This spreadable Jalapeño Pecan Cheese Ball is made with cream cheese and cheddar. It’s a spicy, creamy, crunchy, delicious, attractive addition to your party table. Watch it disappear!
Growing up I was not a fan of the cheese balls my paternal grandmother adored. But because she loved them, they always made an appearance at family gatherings around the holidays. I think my mom bought them for Gram from Hickory Farms but I’ll have to get back to you on that.
If you’ve been buying them too, I’m here to tell you how easy they are to make at home. The only challenging part is mixing the ingredients together since this makes a fairly firm ball. Roll up your sleeves and apply a little elbow grease to that wooden mixing spoon and you’ll be fine.
Jalapeño Pecan Cheese Ball
The ingredients below make one substantial cheese ball (about 1.1 lbs or 500g) but I can promise it will disappear in no time. We like to spread it on crackers or toast but you just might find yourself licking the knife when all of those are gone. Choose a dull one.
Ingredients
8 oz or 227g cream cheese, softened
4 oz or 113g sharp white cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups or 150g pecans
2 green onions
1 fresh jalapeño
4 soft sun-dried tomato halves (if in oil, drain and pat completely dry with paper towels)
To serve:
Crackers or toast rounds
Method
Grate the cheddar cheese. Finely mince the jalapeño, green onions and sun-dried tomatoes. Separate out about 1 tablespoon each of the vegetables to be used later when we roll the cheese ball.
Chop the pecans finely.
In a bowl, use a wooden spoon or stiff spatula to combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, one quarter of the pecans (you can just eyeball this) and the bigger piles of jalapeño, green onions and sun-dried tomatoes until thoroughly blended.
Form the mixture into a ball.
Cover your work surface with cling film. I find this works best if I wipe the countertop with a clean damp sponge first which helps the cling film stick and stay in place. Sprinkle the reserved minced jalapeño, green onions and sun-dried tomatoes onto the cling film.
Top these with the remainder of the chopped pecans. Transfer the cheese ball to the middle.
Dampen your hands with a little water to stop the cheese from sticking to them and then roll the cheese ball around on the pecans and veggies until it’s completely covered. You can keep rolling it, applying gentle pressure until most of the pecans have adhered to the ball.
Pile any leftover pecan/veggie bits in the middle of your serving plate and, using your hands, pop the cheese ball on top, pressing down gently.
Refrigerate the jalapeño pecan cheese ball, covered, for at least 1 hour to chill.
Serve with crackers or toasted rounds of bread.
Enjoy!
It’s the first Wednesday of the month so that means it’s time for my Foodie Extravaganza friends to get together to celebrate an obscure food holiday. This time it’s National Georgia Pecan Month! I can’t promise my pecans are from Georgia but this recipe certainly showcases my favorite nut. Check out the links to the other recipes below. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm.
- Autumn Flavored Rice Pilaf by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Autumn Pecan Sourdough by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Candied Pecans by Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Chicken & Pecans Sandwich by Sneha's Recipe
- German Chocolate Banana Bread by The Spiffy Cookie
- Jalapeño Pecan Cheese Ball by Food Lust People Love
- Pecan Chutney by Magical Ingredients
- Pecan Long Grain and Wild Rice (Instant Pot) by Palatable Pastime
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