Cheese Ball – Mom’s best appetizer recipe

Mom’s Cheese Ball Recipe is a holiday appetizer recipe that is not only delicious and full of cheese but makes a gorgeous presentation for your holiday table. A combination of cheddar cheese, peppers, pimentos, and olives give a burst of cheesy flavor in every bite. It is a tradition your family will love and remember year after year!

This classic cheese ball recipe isn’t just for the holidays! It also would be great to serve for your game day parties. The best part of this recipe, other than how delicious it is? There is no food processor needed! Made in just one bowl, this is a quick and easy recipe to make with less mess!

Mom’s Cheese Ball Recipe – a family tradition

Mom’s Cheese Ball was a yearly tradition every Christmas Eve with the Law Family. Dad and Mom would pack us kids up along with the goodies and head up to my grandparent’s home. There we would see family that we didn’t get to see as often as we may have wished to.

We would enjoy the food and the company of our family. We would gather around, and everyone who came brought something to share.

The most requested holiday recipe

I think everyone thought that Mom’s Cheese Ball was the best cheese ball recipe. It was a much-requested recipe and she passed this recipe on to other several family members and friends. And, I make this every single year since I have had my own home.

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Do you love the Snowman Cheese Spreader below? So do I, and they make great holiday hostess gifts!

The secret ingredient in this holiday appetizer

This recipe has the basic ingredients that bring a cheese ball together. However, one ingredient threw me off when Mom gave me the recipe. I never knew what she put into it until she wrote the recipe out for me to make myself.

I was surprised to find out there was a hard-boiled egg in this recipe! The reason it threw me off was that I never noticed it. I am assuming Mom pushed the egg through a fine-mesh because I never saw the egg in it. All the other ingredients are similar to what you would find in other recipes

Making this cheese ball recipe

When I make this recipe, I usually double it. I usually make it as a cheese ball but have been known to make them in log shape also. Mom always made them into a log shape, so I often will make one recipe as a ball, and then the other recipe as a log. No matter what the shape, they still taste the same, and the presentation is gorgeous.

Cheese: I like a sharp cheddar cheese because I feel it has the best flavor for this type of recipe. It is strong, bold, and firm. I also shred my own cheese. It’s easy to do with a box shredder, just like my mom would use!

Peppers: green, red, or yellow pepper all work great in this recipe.

Onion: Minced fresh is best, but if you want to use dried minced onion, that will work also.

Green Olives and Pimentos: I just buy the green olives with pimento stuffing

Saltines: Crackers cannot be avoided in this recipe. It is part of what is binding the cheese ball together.

Mayonnaise: Essential in giving the cheese ball recipe another level of flavor.

Make this Cheese Ball Recipe your way

There are plenty of cheese ball recipes out there, with several different ways of making them. By using this recipe as a base recipe, you can make some of the slight changes below and make a different version of this recipe.

• Roll in chopped pecans before refrigerating.
• Sub green onion for regular onion
• Add some blue cheese to the cheese ball for a tangy bite
• Instead of a large ball, make the cheese ball into mini cheese ball bites.
• Use room temperature cream cheese in place of the mayonnaise
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and substitute the green pepper for jalapeno pepper
• Omit the egg and mayonnaise and use cream cheese and make a Pineapple cheese ball. Add some crushed pineapple and candied red and green cherries in place of the onions, peppers, olives, and pimento.

More holiday appetizer recipes you may enjoy

Variety is always great to have, especially when it comes to the holidays and to appetizers. Below are some of my favorite holiday appetizer recipes to serve alongside Mom’s Cheese Ball Recipe.

Cranberry Pistachio Goat Cheese Bites are a sweet and savory bite that is easy to just pick up with a toothpick and bite into!

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms always go over really well with guests. Not only are these mushrooms low carb, but they are also the tastiest mushroom recipe ever!

Chorizo Jalapeno Potato Puff Bites are a festive and delicious air fryer recipe that is full of delicious spicy flavors. No air fryer? No problem, these can also be baked in the oven!

This Creamy Clam Dip is an all-time favorite. The tang of sour cream and hot pepper sauce combination is delicious with the chopped clams. And, don’t forget the Buttery Garlic Bread Chips! These are great for scooping up that clam dip!

I love goat cheese and I love peppadews! So, it’s no surprise that these Goat Cheese and Basil Stuffed Peppadews are a favorite of mine.

What are your family holiday recipe traditions?

Do you have a holiday recipe tradition, past or present that involves a family recipe? Leave me a comment below to let me know, I would love to hear your traditions and favorite recipes for the holidays too!

*If you made Mom’s Cheese Ball Recipe, please leave a star rating*

Mom’s Cheese Ball Recipe

A festive holiday tradition, Mom's Cheese Ball Recipe is savory, delicious and full of incredible flavor.

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Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizers

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cheese Ball Recipe, Holiday Appetizer, Mom’s Cheese Ball Recipe

Servings: 16

Calories: 95kcal

Author: Shelby Law Ruttan

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. grated sharp cheese
• 1-2 Tablespoons minced onion
• 3 Tablespoons minced green pepper
• 3 chopped green olives
• 2 Tablespoons chopped pimento
• 1 chopped hard-boiled egg
• 1/2 cup fine crushed saltines
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Place the grated cheese in a mixing bowl.
• Toss the cheese with the onion, peppers, olives, pimento, egg, and saltines, and salt.
• Add the mayonnaise to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.
• Shape the cheese mixture into either a cheese ball or cheese log.
• Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 209mg