The Pioneer Woman is an American celebrity chef who has become famous after her cooking show on TLC, but she’s also known as a food blogger.
She often shares great family-friendly meal ideas like these delicious cheese balls.
In addition to being able to create unique dishes using different kinds of cheeses, The Pioneer Woman is also very good at making cheese balls because they taste amazing!
If you want to recreate one of her delicious cheese balls or learn more about how to cook them, keep reading below!
What Kind Of Cheese Should I Use For This Recipe?
There are many types of cheeses available in grocery stores today, so it can be difficult to know which ones would work best with this particular recipe.
However, there are some general rules that apply when choosing your cheese.
- Choose a soft cheese such as cream cheese or cottage cheese.
- Use a mild flavor cheese such as cheddar or Swiss.
- Choose a cheese that melts well, such as provolone or mozzarella.
If you have any questions regarding the type of cheese that will suit your needs, feel free to contact us here at Cheezly!
We’ll help you find just what you’re looking for.
How Long Do I Need To Let The Cheese Ball Sit Before Serving?
Cheese balls can be eaten immediately, but if you would like to serve it later in the day, then you will have to let them cool down completely so they don’t get too soft.
You may not even need to refrigerate your cheese balls, however.
Just leave them out on the counter for 30 minutes or so until they reach room temperature.
If you plan on storing your cheese ball for longer than a couple hours, then you may want to put it into the fridge right away.
Once chilled, store the cheese balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
What Are Some Other Ingredients I Could Add To The Cheese Ball?
There are lots of different ways to customize your cheese ball depending on what kind of flavor you prefer.
For example, if you like things spicy then adding chili powder would be a fun way to spice up your cheese ball.
You can also try adding dried herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, basil, etc., which will give it a nice smoky aroma.
Some people even use garlic for additional flavor!
If you are looking for something else to put into your cheese ball besides just regular salt, then consider trying some hot sauce.
Since most hot sauces have varying levels of heat, you may find one that works better than another.
Another option would be to use horseradish instead of fresh chives, although you may not get as much of a kick with the horseradish.
There’s no right answer here so experiment and see what flavors work best for you!
How Long Will This Cheese Ball Last In The Fridge?
This cheese ball will stay fresh for up to five days if kept in the refrigerator.
After that, it may start to get soft so plan accordingly.
The longer it stays in the fridge, the better it tastes!
Can I Make This Recipe Ahead Of Time?
No, you cannot make any part of this recipe ahead of time.
You must prepare everything before starting the steps for this recipe.
What Kind Of Crackers Should I Use To Eat The Cheese Ball?
You don’t have to use any special type of cracker for this recipe — just pick something that will hold up well to the heat of the melted cheese inside of it.
You could even try using store bought crackers instead if that’s what you prefer, although homemade ones are probably better.
If you decide to go with homemade crackers, be sure to read our guide to baking your own crackers so that you know which ingredients to add to get the right flavor.
Also, make sure you choose enough to cover the entire surface area of the dish.
Once you have the crackers ready, simply cut them into smaller pieces (about 1/8 inch) and put them in a bowl along with all other ingredients except the cream cheese.
Mix everything together until it forms a smooth mixture.
Next, take some plastic wrap and lay it out flat onto a cutting board.
Divide the cream cheese evenly among the plastic sheets, then place another sheet over each layer of cream cheese.
Roll up the layers tightly, creating a log shape.
Now, carefully unwrap the logs and slice them into thin strips.
Place the slices back into the bowl and mix until they are covered by the remaining spreadable cheese.
When you’re finished mixing everything together, transfer your mixture to the prepared dish.
Press down firmly to ensure that there aren’t any air pockets underneath.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15–20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
After the first 10 minutes, remove the foil and allow the top layer of cheese to melt completely before placing back in the oven for another 5–10 minutes.
When you see that the top layer is mostly done, sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top and return to the oven for another five minutes.
After removing the dish from the oven, let it cool slightly before serving.
What Else Can I Serve With The Cheese Ball?
These cheese balls are perfect for any occasion – picnic, tailgating party, game day, Super Bowl Sunday, etc.
You could even put some in your kid’s lunch box if you wanted to get them involved!
- Cheese Ball Pockets – These little pockets are filled with cheese and wrapped up in puff pastry. They’re really tasty and fun to take along to parties where everyone’s trying to be healthy.
- Mini Cheese Balls – These bitesize mini cheese balls are perfect when you want something small yet filling.
- Fried Cheese Balls – Crispy fried cheese balls are so delicious, you might just have to try it out yourself!
- Tater Tot Cheesy Pull Apart Rolls – A cheesy tater tot roll is always nice to snack on too!
- Baked Potato Stacks – Baked potato stacks are delicious, crunchy, and full of flavor.
If you don’t see what you are looking for here, check out all our other recipes here!
How Should I Store The Leftovers?
You will need to refrigerate these cheese balls for 24 hours before serving them so they have time to harden up in your fridge.
You won’t be able to enjoy them straight out of the refrigerator though, since they’re still too soft.
They’ll stay edible for up to 1 week if stored properly in the fridge.
If you don’t plan ahead enough, however, it’s possible that the cheese will begin to melt when you take them out of the fridge.
In this case, just pop them back into the fridge again until you’re ready to eat them.
You may notice that a small amount of water has condensed onto the surface of the cheese balls, which isn’t actually harmful.
That’s normal – it means there was less air inside the container than usual, and the excess moisture simply evaporated away.
When storing cheese balls in their original containers, make sure not to pack them tightly together.
Cheese needs room to breathe, otherwise it will start to spoil quickly.
What Are Some Other Cheese Ball Recipes I Could Try?
Here are just a couple of other fun cheese ball recipes for you to check out if you don’t have time to watch The Pioneer Woman’s video above:
- Cheese Ball Soup Recipe – Another classic way to enjoy a cheesy ball is in soup form. You will need a large pot filled with water, then add enough salt to bring it all together so there aren’t any chunks. Once the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and allow it to cool completely before adding your cheese mixture (see below). Add a little bit of flour, stir well, and let sit until it begins to thicken up. Then, pour into bowls and top each bowl with crackers. Serve hot.
- Tuna Cheese Balls – Another simple cheese ball recipe that is perfect for summertime parties. Combine 2 cans tuna fish, 1 cup mayonnaise, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Mix well, then roll into small golf size balls. Top with sliced pickles and serve cold.
What Else Can I Do With This
If you love cheese in general, then you should definitely check out all of the other things that you can do with it.
For starters, if you have leftover cheese, there are tons of ways to use it up.
You may be surprised by just how many uses for cheese you didn’t know existed.
- You can mix your favorite cheese into meatloaf or hamburger patties.
- Use cheese instead of breadcrumbs when coating chicken breasts.
- Mix cheese into scrambled eggs.
- Add cheese to salads.
- Make a cheesy pizza crust – add grated cheese to flour before mixing together to form dough.
- Put shredded cheese on top of baked potatoes.
- Top grilled steak with melted cheese.
- Bake quiche with cheese filling.
- Spread cheese onto tortillas, wrap around sandwiches, or serve on crackers.
- Sprinkle cheese on popcorn.
- Make macaroni salad with cheese dressing and bacon bits.
- Use cheese as a dip.
- Build a lasagna with layers of pasta and sauce mixed with cheese.
- Serve cheese fondue over cooked vegetables.
- Place slices of cheese between pieces of toast for breakfast.
- Garnish appetizers with cubes of cheese.
- Fill a baguette with soft goat cheese and bake until golden brown.
- Pour hot soup over fresh vegetables sprinkled with crumbled blue cheese.
- Slice tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, etc., and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Dip strawberries in cheese for dessert.
- Add cheese to mashed potatoes.
- Add cheese to soups.
- Toast cheese triangles and serve along side roasted meats.
- Use cheese as a garnish for fish or shellfish.
- Grate cheese over ice cream sundaes.
- Layer cheese in individual mini-muffin tins and microwave until heated through.
Ingredients
- 8 oz Cream cheese
- 6 oz Cheddar cheese
- 3 oz Gorgonzola cheese
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 1 Small garlic clove
- 2 Scallions
- 3/4 cup Cranberries
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 3/4 cup Toasted pecans
- Cooking spray
- Crackers
Instructions
- Mix the cream cheese, cheddar, gorgonzola, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, 1/4 cup cranberries, scallions, and salt in a food processor. till almost completely smooth.
- The remaining dried cranberries, pecans, and dark green scallion pieces should be combined in a small dish.
- The cheese mixture can be removed from the food processor using a rubber spatula and added to the dish’s pecan mixture.
- Your hands should be sprayed with cooking spray before forming the cheese mixture into a ball. Rolling and pressing the pecan mixture onto the cheese ball will coat it.
- Give it at least an hour and as much as eight hours in the refrigerator. 30 minutes before serving, take it out of the fridge. It may be served with crackers.
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.