Mini Cheese Balls
User Reviews
5
Mini Cheese Balls
Description
Mini Cheese Balls combine softened cream cheese with shredded Havarti to create creamy, mild-flavored bases for small, flavorful bites. The recipe involves shaping the mixture into small spheres and chilling them to firm up. Each cheese ball is then rolled in one of several coatings: a herb mix, finely chopped dry sun-dried tomatoes, or chopped walnuts, providing color and texture contrast. The finished cheese balls can be served immediately or chilled until serving, paired with crostini or crackers for easy eating.
The texture is creamy with a mix of fresh, nutty, and slightly tangy notes from the toppings. The chilling step is key to ensuring the coatings stick without the cheese becoming too soft and crumbly. These cheese balls are ideal for offering guests a selection of flavors in small, neat portions.
Prepare the cheese balls ahead of time and keep refrigerated until serving to maintain their shape and freshness. Using a food processor can speed up blending and shredding steps when making larger batches. You can experiment with toppings like bacon bits, different nuts, or dried fruits for variation, but the key is to use dry or finely chopped ingredients that adhere well.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened (see note 1)
- 6 ounces havarti cheese shredded (see note 2)
- 1/4 cup fresh herbs such as chives and parsley (see note 3, chopped
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes not oil-packed) finely chopped, dry
- 1/4 cup walnuts finely chopped, or walnut meal
- Crostini and crackers, for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and Havarti cheese until blended. Using a tablespoon or a medium scoop, place small mounds of cheese mixture on a plate or baking sheet (you should have 18 to 20 cheese balls). Roll into balls and chill for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place herbs, tomatoes, and walnuts each in their own bowl. When the cheese is chilled, drop a ball into a mixture and roll until evenly coated. Arrange on a platter. Repeat until all the cheese balls are coated.
- Cover and chill until serving time or serve immediately with crackers or crostini.
Notes
- Use solid blocks of cream cheese softened to room temperature for smooth blending.
- Substitute Havarti cheese with gouda or Swiss for a different flavor profile.
- Choose dry, finely chopped toppings like sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, and nuts for optimal coating adherence.
- Chilling the formed cheese balls before coating helps the toppings stick effectively.
- Make the cheese balls up to two days ahead and keep refrigerated until serving.
- Consider inserting a thin pretzel stick into each cheese ball for convenient serving.
- Use a food processor for larger batches to combine ingredients efficiently.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 270 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 3balls | |
| Calories | 270kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 2% |
| Protein | 11g | 22% |
| Fat | 24g | 37% |
| Saturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Cholesterol | 67mg | 22% |
| Sodium | 347mg | 14% |
| Potassium | 250mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 845IU | 17% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 219mg | 22% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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