Description
This festive Christmas Tree Cheeseball is a creamy, savory appetizer perfect for holiday gatherings. Made with cream cheese, shredded cheddar, and flavorful seasonings, it’s shaped like a Christmas tree and beautifully garnished with cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, sliced almonds, and a bright yellow pepper star. Serve it with crackers and pretzels for a crowd-pleasing party treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheeseball Mixture
- 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 jar (4 ounces) diced pimientos, drained
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Garnish
- 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1 yellow pepper, chopped and cut into a star shape
- Assorted crackers and pretzels, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare Cheeseball Mixture: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the finely shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, drained diced pimientos, melted unsalted butter, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Beat everything together thoroughly to evenly combine all ingredients.
- Chill Mixture: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cheeseball mixture for at least one hour. This step firms up the mixture, making it easier to shape.
- Shape the Cheeseball: Remove the chilled mixture from the refrigerator and roll it into a Christmas tree shape. Use your hands to press and mold it carefully so it holds the shape neatly and resembles a festive tree.
- Garnish the Tree: Decorate the cheeseball Christmas tree by first pressing halved cherry tomatoes onto the surface, mimicking ornaments. Next, sprinkle the finely chopped fresh parsley evenly over the tree for a green pine effect. Then add the sliced almonds to represent tree texture and finally place the yellow pepper cut into a star shape at the top of the tree.
- Serve: Place the decorated cheeseball on a serving platter and surround it with an assortment of crackers and pretzels. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated until ready to enjoy.
Notes
- Make sure the cream cheese is fully softened for easy mixing.
- Refrigerating the cheeseball mixture helps it hold shape better when molded.
- For a smoother mixture, you can beat the ingredients with an electric mixer.
- The yellow pepper star can be replaced with a small fresh herb sprig or other festive garnish if preferred.
- This cheeseball can be made a day in advance and refrigerated overnight to save time on the day of serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 of cheeseball with crackers
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
