Easy Hedgehog Cheeseball With Almonds
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
35 mins
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Total Time
35 mins
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Servings
15 servings
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Calories
187 kcal
Easy Hedgehog Cheeseball With Almonds
Description
This recipe mixes softened cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese with bacon bits, Ranch dressing mix, chopped black olives, fresh chives, and dashes of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces. These create a rich, tangy, and slightly spicy cheese base that is then fully blended and shaped into an oval resembling a hedgehog with tapered and flattened ends.
After chilling the cheese ball to firm up the texture and meld the flavors, slivered almonds are applied in rows across the surface to simulate hedgehog spines. Additional olive slices are cut and placed to create the facial features, enhancing the whimsical appearance.
The result is a creamy, savory cheese spread with crunchy almond texture and smoky, tangy notes from the seasoning and bacon. It can be served with crackers, vegetables, or bread at gatherings.
The hedgehog shape and almond decoration make this more than a simple cheese ball, adding visual interest for party presentation.
Ingredients
- 2 c cream cheese 16 oz or 2 bricks, softened
- 1 c cheddar cheese 4 oz, shredded
- ½ c bacon bits
- 2 tablespoon Ranch dressing mix or 1 (1 oz) packet store bought
- ½ cup black olives canned, chopped or sliced
- 2 tablespoon chives finely sliced
- ¾ c almonds You may need more or less depending how densely you apply them on the cheese ball, slivered
- 5 dashes Tabasco sauce each
- 5 dashes Worcestershire sauce each
- salt I use approx ½ teaspoon of pepper and lemon. Cheese and bacon are salty so I don't find the need for extra salt, to taste
- black pepper
- lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon bits, Tobasco, Worcestershire, ranch mix, chives and olives (reserving one olive for the eyes and nose) and blend until well combined. Taste and season lightly with salt, pepper, Worcestershire, hot sauce or up to a teaspoon of lemon juice as desired. Stir well after adding any seasoning.
- Transfer from bowl to a large piece of Saran wrap, and shape into an oval, flattening one end, and tapering the other into a point.
- Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap, and refrigerate until just before serving - at least an hour and up to 3 days. Chilling overnight is ideal to let the flavors blend and meld perfectly.
- The day of serving, stud cheeseball with slivered almond, starting from the flat end, going in rows until you get a few inches from the tapered end. Offset the rows, starting your second row in the gaps of the first row to avoid looking too symmetrical.
- Once you get down toward the tapered end, cut three small circles out of your last olive (I used a wilton #12 decorating tip to punch them out), and arrange as the eyes and nose.
- Transfer to a cutting board or serving plate, and garnish with edible greenery such as rosemary, dill, or chives and serve with crackers or veggie sticks.
Notes
- When shaping the hedgehog form, don't worry about perfection; chilling helps firm and smooth the shape.
- Adjust seasoning after mixing by tasting to balance salt, pepper, lemon, Worcestershire, and hot sauce.
- Chill the cheese ball for at least an hour or up to three days to develop flavors before decorating with almonds.
- Arrange the almond slivers in offset rows to mimic natural hedgehog spines.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 15servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 187 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 187kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 7g | 2% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 0.001g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 26mg | 9% |
| Sodium | 551mg | 23% |
| Potassium | 56mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 398IU | 8% |
| Vitamin C | 0.4mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 113mg | 11% |
| Iron | 0.3mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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