It’s the holiday season and if you aren’t already, you are probably about to be inundated with holiday treats: cookie platters, desserts, and ALL the sweets. For years now, I’ve been changing up what I give to neighbors and friends for the holidays. Instead of sweets, I give the gift of cheese balls!
I love cheese balls because they are something slightly different, make entertaining easy, and are easy to make in large batches. This Everything Bagel cheese ball has such an amazing savory flavor and crunchy exterior that is just perfect.
I served mine with homemade bagel chips but you could use store-bought bagel chips or just crackers!
What is a cheese ball?
If you aren’t familiar with a cheese ball, it’s basically a mix of cheeses, mashed together with spices and usually an onion (I like scallions) that makes a really nice, spreadable mixture.
You can keep the cheese ball in the fridge and pop it out when you have guests for quick snacks (or just use it throughout the week for all kinds of uses).
It’s an economical gift of delicious food that is always a hit!
Why cheese balls are great gifts
I love giving cheese balls as gifts because it changes up the normal platter of sweets. When people have three plates of cookies already in their kitchen, they are usually very welcoming to something savory.
Basic ingredients for a cheese ball
The ingredients for a cheese ball are pretty basic and you can usually pull it togother with just a few ingredients. Here are the basics that I use:
- Cream cheese. Most cheese balls need a creamy base to hold everything together. I use softened cream cheese for this.
- Sharp cheddar. A nice flavorful add-in cheese gives the cheese ball some depth of flavor and different color variation. You could use a wide range of cheeses for this, but I usually keep it simple.
- Scallions. I like diced scallions as an add-in. They brighten up the cheese ball and add an slight onion-y flavor to the spread.
- Spices. You want some spices IN the cheese ball and not just on the outside. For this version I use a mix of garlic powder, black pepper, and Everything seasoning.
- Liquids. You need some liquid to loosen up the cheese a bit. I like soy sauce, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Just a splash of each is great.
Tips for making cheese balls
Cheese balls aren’t hard to make. You just mash everything together in a bowl! To take your time with the mashing though and make sure you get an even mixture in each smear of a cracker.
Remember that the flavors of the cheese ball should be throughout the cheese ball and not just on the outside so be sure to mix in lots of spices into the cheese mixture as well.
Coating the cheese ball is an essential step because it makes the cheese ball easier to handle (so it doesn’t stick to anything) and also gives a texture contrast.
For this version I pour out some everything bagel seasoning and roll the cheese ball around in it. Classic cheese balls will use pecans or something crunchy here.
What to serve with cheese balls
For this version, I love serving the cheese ball with homemade bagel chips. Just slice up some bagels very thin and bake them for 15 minutes until they are lightly browned. As they cool, they will continue to get crispy.
This is a great way to get rid of extra bagels if you have a few stale ones, but you can also serve this cheese ball with any cracker or store-bought bagel chips as well.
Want a different cheese ball version? You can try my classic cheese ball or my jalapeno popper cheese ball!
Leftovers and storage
You can serve this cheese ball right away but you can also wrap up your everything bagel cheese ball and store it for later! It’ll keep great for a few days in the fridge. Pack it up with some chips for a gift and put a bow on it!
Are you a cheese ball fan? If yes, you have to try this fun version!
Everything Bagel Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar, grated
- 3 scallions, minced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup Everything Bagel Season, divided
- 4 Bagels, sliced thin, for serving
Instructions
- For bagel chips: preheat oven to 375˚F. Slice bagels thinly and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove and let cool.
- For cheese ball, in a medium bowl, mash together cream cheese, cheddar, scallion, soy sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of bagel seasoning. Make sure ingredients are well-mashed and evenly distributed. Shape mixture into a loose ball with a spoon.
- Spread out remaining bagel seasoning on a small plate and roll ball around in seasoning, covering it evenly with the seasoning.
- Serve cheese ball immediately with bagel chips or wrap tightly in plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
