Buttered Pecan Cheeseball
This is my favorite cheese ball! The buttery roasted pecans really add a nice depth to the cheeses, and you'll have plenty left over for salads or snacking.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/4 cup goat cheese (honey goat is great in this)
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/3 cup dried cherries, cranberries or apricots
- 2 tbsp minced chives
- 3/4 tsp Sriracha, or other hot sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup butter roasted pecans (recipe in notes below)
- 2 tbsp chopped, flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, allow butter and cheeses to come to room temperature.
- Add dried fruit, chives, hot sauce and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add more hot sauce to taste.
- Refrigerate mixture for 30 minutes.
- Spread chopped pecans on a dinner plate, and parsley on a second plate.
- Shape the chilled cheese mixture into a ball and roll it first in the pecans and then the parsley.
- Wrap ball in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. Allow cheese ball to come to room temperature before serving.
- Cheese ball can be made a few days ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve. Great with fig jam on a plain cracker.
Notes
- If you're not a fan of blue cheese, substitute another grated, semi-soft cheese.
- Butter roasted Pecans:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss 3/4 cup pecan pieces with 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Spread on baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove from oven and let cool. Coarsely chop 1/3 cup for this recipe. Store the rest in airtight container.