“What is a cheese ball?” my husband asked as I shaped a bowl of soft cream cheese into a rounded form. He probably meant, “Why are you doing that?”
It’s a bit retro to shape a mound of cheese, roll it in crunchy coatings, chill it until firm, and serve with crackers and wine. Still, cheese balls feel fitting for late fall and the holidays — they have that indulgent, festive quality I crave as the weather cools.
With Thanksgiving just over a week away, menu planning is in full swing. I wanted to share a make-ahead appetizer idea you can add at the last minute—simple to prepare but impressive on the table.
When I host, appetizers are often the last thing I think about. Too often, The Professor asks about ten minutes before guests arrive what we’ll set out. In past years we’ve improvised with pantry olives or a quick run for chips. This time I’m being proactive.
This year I’ll serve a festive, spicy cheese ball studded with small cubes of Manchego and rolled in toasted pepitas, chives, and poppy seeds. It’s made ahead, so no last-minute errands on Thanksgiving—important in a town where shops close on the holiday.
Manchego Chipotle Cheese Ball Recipe
8-10 Servings
20 minutes
10 minutes
30 minutes
This manchego chipotle cheese ball is ideal for parties: creamy, slightly spicy, and rolled in pumpkin and poppy seeds with fresh chives. It’s gluten-free and can be assembled up to a day ahead for easy entertaining.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced onion
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ounces Manchego cheese, about 3/4 cup, cut into small dice
- 1/4 cup minced chives
- 1/4 cup toasted, salted pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Heat butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
- In a food processor fitted with the blade, combine the cooled onions, cream cheese, chopped chipotles, and salt. Pulse until smooth and fully combined. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the diced Manchego. If the mixture is too soft to shape, chill briefly until firmer.
- On a small plate, combine the chives, toasted pumpkin seeds, and poppy seeds.
- With wet hands, form the cheese mixture into a ball. Hold it over the seed mixture and press the coating onto the surface until the ball is evenly covered. Place on a serving tray and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Serve with crackers, celery, cucumber slices, or tortilla chips.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 216Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 224mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 8g
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One More Thing
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