Updated Cheese Ball Trio Recipe (2024)

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Morgan Eisenberg

Updated Cheese Ball Trio Recipe (1)

Morgan Eisenberg

Morgan Eisenberg is a creative blogger at Host the Toast. She has an absolute obsession over all things edible.

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Updated March 21, 2019

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Why It Works

  • Starting all three cheese balls with the same base makes it easy to offer variations with minimal work.
  • Flavorful cheeses and good pairings for coatings give these retro cheese balls a modern update.

There is one mid-century dish that does not deserve to be lumped in with the other molds and loaves. It, too, involves processing ingredients until smooth and then molding them into an unnatural shape. It's the cheese ball, and it's actually delicious. But how do we inject some allure into the kitsch? We take away the junk (I'm looking at you, waxy pre-shredded cheddar), we use more flavorful ingredients, and we give people options. Nothing says sultry like a tray full of cheesy choices, am I right?

Reinvent Retro This Holiday With A Trio Of Updated Cheese Balls

Recipe Details

Updated Cheese Ball Trio Recipe

Active60 mins

Total3 hrs

Serves16 servings

Ingredients

For the Base:

  • 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature (675g)

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (30ml)

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt(2g)

  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper(1g)

  • 1/4 cup minced fresh chives (about .25 ounces; 7g)

For the Goat Cheese, Lemon, and Herb Cheese Balls:

  • 1/3 base mixture (about 1 1/4 cups)

  • 8 ouncesfresh goat cheese (225g)

  • 3/4 cupassorted fresh herbs such as chives, mint, basil, and parsley, finely minced (175ml)

  • 2 teaspoonsfreshly grated lemon zest (10ml)

  • Coarsely ground black pepper

For the Blue Cheese, Toasted Walnut, and Pomegranate Cheese Balls

  • 1/3 base mixture (about 1 1/4 cups)

  • 8 ounces crumbled blue cheese (225g)

  • 2/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (about 4 ounces; 115g)

  • 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds (about 2 ounces; 55g)

For the Goat Cheese, Lemon, and Herb Cheese Balls:

  • 1/3 base mixture (about 1 1/4 cups)

  • 8 ouncescrumbled feta cheese (225g)

  • 10 small sun-dried tomatoes (about 2 ounces; 55g)

  • 1 cup toasted pine nuts (about 6 ounces; 170g)

Directions

  1. For the Base: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the chives and process again until just combined. Remove from the food processor and divide into thirds.

    Updated Cheese Ball Trio Recipe (3)

  2. For the Goat Cheese, Lemon, and Herb Cheese Balls: Add 1/3 of base mixture to the bowl of a clean food processor. Add goat cheese and process until smooth and well-combined. Transfer mixture to a sealable container and refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer mixture to the center of a large sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap the cheese firmly in the plastic wrap and use your hands to mold into a sphere. Place the plastic-wrapped ball back in the refrigerator and chill until firm again, about 1 hour.

    Updated Cheese Ball Trio Recipe (4)

  3. Combine herbs, lemon zest, and plenty of ground black pepper on a large plate. Remove the goat cheese ball from the plastic wrapping and roll it in the chopped herbs until fully coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

    Updated Cheese Ball Trio Recipe (5)

  4. For the Blue Cheese, Toasted Walnut, and Pomegranate Cheese Balls: Add 1/3 of base mixture to the bowl of a clean food processor. Add blue cheese and process until smooth and well-combined. Transfer mixture to a sealable container and refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer mixture to the center of a large sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap the cheese firmly in the plastic wrap and use your hands to mold into a sphere. Place the plastic-wrapped ball back in the refrigerator and chill until firm again, about 1 hour.

    Updated Cheese Ball Trio Recipe (6)

  5. Combine chopped walnuts and pomegranate seeds on a large plate. Remove the blue cheese ball from the plastic wrapping and roll it in the chopped nuts until fully coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

    Updated Cheese Ball Trio Recipe (7)

  6. For the Feta Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Pine Nut Cheese Balls: Add 1/3 of base mixture to the bowl of a clean food processor. Add feta and sun-dried tomatoes and process until smooth and well-combined. Transfer mixture to a sealable container and refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer mixture to the center of a large sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap the cheese firmly in the plastic wrap and use your hands to mold into a sphere. Place the plastic-wrapped ball back in the refrigerator and chill until firm again, about 1 hour.

    Updated Cheese Ball Trio Recipe (8)

  7. Spread toasted pine nuts on a large plate. Remove the feta cheese ball from the plastic wrapping and roll it in the chopped nuts until fully coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

    Updated Cheese Ball Trio Recipe (9)

  8. Serve cheese balls with chips, pita, crostini, crackers, pretzels, or vegetables.

    Updated Cheese Ball Trio Recipe (10)

Notes

You can make any individual cheese ball recipe by scaling the base recipe down to one third.

Special Equipment

Food processor

This Recipe Appears In

  • Reinvent Retro This Holiday With A Trio Of Updated Cheese Balls
  • Cheese Dips
  • Cheese
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
404Calories
37g Fat
9g Carbs
13g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories404
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 37g47%
Saturated Fat 16g82%
Cholesterol 72mg24%
Sodium 543mg24%
Total Carbohydrate 9g3%
Dietary Fiber 2g6%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 3mg17%
Calcium 222mg17%
Iron 2mg9%
Potassium 335mg7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Updated Cheese Ball Trio Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How many cheese balls are in a cheese ball container? ›

Data says that there's usually around 1,100 cheese balls per barrel, which means you're getting each individual cheese ball for less than a cent apiece.

Why are Utz cheese balls so good? ›

Utz Cheese Balls

Flavor-wise, these puffs were pleasantly cheesy but had some buttery notes as well, making them a pleasantly savory treat.

How do you thicken a cheese ball? ›

Your cheese ball is too runny: Once you have added all the extras, and it's all mixed in well, if the texture is more salad dressing-like than something you might spread on a bagel, you can tighten it up easily by adding unsalted butter, one tablespoon at a time, mixing before you add more.

Does Costco have cheeseballs? ›

Utz Cheese Balls, 35 oz | Costco.

How long is a homemade cheese ball good for? ›

Storing: A cheese ball should be stored in the refrigerator and will stay fresh for several days or up to 2 weeks depending on the freshness of your ingredients. To estimate how long your cheese ball will stay fresh, first notice the expiration date on the ingredients you are using.

How long can you store a homemade cheese ball? ›

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.

Were cheese balls discontinued? ›

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. Cheez Balls were first discontinued in 2006 and were temporarily brought back in July 2018.

Why are cheese balls addicting? ›

Cheeslings are addictive because they combine cheese, salt and crunchiness, which are all factors that can make want to eat more. They are also high in calories, fat, sodium and artificial flavors, which can have negative effects on our health if consumed in excess.

Why are Utz chips not sold in California? ›

WARNING: Consuming this product can expose you to chemicals including acrylamide, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer.

Why is my cheese ball so hard? ›

Why is my cheese ball so hard? You want your cheese ball to be firm enough to hold its shape, but soft enough to allow for easy spreading. To achieve this consistency, the key is making sure your cream cheese is softened before preparing.

What does adding cornstarch to cheese do? ›

For a cheese dip or sauce, the addition of cornstarch serves a similar function: Starch molecules absorb water and expand, not only thickening the liquid phase of the sauce, but also physically preventing the proteins from binding into long, tangled strands and the fats from separating out and pooling.

What does cornstarch do to cheese? ›

Cheese Sauce, Take 1: Cornstarch, Stovetop

This helps the entire mixture stay smooth and emulsified, resulting in a creamy sauce. He recommends tossing the shredded cheese with the cornstarch before cooking so it is evenly dispersed and does not form clumps when cooked.

Who makes Kirkland old cheese? ›

The back of Kirkland's parm shows the 24-month aged cheese is “specially selected” by Formaggi Zanetti, an Italian company that exports cheeses around the world.

What are the ingredients in Costco cheese balls? ›

Brown Jasmine Rice, Corn Flour, Cheddar Cheese Seasoning [Sugar, Non Dairy Creamer (Glucose Syrup, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Sodium Caseinate, Acidity Regulator (340), Anticaking Agent (551)), Salt, Cheese Powder (Cheese Solids (Milk, Salt, Enzyme Rennet), Milk Solids, Salt, Anticaking Agent (339, 551)), Whey Protein ...

What cheese is recalled at Costco? ›

The initial recalls included 10 types of cheeses produced by Rizo-López: blanco suave, cotija, oaxaca, panela, queso crema, queso fresco, queso para freir, queso seco, requeson and ricotta, according to the CDC.

How big is a cheese ball container? ›

It holds just over 2.5 gallons.

How many cheese balls in 1 oz? ›

There are 150 calories in 32 balls (1 oz) of Utz Cheese Balls. * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

How many cheese balls is a serving? ›

The nutrition facts provided for cheese balls are based on a standard serving size of around 30 grams or approximately 15 pieces. Be mindful of portion sizes to manage calorie and nutrient intake.

What is a serving of cheese balls? ›

Cheese ball contains 64 calories per 15 g serving. This serving contains 5.7 g of fat, 2.7 g of protein and 0.8 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 0.3 g sugar and 0.2 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate. Cheese ball contains 2.2 g of saturated fat and 11 mg of cholesterol per serving.

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