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Everything Bagel Cheese Ball

Sarah Pyle

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This “Everything Bagel” Cheese Ball recipe takes minutes to prepare and will be a huge crowd-pleaser! Decorate with pretzels to look like a reindeer for the holidays or leave plain for any occasion.

everything bagel cheese ball with title text decorated to look like a reindeer

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Cheese balls are one of my favorite party foods to make. They are so easy to mix up and they are really affordable when you realize this will feed 16 people! There are lots of different ways to flavor your cheese ball, and today we are going with ranch seasoning, cheddar cheese and “Everything Bagel” seasoning.

Pick up a bottle of “Everything Bagel” seasoning at your local grocery store (pretty much every store has caught on to this addictive seasoning!) or mix up a batch yourself. Check out my recipe for DIY Everything Bagel Seasoning.

Use your Everything Bagel seasoning for this Smoked Salmon Spread or Instant Pot Everything Bagel Salmon, too!

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS FOR EVERYTHING BAGEL CHEESE BALL: CREAM CHEESE, RANCH SEASONING, CHEDDAR CHEESE, EVERYTHING BAGEL SEASONING

Cream Cheese: You will want to use full fat cream cheese. The low-fat option just does not taste as good. Go ahead and splurge this time.

Cheddar Cheese: Feel free to use pre-shredded cheddar cheese in this recipe. You will use half of an 8 ounce bag. If you only have a block of cheese, grate it on the larger holes and measure one cup.

Ranch Seasoning: This recipe uses one (1 ounce) packet or 2 Tablespoons of ranch seasoning. I love to buy my ranch seasoning in bulk because I add it to everything. Ever sprinkle ranch seasoning on your spaghetti? Don’t knock it til you try it.

Chives: Fresh chives are the herb version of green onions. They add a subtle onion flavor to your cheese ball. You can substitute green onions or leave out all together.

Everything Bagel Seasoning: Like I mentioned above, invest in a bottle of “Everything Bagel” seasoning or make a batch yourself. It’ll be your new go-to seasoning.

Reindeer Decorations: These are totally optional, but they make such an adorable cheese ball. To create your reindeer, you’ll need two black olives, one cherry tomato and two regular-size pretzels.

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowl
  • Measuring Cups
  • Knife and Cutting Board (or kitchen scissors)
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Plate

Kitchen scissors are my secret weapon for cutting fresh herbs. I can pick herbs right from my AeroGarden and cut them up finely without having to get out a cutting board.

How to Make Everything Bagel Cheese Ball

  1. Combine room temperature cream cheese, chopped chives and ranch seasoning and mix until well combined. This can be done in a stand mixer, with a hand mixer or in a bowl with a rubber scraper.
  2. Add shredded cheese and mix until well combined.
  3. Place cheese mixture on a sheet of plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap to form the cheese mixture into a ball and wrap to secure.
  4. Chill cheese ball in fridge for at least 2 hours.
  5. When ready to serve, pour 2 Tablespoons of Everything Bagel seasoning on a small plate. Unwrap cheese ball and place on seasoning. Sprinkle on additional seasoning and roll cheese ball in seasoning until completely coated.
  6. To decorate as a reindeer, insert 2 black olives for eyes and 1 cherry tomato for a nose. Insert pretzels on top to look like antlers.

How to Serve Cheese Ball

Let’s be honest. Anything is really just a vessel to get the cheese ball in your mouth, right? So use whatever sounds good! Crackers, pretzels, crostini (toasted baguette slices), veggie sticks like carrots and celery are always a great option.

I’ve even used cheese ball as the filling for grilled cheese sandwiches – YUM!

Cream cheese can safely stay at room temperature for 2 hours. You will want to remove your cheese ball from the fridge about 20 minutes before serving so that it has time to soften a bit. Store any leftovers in a container for up to 7 days.

More Appetizer and Snack Ideas

cheese ball coated in everything bagel seasoning with pretzels, black olives and tomato to look like reindeer

Recipe

Yield: 16 servings

Everything Bagel Cheese Ball

everything bagel cheese ball decorated like a reindeer on bamboo platter with crackers

This "Everything Bagel" Ranch Cheese Ball takes minutes to prepare and will be a huge crowd-pleaser! Decorate with pretzels to look like a reindeer for the holidays or leave plain for any occasion.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Combine room temperature cream cheese, chopped chives and ranch seasoning and mix until well combined. This can be done in a stand mixer, with a hand mixer or with a rubber scraper.
  2. Add shredded cheese and mix until well combined.
  3. Place cheese mixture on a sheet of plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap to form the cheese mixture into a ball and wrap to secure.
  4. Chill cheese ball in fridge for at least 2 hours.
  5. When ready to serve, pour 2 Tablespoons of Everything Bagel seasoning on a small plate. Unwrap cheese ball and place on seasoning. Sprinkle on additional seasoning and roll cheese ball in seasoning until completely coated.
  6. To decorate as a reindeer, insert 2 black olives for eyes and 1 cherry tomato for a nose. Insert pretzels on top to look like antlers.
  7. Serve with veggies or crackers.

Notes

Cheese ball can be prepared up to one week in advance. For a flavor variation, try "Fiesta" ranch seasoning.

Store leftovers in covered container in fridge for up to 5 days.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 166Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 287mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g

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By on December 18th, 2023

About Sarah Pyle

Hi, I'm Sarah. The voice behind Feast for a Fraction. I've been a penny-pincher all my life, but still have a taste for nice things. I'm here to show you that you can eat (and live) well on a budget. From recipes and DIY tips to ways to make extra money, we'll be in control of our budgets together!

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