Mama’s Homemade Christmas Cheese Ball

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Mama’s Christmas cheese ball is made with Velveeta, cream cheese, and extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coated with chopped pecans. Its simplicity is delicious!

This cheese ball is so easy to make, and its simplicity is delicious. Velveeta cheese, cream cheese, and extra-sharp cheddar cheese combine and roll in chopped pecans to coat. It can be enjoyed with crackers as a tasty appetizer for your holiday party and travels well if you need to make something to take along to someone else’s party.

Isn’t it funny how a holiday wouldn’t be a holiday without certain foods? Well, to me, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without having my Mama’s homemade Christmas Cheese Ball, just like Christmas to David with his mama’s date nut balls and peanut butter fudge. Foods hold certain memories and make occasions even more special.

Mama makes this cheese ball recipe every Christmas. It’s the only time of year I would have it growing up, so naturally, when Christmas rolls around, I expect it.

This recipe makes a huge batch that can easily be cut in half. Mama always made the full batch. She would make one for the family and some smaller ones for some of our neighbors. She’d put them small cheese balls on Christmas plates, wrap them in plastic wrap and put Christmas bows on top, and “make me” deliver them to the neighbors on her list.

I say she made me because I did resist a little, but most of the neighbors I delivered them to brought a smile to my face, and being able to give them a treat at Christmas was good to my heart. I didn’t know it at the time, but mama was teaching me the gift of giving to others.

Let me share this wonderful cheese ball recipe with you!

Ingredients Needed to Make This Recipe

A detailed list of ingredients is provided in the recipe card at the end of this post.

• The Cheeses: Cream cheese, Velveeta cheese, extra-sharp cheddar cheese. All should be at room temperature before combining.
• Onion: a little bit of onion grated with a box grater adds a savory richness to the cheese ball.
• Milk: Evaporated milk (undiluted) is added to help the cheese combine.
• Worcestershire Sauce: gives this cheese ball unami
• Spice: a small pinch cayenne pepper gives this cheese ball back heat, without a spicy burn.
• Pecans: Chopped pecans are the “bark” of this cheese ball. They add a nutty sweetness to the cheese.

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How To Make Mama’s Homemade Christmas Cheese Ball:

• Put all the room-temperature cheese in a mixing bowl with onions and Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth and well blended, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in milk, a little at a time.
• Cover and chill the cheese mixture in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Shape into a ball and roll in chopped pecans.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

How to Serve Cheese Ball

My favorite way to eat this cheese ball is on Ritz Crackers. Feel free to serve on your favorite crackers, pretzels, or even crusty bread with a glass of red wine.

Tips for Making this Recipe

• Allow the cheeses to sit at room temperature for one hour before making this recipe. This allows the cheeses to soften and makes it easier to mix them.
• I found freezer paper works very well for this because it has a plastic coating that won’t stick to the cheese. There’s no messy clean-up afterward!

This cheese ball is so good! David and I have thought of some really cool things to add to it. Next time, I’m splitting the batch in half and having one that tastes like mama’s and experiment with the rest.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Who knows, maybe it will become a traditional dish at your house too.

Enjoy!