Mom's Cheese Ball Recipe is an easy appetizer recipe that is packed with cheese, hard boiled eggs, olives giving it great flavor. It can be shaped into a ball or cheese log, this easy cheese ball recipe makes a gorgeous classic holiday appetizer or a good cheese ball for your next party.
This is the best cheese ball and it was always one of the favorite appetizers the whole family looked forward to at holiday gatherings. Mom made this recipe for every Christmas Eve holiday party we had with Dad's family and it still is a an absolute must make recipe for any holiday party.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
✔️ This homemade cheeseball is a super easy appetizer and can be made up to 4 days ahead of time.
✔️ You get the perfect blend of flavor and an added boost of protein with the hard boiled eggs, olives, and pimento as an ingredient.
✔️ It is easy to make a double batch for larger gatherings.
🥘 Ingredients
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Shredded Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese has the best flavor for this type of recipe. It is strong, bold, and firm.
Hard boiled eggs: this is part of the main ingredients in this recipe that gives it incredible flavor.
Red bell pepper
Onion
Green Olives with pimentos, a cheese ball with olives and pimento adds that green and red festive look!
Saltine crackers, works with the mayonnaise to bind the cheese ball together.
Mayonnaise, feel free to use regular or low fat mayonnaise.
🔪 Instructions
- Add the grated cheese to a large mixing bowl. Add the onion, peppers, olives, pimentos, egg, crackers, and salt. Stir to combine
- With a wooden spoon, stir the mayonnaise to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.
- Shape cheese ball mixture into a ball shape or cheese log and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Roll cheese ball or log after wrapping to make uniform and refrigerate.
🥄 Equipment
🥫Storage
Store cheese balls in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap or wax paper in an airtight freezer bag up to 5 days.
📖 Variations
- After shaping, roll cheese ball in chopped pecans and or chopped bacon bits. Wrap and refrigerate.
- Use ½ teaspoon onion powder in place of the onion, or substitute with 2 tablespoons of green onions.
- Add ½ cup crumbled blue cheese for a tangy bite.
- Use black olives in place of the green olives and pimentos.
- Add 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper in place of the bell pepper.
💭 Top Tip
- Don't use bagged pre-shredded cheese. To get the best flavor and texture, you will want to shred your own cheese using a box shredder.
🙋 FAQ's
For the most part, yes. However because of the type of ingredients used to make this particular recipe, I do not recommend doing so.
Yes, but expect the flavor to change. While sour cream and mayonnaise will perform the same function in this recipe, they both have very different distinct flavors.
📚 Related Recipes
Mom's Italian Style Deviled Eggs
Pimento Cheese Burgers - Keto Low Carb
🍽 Serve with...
This cheese ball is great served with carrot and celery sticks, buttery crackers, and pita chips.
🏫 The last word
Unlike the classic cheese ball recipe, this one is made without cream cheese, which is great for those who don't like it.
The saltines are important to add as they are part of what binds the cheeseball together.
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When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Mom's Easy Cheese Ball Recipe
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- ½ pound grated sharp cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 3 tablespoons minced green pepper
- 5 large green olives with pimentos , chopped
- 1 large egg , hard boiled and chopped
- ½ cup saltine crackers , finely crushed
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the grated cheese to a large mixing bowl. Add the onion, peppers, olives, pimentos, egg, crackers, and salt. Stir to combine.
- With a wooden spoon, stir the mayonnaise to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.Shape cheese ball mixture into a ball shape or cheese log and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
- Roll cheese ball or log in wrapping to make uniform and refrigerate for 12 hours.
Apples and Butter
I have never made a cheese log, but the flavors in this sound delicious. I think there may be a Christmas log on our table this year.
Darius T. Williams
This looks good - Mom was really onto something here!
Melissa
This has such pretty colors and sounds delicious! I think I will make it for our new year's party.
Bunny
I've never made a cheese ball before but I'm going to bookmark this , this would be very nice for Christmas! Thanks HoneyB!
Reeni
What a tasty cheese ball! Your presentation is beautiful, love the snowflake dish.
Natashya
Your cheese ball looks lovely. I have come to appreciate the subtle flavour that grated hard boiled egg can bring to a dish.
I like your stories about family - we don't have much in the way of family (hubby's and my parents having almost all passed away) but we try to make the season fun and festive for the kids.
Your Christmas dishes are adorable, I bet Christmas time at your place is wonderful.
J.Danger
looks good. That plate is adorable!
Fit Chick
Yummie sounding, must make for New Year's Eve! I love your snowflake plate!
Barbara Bakes
I love the snowflake plates! You must have a great collection of plates. I need to get busy!
Bobby
These cheeseballs look amazingly delicious. I love the ingredients, this is my type of food!
Happy cook
Wow they look yummy. I have never made anything like this at home.
It must be really excemetn to serve this when you are having a party.
Jessie
This has to be the prettiest cheese ball I've ever seen in my life. Looks great!
+Jessie
a.k.a. The Hungry Mouse
creative one
Looks tasty!
Stephanie
That looks so awesome! I love cheese balls and logs. I have actually never made one (hmm, I need to work on that), but they're one of my favorite things to snack on when they're around.
noble pig
It sounds good and I agree without the egg it lose it's uniqueness...it looks very holidayish.
No Thyme To Cook
Hi, HoneyB, I found you through Once Upon A plate (Mari!) and your comment on my blog, I love your post! The whole reason I started to cook was so my kids would know all the foods I grew up on from my grandmothers! Hope your MIL will be home for the holidays!
Cheeseball looks great, I love the dishes!
Susan
This looks really yummy- I have found that if I make things in private- and no one watches me- they love it more. If they watch and see what goes into the recipe- they are all critics and usually wont taste!
Lisa
Wow, i never had egg in a cheese ball but it does look good. Continuing to pray for your MIL.
natalia
Ciao ! I'd love to make it ! What are saltines ??? I loved your pretzels but didn't want to win again !!!
Cristine
Looks yummy and your plates are gorgeous! I've never made a cheeseball, but I think this may have to grace my "Thanksgiving" table when Nathan comes home!
Hope Grumpy's mom can be home (or close to home) for the holidays.