Holiday Tree-Shaped Cheese Ball

Holiday Tree-Shaped Cheese Ball
260 min.
28
163kcal

Suggestions


Get ready to impress your guests this holiday season with a delightful and festive treat: the Holiday Tree-Shaped Cheese Ball! This eye-catching appetizer not only brings a touch of whimsy to your table but also tantalizes the taste buds with its rich and creamy flavors. Perfect for gatherings, this cheese ball serves up to 28 people, making it an ideal choice for parties, family get-togethers, or any festive occasion.

Imagine a beautifully crafted cheese tree, adorned with vibrant red bell pepper ornaments and a garland of crunchy pine nuts, all resting on a platter of assorted crackers. The combination of creamy cream cheese and sharp Cheddar, enhanced with aromatic basil pesto and a hint of mustard, creates a flavor profile that is both savory and satisfying. Each bite is a delightful blend of textures and tastes, sure to leave your guests coming back for more.

Not only is this cheese ball visually stunning, but it also allows for creativity in presentation. You can customize the decorations to suit your holiday theme, making it a fun project to involve the whole family. Plus, with a prep time of just a few hours and the option to freeze ahead, you can enjoy a stress-free entertaining experience. So gather your ingredients, roll up your sleeves, and get ready to create a holiday masterpiece that will be the talk of the party!

Ingredients

  • 24 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 16 ounces cheddar cheese shredded
  • tablespoons basil pesto 
  • tablespoon onion grated
  • 0.3 teaspoon mustard yellow
  • serving hot sauce red
  • 0.3 cup cilantro leaves finely chopped
  • 0.3 cup almonds sliced
  • tablespoons bell pepper red chopped
  • Piece lemon zest 
  • serving round buttery crackers assorted

Equipment

  • baking sheet

Directions

  1. Stir together cream cheese and Cheddar cheese; divide in half. Stir pesto into 1 half; stir onion, mustard and 2 or 3 drops pepper sauce into other half. Cover each half; refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm enough to shape.
  2. Place cheese mixtures on cookie sheet. Shape each half into cone shape to look like a pine tree.
  3. If desired, wrap each tree, label and freeze up to 1 month. Twelve hours before serving, remove trees from freezer. Thaw in wrapper in refrigerator.
  4. Just before serving, roll unwrapped trees in parsley, pressing it evenly onto trees. Press pine nuts onto trees in string form for garland. Press bell pepper pieces onto trees for ornaments. Top each tree with star shape cut from lemon peel.
  5. Serve with crackers.

Nutrition Facts

Calories163kcal
Protein13.43%
Fat80.58%
Carbs5.99%

Properties

Glycemic Index
6.68
Glycemic Load
0.49
Inflammation Score
-4
Nutrition Score
3.6673912509628%

Flavonoids

Cyanidin
0.02mg
Catechin
0.01mg
Epigallocatechin
0.02mg
Isorhamnetin
0.04mg
Kaempferol
0.01mg
Quercetin
0.15mg

Nutrients percent of daily need

Calories:163.33kcal
8.17%
Fat:14.81g
22.79%
Saturated Fat:8.15g
50.94%
Carbohydrates:2.48g
0.83%
Net Carbohydrates:2.3g
0.84%
Sugar:1.14g
1.26%
Cholesterol:40.83mg
13.61%
Sodium:198.02mg
8.61%
Alcohol:0g
100%
Alcohol %:0%
100%
Protein:5.55g
11.11%
Calcium:143.46mg
14.35%
Vitamin A:540.86IU
10.82%
Phosphorus:106.13mg
10.61%
Selenium:6.75µg
9.65%
Vitamin B2:0.14mg
8.19%
Zinc:0.75mg
4.99%
Vitamin E:0.58mg
3.84%
Vitamin B12:0.23µg
3.75%
Magnesium:9.09mg
2.27%
Vitamin B5:0.22mg
2.16%
Folate:6.86µg
1.71%
Vitamin K:1.66µg
1.58%
Potassium:54.33mg
1.55%
Vitamin B6:0.03mg
1.46%
Vitamin C:1.19mg
1.45%
Manganese:0.03mg
1.41%
Vitamin B1:0.02mg
1.02%