Check out this duo-flavored cheese ball wreath for a holiday appetizer to serve up this Christmas season. Three different flavors of homemade mini cheeseballs arranged with fresh herb garnish to mimic the look of a holiday wreath! Pair with your favorite crackers, sliced bread, and more for pairing with the flavorful cheeseballs.
I made a ranch-flavored cheese ball, and a zesty herb cheese ball, and then paired it with different toppings to alter the flavors of the cheeseballs even more. These cheeseballs are bursting with savory flavors and a hint of sweetness from the cranberries.
You might also enjoy making this jalapeno popper cheese ball or even this bacon cheddar cheese ball. Both are such delicious party appetizers.
Reasons You Will Love This Cheese Ball Wreath
- You will find these mini cheese balls create a gorgeous and festive presentation value. Guests can grab a few cheese balls and eat with crackers, bread, etc.
- A variety of flavors in the cheese balls so it creates a lot of flavor dimensions for this party appetizer. The different coatings really offer a fun and tasty variety.
- You can make any flavor of cheese balls for this recipe. Get creative have fun and enjoy trying out different recipes.
- Easy to prepare, and doesn’t require a lot of steps to make! It is easy to make but offers a really nice presentation value.
- Pair with all your favorite dippers for a variety of options for your family, friends, and guests this holiday season.
Ingredients Needed
Cream Cheese – You will want to use softened cream cheese for the cheese ball bases. That way the ingredients cream together nicely.
Seasonings – Ranch seasoning, onion powder, garlic salt, and pepper are what I used for these recipes.
Sauces – Mayonnaise, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce are the sauces that will add more flavor to the cheeseballs.
Cheese – Sharp cheddar and white sharp cheddar are the two varieties of this recipe.
Toppings – Dried cranberries, chopped nuts, green onions, chives, and parsley.
Fresh Herb Garnish – Rosemary, thyme, parsley, and mint leaves are what I used.
Variations
Flavor of cheese balls – You can make any of your favorite cheeseballs to use for the mini cheese balls. Feel free to pick different ingredients if you prefer.
Rolling balls – You can use any coatings you would like. The traditional is nuts or dried cranberries. But you can easily use dried raisins or a mix of herbs and such if you don’t want nuts.
Garnishment – Any type of fresh herbs can be used for garnishment under the cheese balls. Feel free to pick and choose whatever you want to create the perfect look. Consider adding some fresh cranberries for a pop of color.
Tips for Success
Cookie Scoop
Use a cookie scoop to make the same-sized cheese balls for the tray. I like to do bite-sized cheeseballs but you are more than welcome to pick a bit bigger of a size.
Fresh Herbs
Make sure to use fresh herbs in a circle shape under the cheese balls so that they offer more of an elegant wreath look. Pick and choose a variety of herbs to offer a variety of looks and textures.
Softened Cream Cheese
Using softened or room-temperature cheese ensures it mixes well with the other ingredients. If you do not use softened cream cheese it will be clumpy and not mix well.
Grate Cheese Off The Block
I love to grate my own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded cheese. You will find that it offers the best texture and flavor. Pre-shredded cheese can sometimes have extra starches on them and affect the texture of the cheeseball.
Items on the Side
Crunchy breadsticks, crackers, baguettes, pretzels, crisp veggies, and more are all great options for having to go with the cheese balls on the side.
Labels For Dietary Needs
If you have guests who need to know what, you can add labels to place on the side or on the tray itself. Feel free to pick and choose how you want to display the labels.
Chill Before Serving
I do like to refrigerate the cheeseballs for at least 30 minutes before I go to serve them up. This helps allow them the best texture when you go to serve them.
Garnish with Berries and More
Pomegranate arils, cranberries, cherry tomatoes, and more could be great ways to add more color to your edible holiday cheese ball wreath.
Storing
You will want to store the cheese balls in the fridge in a sealed container until you are ready to serve them up. You can keep the garnishes in a bag with some paper towels. Then the cheese balls are in a different container.
FAQs
What’s the best way to serve a cheese ball wreath?
Place your cheese balls on a nice platter as directed and then have utensils, small plates, and such for guests to dig into.
Can I make a smaller or larger cheese ball wreath?
Go right ahead and make as large or small of a wreath as you would like. It is up to you on what you want. If you plan to serve a larger crowd then add extra cheeseballs to fit the amount of guests you want to serve.
What should I serve alongside the cheese ball wreath?
Fruit preserves dips like honey, mustard, etc. You can also reach for other dips to pair with these cheeseballs. You can add other items on the side to help stretch the food. Bread, pretzels, crisp veggies, and the list goes on.
More Holiday Recipes
Cheese Ball Wreath
Ingredients
For the ranch cheese ball filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Ranch seasoning
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
For the zesty herb cheese ball filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup finely chopped chives
- 1 cups shredded white sharp cheddar cheese
For the cheese ball toppings:
- Chopped dried cranberries
- Chopped pecans or almonds
- Sliced green onions or chives
- Finely chopped parsley
- For the wreath garnish:
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- Fresh mint leaves
- Fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
For the ranch cheeseballs:
- Blend together the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Next you will mix in the seasonings until well combined.
- Mix in the shredded cheese. Set aside.
For the herb cheeseballs:
- Blend together the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Stir in the seasonings until well combined.
- Mix in the shredded cheese.
Assembling the cheese ball wreath:
- Use a cookie scoop to form balls out of the cheese ball mixtures and place onto a serving tray or cookie sheet.
- Refrigerate cheeseballs for 1-2 hours, or until firm.
- Roll the refrigerated cheese balls into the chopped cranberries, chopped pecans, green onions and parsley once chilled.
- Form a ring with half of the cheeseballs on a serving tray or circular cutting board to create a wreath. Add a second layer on top of the ring of cheeseballs.
- Use the fresh herbs to garnish around the edges of the cheese ball wreath.
- Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve, enjoy!
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