Serving Strategy: Allow cheese ball to rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving to soften slightly, making it easier to spread and more enjoyable for guests.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 198
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 433 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg