Mini Cheese Balls
These Mini Cheese Balls are the perfect party appetizer, or add crackers to a jar along with the mini cheese ball bites and give them as a gift!
The Dried Beef Cheese Ball Recipe is a traditional recipe that I have been making for many moons. It’s super easy to put together, takes just a few ingredients, and tastes delicious!
So taking that recipe and making mini cheese ball bites was the next step, not sure why I haven’t thought about it before now.
I mean, what’s not to love? Little bite size snacks that taste amazing – perfect for parties or cookouts – can be made ahead of time – they store well – and can be given as a gift.
Since the holidays are coming up, we thought you would love this super easy gift from the kitchen! These Mini Cheese Balls are great for a hostess gift, co-worker, neighbor, teachers and more!
And the men on your list will love them too! In our family, the boys always dig into the Cheese Ball before anything else.
Mini Cheese Ball Bites – Gift
Supplies:
- Clear jar – any size will work, the straight edge of this jar worked well
- Ribbon and/or Twine
- Plastic Wrap
- Small knife for spreading, optional but a nice addition
- Scissors
- Mini Cheese Balls
- Crackers
Instructions:
- Prepare the Cheese Ball Recipe, and divide it into pieces (cutting it like a pie is easy)
- Roll each piece into a ball
- Crush and chop coatings – chives, nuts, green onions, cranberries – your choice
- Roll the mini cheese ball bites in each of the coatings
- Cut a piece of plastic wrap and cover the cheese ball. Tie with a ribbon
- Place crackers in the bottom of the jar
- Add cheese balls
- Add ribbon, twine and small knife around the jar, or decorate any way you like.
We tried several different options to fill the jar and ultimately came up with this method as the best option. If you wrap the cheese balls first, then add the crackers on the bottom of the jar, the moistness of the cheese won’t get the crackers soggy.
Looking for more Gifts from the Kitchen? Click on the photo for the recipe!
Mini Cheese Balls Recipe
Mini Cheese Balls
These Mini Cheese Balls are super easy to make and are great for gift giving!
Ingredients
- 2 packages (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
- 2 packages of thinly sliced meat, pastrami or beef works best
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 teaspoons Accent Salt (or regular salt) Accent has MSG in it, so if you don’t want to use that, regular salt is okay, but use a little less
- 3-4 green onions, chopped finely
- Coatings
- Green Onions
- Nuts - pecans, walnuts, any kind you like - chopped very finely
- Chives - chopped very finely
- Dried Cranberries - chopped finely
Instructions
Place cream cheese in a large bowl and gently stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until slightly creamy
Cut meat and green onion into small pieces
Add to cream cheese
Add salt and Worcestershire Sauce
Mix well, chill for ease in forming
Divide cheese ball evenly - cutting like a pie works well
Roll each piece into a small ball
Then roll in coating
Place in plastic wrap and tie with ribbon
Store in refrigerator until serving or giving as gift
Notes
To freeze – wrap cheese ball – uncoated with nuts or chives – in plastic wrap and then add to resealable freezer bag. Place in freezer for up to 1 month.
For gift jar - add crackers to jar then add wrapped mini cheese balls, tie with ribbon or twine and add decoration
I have been reading that freezing a cheese ball changes the texture, making it very crumbly as cream cheese has a lot of water. You mention to freeze the cheese balls. Have you done so? Was the texture altered?
Yes I have frozen the cheese balls before, it did not change the texture. Just be sure they are wrapped really well with plastic wrap, and in a freezer safe bag.
-Liz
what crackers do you recommend, please? thanks…cannot wait to try the recipe.
Hi Barbara, there are several that we like. For more of a plain flavor, we like TownHouse or Club Crackers. The ones that we used this time are flavored snack crackers, with garlic and herb. Really any flavor that you like will work fine. There are no flavors in the cheese ball that will distract from the crackers.
Let us know what you think!
-Liz