Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (2024)

by Melissa 12 Comments

This Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe is as adorable as it is tasty!Cheese balls are so easy to make and fun to personalize. The perfect appetizer for making ahead!

If you need something fun and easy for a holiday party that is going to make everyone smile, make this adorable cheese ball! It’s so cute, and it tastes delicious! Cheese Balls have never been a tradition in our family, but my sister brought an adorable Turkey Cheese Ball to Thanksgiving this year and it was a massive hit. Everyone loved it and we immediately started brainstorming ideas for Christmas cheese balls!

Cheese Balls

Cheese balls are generally a mixture of cream cheese, shredded cheese, seasonings and toppings. I kept this one simple by mixing in a package of ranch seasonings. It was the recipe my sister used and everyone loved it!

Mix and shape the cheese ball the day before, then decorate right before serving.

Start by letting cream cheese and shredded cheese come to room temperature so they will combine smoothly. I recommend using freshly shredded cheese – pre-shredded cheese has a coating that prevents the shreds from sticking. Those tend to over thicken recipes.

How to Make a Cheese Ball

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese, shredded cheese and ranch together until well combined.

Scoop mixture onto plastic wrap and use plastic warp to gently form mixture into a ball.

Refrigerate for several hours or overnight until very firm.

Place crushed pecans in a pie pan or shallow plate and press into cheese ball.

Slice the tips off of black olives and a cherry tomato and use toothpicks to secure to cheese ball. Use pretzels as antlers.

Positioning is key. Don’t let the eyes get to close together. ? ? You want him to look friendly!

Cheese Ball Recipe

5 from 11 votes

Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (9)

Print

Rudolph Christmas Cheese Ball Recipe

Course:Appetizer

Cuisine:American

Keyword:Christmas, Holiday

Servings: 10

Author: Melissa

Ingredients

  • 28 ozblocks of cream cheese at room temperature
  • 3 1/2 cupssharp cheddar cheeseat room temperature
  • 1 ozpackage ranch seasoning mix
  • 1 1/2cupscrushed pecans
  • 2black olives
  • 1cherrytomato
  • 2original sized pretzels

Instructions

  1. Let cream cheese and sharp cheddar come to room temperature. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese and ranch dressing mix.

  2. Transfer cheese mixture to a sheet of plastic wrap and use plastic to form cheese mixture into a ball. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Can be made several days ahead.

  3. Right before serving, press crushed pecans into cheese ball. Place on a serving plate. Slice the tips off of two black olives and one cherry tomato. Use toothpicks to secure to cheese ball. Add pretzels for antlers and serve.

Recipe Notes

Cheese Ball and be mixed and refrigerated up to three days before. Add pecans and Rudolph decorations right before serving.

5 Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights

Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (12)

My five FAVORITE recipes for busy families!

  • Quick to make
  • Light on your budget
  • Easy to clean-up
  • and...most important...absolutely DELICIOUS

Previous Post: « Cinnamon Hard Candy Recipe

Next Post: Christmas Thumbprint Cookies »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (13)Poige

    OMG this is the cutest thing EVER. What a good idea and everyone will LOVE this, thank you!

    Reply

  2. Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (14)Emily

    Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (15)
    This cheeseball is amazing! It’s definitely in our holiday rotation!

    Reply

  3. Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (16)Toni

    Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (17)
    This is really adorable! Everyone at my house loved it!

    Reply

  4. Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (18)Katie

    Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (19)
    So festive and fun!! Can’t wait to try it at parties for the holidays.

    Reply

  5. Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (20)Becky Hardin

    Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (21)
    Oh my goodness!!! How adorable is this cheese ball. Oh I know what I am making for our holiday party this year.

    Reply

  6. Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (22)wilhelmina

    Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (23)
    This is the cutest cheeseball I have ever seen! I love the yummy mix of cheeses and flavors, but the real treat is how adorable it is!

    Reply

  7. Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (24)Stephanie

    Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (25)
    Such an adorable idea! Loved the pecans…such a great addition.

    Reply

  8. Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (26)Anna

    Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (27)
    This is beyond cute!! Festive and delicious appetizer for the holidays! Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  9. Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (28)Kara

    Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (29)
    Delicious, and so cute! I think I may need to decorate all my Christmas cheese balls this way from here on out!

    Reply

  10. Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (30)Lily

    Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (31)
    This was such a creative recipe and so much fun to eat, the kids adored it and asked for more”fun” food!!

    Reply

  11. Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (32)Erin

    Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (33)
    Why haven’t I ever thought of this?! So cute and festive! We’ll make it for sure this Christmas!

    Reply

  12. Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (34)Samantha

    Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (35)
    The CUTEST Christmas appetizer, and tasty, too! This was a huge hit at our neighborhood party last year and I’ve already been asked if I can bring it again this year. 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Rudolph Cheese Ball Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How big was the first cheese ball? ›

Sweet or savory, the options are never ending. The first cheese ball, however, was of grander proportions. In the early 1800s, Elder John Leland of Cheshire, Massachusetts crafted a cheese ball that weighed a hefty 1,235 pounds.

How long can a cheese ball keep in the refrigerator? ›

Storing in Fridge: If you start with fresh ingredients, you can store the cheese ball in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Cover any leftovers with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. How to Freeze: I prefer a freshly made cheese ball, BUT you can freeze cheese balls.

Can I freeze a cheese ball? ›

Assuming you are using recently purchased ingredients, your cheeseball should last about 2 weeks in the refrigerator! To freeze: To freeze the cheeseball, wrap it well in plastic wrap (without nuts) and place it in a freezer safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 1 month.

What is ball cheese? ›

Cheese balls are a mixture of soft cheeses shaped into a ball about 4 inches round, refrigerated, and covered with a mixture of nuts and other crunchy ingredients. Cheese balls are typically served with crackers or crudité.

How old is the oldest cheese? ›

In 2018, archeologists from Cairo University and the University of Catania reported the discovery of the oldest known cheese from Egypt. Discovered in the Saqqara necropolis, it is around 3200 years old. Earlier, remains identified as cheese were found in the funeral meal in an Egyptian tomb dating around 2900 BC.

What was the world's largest cheese in 1964? ›

The cheese — a cheddar — was produced by Steve's Cheese in Denmark, Wis., from 170,000 quarts of milk. It took more than 43 hours to make, and when finished on Jan. 22, 1964, weighed in at 34,591 pounds.

What cheese takes the longest to go bad? ›

Soft varieties tend to spoil more quickly than hard varieties. This table shows how long a variety of popular cheeses last in the fridge (1). Hard cheeses last 3–4 times longer in the fridge than soft cheeses since they contain less moisture and are therefore less prone to spoilage from bacteria (1, 2 ).

Can cheese last 3 weeks in fridge? ›

REFRIGERATOR: Approximate storage times are: (1) Hard cheeses (block): 6 months, unopened packages; 3 to 4 weeks after opening. Shredded hard cheeses: 1 month after opening. (2) Soft cheeses: 1 week; cream cheese, 2 weeks.

How do you keep cheese balls fresh? ›

Serve the cheese ball immediately or store it in the fridge. Wrap the cheese ball in one layer of plastic wrap, then one layer of aluminum foil. The two layers keeps the cheese ball fresh and helps it keep its shape. Store in the fridge for up to four days.

Why is freezing not recommended for cheese? ›

Before freezing, the moisture in a cheese is distributed evenly throughout its interior, along with fat, protein, and minerals. Freezing turns that moisture into ice crystals, which damages the cheese's structure and can affect whether its texture is crumbly or pliable, firm or pasty after thawing.

What cheese can you not freeze? ›

In general, hand-crafted cheeses with delicate flavors and aromas don't freeze well and are best bought in smaller portions and eaten fresh. Freezing is also not recommended for fresh curd cheeses like cottage cheese, ricotta, and quark due to their high moisture content.

Is cheese ball good for health? ›

Cheese balls are healthy? Beyond delicious, the cheese balls have a good balance of nutrients, with high-quality carbs and fat, rich in proteins, minerals, and vitamins. So, we can certainly say it's a healthy and nutritious snack.

What is a cheese ball slang? ›

chiefly US, informal. : a person who lacks style or good taste : a cheesy person. The other person of interest is … in his mid-30s, works in New York's fashion industry, and considers his looks a hobby. He's a cheeseball, but a fascinating one.

Were cheese balls discontinued? ›

Recently, Planters announced that the formerly discontinued Cheez Balls are now a permanent addition to its product line-up. To celebrate, the company is giving away 350 canisters of Cheez Powder to customers tweeting about the foods they want to pair this new topping with.

How big was government cheese? ›

On December 22, 1981, Reagan signed and authorized into law the finalized version of the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981, which called for five hundred and sixty million pounds (250,000 metric tons) of cheese stockpiled by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to be released, saying that it would ...

What is the world record for cheese balls? ›

There is a new record for the world's largest string cheese ball. The town of Pijijiapan in Mexico made an almost 1231 pound ball of cheese using over 1,500 gallons of milk. The ball of "quesillo" cheese was created with the work of 80 workers. According to Guinness World Records the previous record was 771 pounds.

What is the earliest record of cheese? ›

A 2018 scientific paper stated that the world's oldest cheese, dating to approximately 1200 BCE (3200 years before present), was found in ancient Egyptian tombs. The earliest cheeses were likely quite sour and salty, similar in texture to rustic cottage cheese or feta, a crumbly, flavorful Greek cheese.

What was the first cheese puff? ›

According to one account, Edward Wilson noticed strings of puffed corn oozing from flaking machines in the mid 1930s at the Flakall Corporation of Beloit, Wisconsin, a producer of flaked, partially cooked animal feed. He experimented and developed it into a snack.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

Last Updated:

Views: 6552

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (46 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

Birthday: 2001-01-17

Address: Suite 769 2454 Marsha Coves, Debbieton, MS 95002

Phone: +813077629322

Job: Real-Estate Executive

Hobby: Archery, Metal detecting, Kitesurfing, Genealogy, Kitesurfing, Calligraphy, Roller skating

Introduction: My name is Gov. Deandrea McKenzie, I am a spotless, clean, glamorous, sparkling, adventurous, nice, brainy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.