Make ahead Savory Cheese Ball Bites are an easy and elegant appetizer for your next gathering!
Give your party spread a little kick this season by serving Savory Cheese Ball Bites. They are delicious, mini versions of the ever- popular cheese ball appetizer. The beauty of this version is that your presentation will stay neat and pretty throughout the festivities.
Each bite is essentially a single-serving cheese ball, enough to spread on 2 -3 crackers. The subtle heat of these cute little appetizers comes from a touch of horseradish and a dash of hot sauce. Every melt-in-your-mouth bite is a creamy rush of flavor that your guests will surely love.
HOW TO MAKE CHEESE BALL BITES
These Savory Cheese Ball Bites are made from a blend of cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese and horseradish. There’s also spices and a dash of hot sauce for extra heat. Cheese balls are best when made at least a few hours ahead, giving time for the flavors to come together.
Horseradish is a member of the mustard family, that includes wasabi, cauliflower and radishes. It’s known for it’s hot, pungent flesh that is made into a condiment. You’ll find pure horseradish in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. It’s also sold on store shelves as a variety of dips and spreads, like horseradish sauce, cream horseradish and horseradish aioli.
MAKING THE CHEESE BALLS
To start, mix all of the ingredients, except for the garnish. You can do this by hand, but I find using a hand mixer works best to get everything well combined.
Once you have your mixture, chill it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. The balls are easier and less sticky to roll this way. Once chilled, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in toppings. Pop the cheese balls in the refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes before serving, and you’re ready to go.
ROLLING CHEESE BALL BITES IN TOPPINGS
I like to roll my cheese ball bites in ingredients that not only add to the flavor, but make them pretty and festive, too!
Here I’ve used chopped pecans, pretzels and herbs. Other great choices would be crispy crumbled bacon, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, any variety of seeds, dried cranberries, crushed Doritos, or almonds. There’s no limit to the different options you can choose. You just want to be sure that your toppings are finely chopped so that they will easily stick to the little cheese balls.
STORING CHEESE BALL BITES
Cheese balls can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks, depending on the ingredients used to make them. Be sure to check the expiration date of the cream cheese, too! Do not store in the fridge past that date.
These cheese ball bites can keep for up to a week in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in plastic. If you are planning to freeze them, roll into balls, but do not cover with toppings. Store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator and roll in topping prior to serving.
SERVING YOUR CHEESE BALL BITES
These mini cheese balls can be made up hours or even days before you plan to serve them. Follow the recipe, cover the cheese balls with plastic wrap, and remove them from the refrigerator few minutes before you plan to serve them. They’ll be the first snack to go at your gathering.
I like to set these out simply. Just arrange the cheese balls on a tray, with a container of picks in the center. Surround your tray with crackers, red and green pepper strips, grapes. toasted baguette slices or whatever you like that fits the season.
IF YOU LIKED THIS RECIPE, YOU’LL LOVE THESE TOO!
SAVORY CHEESE BALL BITES
Ingredients
- 8 ounce cream cheese softened
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp prepared horseradish
- 1 medium green onion thinly sliced
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- pinch black pepper
Toppings:
- 2 tbsp chopped pecans
- 1 ounce mini pretzels chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley minced
- 1 tbsp fresh chives minced
Instructions
- Into a medium bowl, add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, horseradish, Worcestershire, hot sauce, dried parsley, paprika, garlic powder and pepper.
- Using a hand mixer, beat all of the ingredients together until completely combined.
- Place bowl in refrigerator for 15 minutes to allow mixture to firm up.
- Meanwhile, add toppings to shallow plates for rolling cheese balls.
- Form mixture into 1-1/2 inch balls. Place onto parchment paper lined tray. Roll balls into toppings. Place the rolled balls back onto the parchment paper.
- Place tray into the refrigerator for 15 minutes to allow cheese balls to firm up with toppings.
Chef Tips
Nutrition Facts
© Copyright Christine Mello for Must Love Home. We would love for you to share a link to this recipe but please do not copy/paste the recipe instructions to websites or social media. We are happy for you to share a photo with a link back to this website instead.
