Loaded Cheese Ball – A mixture of cream cheese and sour cream combines with shredded cheese, dried beef, walnuts and green onions to create a cheese ball that will be the hit of the party.

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When people hear the word, “cheese ball,” they often associate them with Christmas. My husband’s grandmother always used to make a huge cheese ball during Christmas (I’m pretty sure she tripled the recipe) – it was tradition.

I’m here today to tell you that cheese balls can be enjoyed year-round. In fact, our favorite time to make them is on Sundays during football season. And THIS weekend we’re getting ready for a big playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So, when we’re dealing with a game as big as this, we don’t make just any cheese ball. We make the Loaded Cheese Ball. It has a delicious ranch flavor. . .but it doesn’t stop there.

It’s filled with dried beef and cheddar cheese – THEN, rolled in more cheese, finely chopped walnuts and fresh parsley and garnished with fresh green onions.

Whew! And let me tell you. . .it’s amazing. Ready to make this satisfying appetizer? Then let’s get started. It’s almost game time!

HOW TO MAKE A LOADED CHEESE BALL

To make this crowd-pleasing cheese ball, you’ll need:

Cream cheese
Sour cream
Sharp shredded cheese
Ranch-style dressing mix
Worcestershire sauce
Garlic powder
Dried beef
Parsley
Walnuts
Green onions

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, half of the cheddar cheese (1 cup), dressing mix, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and dried beef.

Transfer the mixture onto a section of plastic wrap, pull the corners of the plastic wrap together and twist to form either one large ball.

Place the cheese ball in the fridge to chill for 10-15 minutes.

Roll the cheese ball in the remaining cup of cheddar cheese.

Then, into the mixture of nuts and parsley.

And finally, press the chopped green onions into the ball and place your “work of art” on a plate.

TIPS FOR MAKING A CHEESE BALL

If you’re short on time, pre-shredded cheese from the store works just fine for the cheese ball, but if you’re able, freshly grated cheese will have an even better flavor (without the powdery coating).
Dried beef in a jar can be found in the packaged meat aisle of your local grocery store. It’s often close to canned and/or packaged tuna.
Allow the cheese ball to rest at room temperature before serving for a softer consistency.
Make sure to finely chop the walnuts and the parsley in order to easily coat the cheese ball.
Use a butter spreader to enjoy the cheese ball rather than trying to use a chip or cracker to dip that may easily break against the cheese ball even when softened.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO MIX THE INGREDIENTS FOR THE CHEESE BALL?

I like to mix all of the ingredients by hand, so I usually just make sure the cream cheese is softened enough to do so. You can also use an electric hand mixer, as well, if you would prefer.

CAN I PREPARE THE CHEESE BALL AHEAD OF TIME?

You sure can. You could make the cheese ball 1-2 days ahead of time.

If you are preparing it in advance, I would leave off the walnuts, parsley and green onions until the day you plan to serve it so they are as fresh as possible.

HOW LONG CAN A CHEESE BALL SIT OUT?

Take the cheese ball out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving to help it soften. Since there is dairy in the ingredients, it should be left sitting out unrefrigerated for longer than two hours.

HOW LONG DOES A CHEESE BALL KEEP?

With the fresh ingredients, the cheese ball will keep for 4-5 days. If you don’t add the green onions or parsley it could keep longer.

CAN YOU FREEZE A CHEESE BALL?

Yes, you can. You just need to freeze it at the stage before you start rolling it in the fresh ingredients. After forming the cheese ball, place it in a freezer bag. The cheese ball can be frozen for up to one month.

Thaw overnight in the fridge, then roll the cheese ball in the fresh ingredients and serve.

WHAT DO YOU SERVE WITH A CHEESE BALL?

We love serving the cheese ball with Ritz crackers, but you could also use any of the following:

Pita chips
Carrot or celery sticks
Pretzels
Bagel chips
Crostini
Mini bagel pieces

HUNGRY FOR MORE AMAZING APPETIZERS?